Mitch Epstein  (American, 1952) 

Mitch Epstein (American, b.1952) is a photographer who was born in Holyoke, MA. His photographs are now in many museum collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He studied at Union College in New York, the Rhode Island School of Design, and the Cooper Union in New York. While there, he studied under photographer Garry Winogrand (American, 1928–1984).

In the mid-1970s, Epstein left his studies and began a photographic exploration of the United States. Ten of the photographs from this trip were shown at a 1977 group exhibition at Light Gallery in New York. In 1978, he left for India with his future wife Mira Nair. A book titled In Pursuit of India is a compilation of photographs taken on this trip. From 1992 to 1995, Epstein photographed Vietnam. This trip resulted in an exhibition at Wooster Gardens in New York and another book, which was titled Vietnam: A Book of Changes.

After spending so much time abroad, Epstein moved to New York. In 1999, he released a series called The City to investigate the relationship between private and public life in New York. Also in 1999, he returned home to document the demise of his father's business. The resulting book, Family Business, won the 2004 Kranza-Kraus Best Photography of the Year. From 2004 to 2009, he traveled to America again. This time he investigated the production of energy and its consumption. The resulting series, American Power, questions both political and electrical power.

Epstein’s recent work includes a six-month residency in Berlin after winning the Berlin Prize in Arts and Letters. While there, he photographed historical sites. These photographs were published in the monograph Berlin. The photographer has also collaborated with his second wife, Susan Bell, on a website based on American Power. Epstein is represented by Sikkema Jenkins and Co., New York, Galerie Thomas Zander, Cologne, Germany, Gallerie Rodolphe Janssen, Brussels, and Jackson Fine Art, Atlanta.