Debra Rothenberg: Photographer
If someone decides to like or even love another town other than his hometown, it has to be Asbury Park! And sometimes, as we have learned ourselves, you have to pass through a path of obstacles; being pushed pulled and tested at every corner. Only then, upon arrival at the finish line, will you gain Asbury Park’s acceptance.
Last week I got an email from Bridget Machete with summary of her interview with Debra Rothenberg an award winning photojournalist and photographer who last year published her first book BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN IN FOCUS PHOTOGRAPHS 1980-2012, believed one of “the best photo books for fall” by the Wall Street Journal and was Amazon’s second most popular photo book for many months.
After being introduced to Bruce Springsteen’s music by one of her teachers, Debra drove to Asbury Park to see the town Bruce had sung about. She said her life changed after that and she instantly felt at home. She was only seventeen and at the crossroads of her life.
Her adventure with photography started when she took her first photo of Bruce at his show from way far back. That very photo appeared in the New Jersey Monthly Magazine in September of 1981. After that she always had a camera with her and would come to many Jersey Shore shows. In the late 1980s, Springsteen was a recurrent invitee at the Stone Pony and Debra found herself photographing many rare moment, only captured by her.
She also detailed in her interview one of the most memorable moments when at his later concert Bruce Springsteen told her to take his “photo already” while smiling at her. Clearly she was one of the most known photographers who shot Bruce, her photos appeared in Rolling Stone, People, Time, and Newsweek, and by that time Bruce already knew about her.
It’s hard to think about a story like Debras’s and not think about all of the other artists, musicians and writers who have stumbled upon Asbury Park and their life had changed around, they were inspired and created a legacy. Is it the Asbury Park and its history? Having a history that AP has can be useful and inspiring but I think it is more than that. Asbury Park continually experiments, and tries new things, really tries them. That’s what makes Asbury Park unique and makes artists and creative people call it home.
This interview will be featured in our documentary. For more information about Debra Rothenberg’s photography please visit her website at www.debrarothenberg.com
and her facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Debra-L-Rothenberg-PhotographyRothenbergphoto
