Edwin Remsberg: The Photographer Of Culture

Edwin Remsberg standing in front of his collection of
cultures and people he has interviewed.

On Saturday, the 15th of September, The Appalachian Festival took place in the upper quad of Frostburg State University. However, if you were to head inside Compton Hall, you would have come across a presentation on culture, narrated by Edwin Remsberg. Remsberg has been to The Appalachian Festival several times, but this year was his first time presenting his work. For the presentation, he showed a slideshow interview on Mary Ada Marshall, baking her famous Eight Layer Smith Island Cakes.

Remsberg is a photographist who has become well known through his work with Maryland Traditions. He portrays his unique style of interview, as he takes pictures of the subject at work, and has the pictures he took play over the interview, like a slideshow. This is more unique and attention grasping than having the subject speak to a camera and explain why they are interesting.

Remsberg believes that the diversity of cultures is what brings people together, and by sharing these cultures, people can learn from them. He goes on to say that photography is like writing in which the camera is like a pencil. It’s all about what you put into it that makes it worthwhile. “There’s lots of great stuff to do. Do what you love, and money will follow.”

Remsberg says that he likes to explore the culture of Maryland that the person he interviews keeps alive. “The hardest part of this, is convincing the people I photograph that what they do is interesting.” Remsberg says. He has interviewed many different people of Maryland, even some that were at the Appalachian Festival, and completed many slideshow videos on them as well. From Newell Quinton and his family tradition of butchering, to Tom and Joey Lagana and their taxidermy business, Remsberg has covered it all, but still strives for more. 

For Edwin Remsberg's slideshow interviews: 

http://www.youtube.com/user/remsberginc?feature=watch

For Edwin’s personal site:

http://www.remsberg.com/

For the official Maryland Tradition’s site:
http://www.marylandtraditions.org/