Jeffrey Milstein

Jeffrey Milstein, born in 1944 in New York and currently based in Woodstock, New York, is a photographer with a unique trajectory. Initially earning a degree in architecture from UC Berkeley in 1968, Milstein practiced as an architect before transitioning to photography in 2000. His early passion for flight, marked by obtaining his pilot's license at 17, significantly influenced his distinctive photographic style.

One of Milstein's notable bodies of work is a typology of aircraft photographed from below during the landing process. This collection, showcasing his keen eye for capturing the iconic forms of planes, was featured in a solo exhibition at the Ulrich Museum of Art in 2008. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum also hosted a year-long solo show dedicated to this series in 2012, and it gained international recognition with an exhibition at the Brandts Museum in Odense, Denmark, in 2016.

In recent years, Milstein has shifted his photographic focus to capture award-winning aerial images of man-made landscapes. These images, emblematic of the modern world, have been showcased in solo exhibitions at renowned galleries such as Kopeikin Gallery, Bau-Xi Gallery, and Benrubi Gallery between 2017 and 2018. The National History Museum of Los Angeles County even established a permanent installation in 2017, featuring a large-scale reproduction of Milstein's aerial photograph of Beverly Hills.

His work extends beyond exhibitions, with his photographs published in prominent media outlets such as the New York Times, LA Times, The Guardian, Esquire, Fortune, Time, Harper’s, GQ, and more. Notable monographs include the publication of his aircraft work by Abrams in 2007, a comprehensive collection of work from Cuba by Monacelli in 2010, and Thames and Hudson's release of "LA NY," a compilation of aerial photographs of Los Angeles and New York, in 2017.

Milstein's artistic journey has garnered recognition and placement in prestigious collections, including LACMA, the Smithsonian Museum, the George Eastman House, the Portland Museum of Art, and the Akron Art Museum. His multifaceted career, from architect to pilot to acclaimed photographer, illustrates a unique creative evolution and a continuous dedication to capturing the essence of the world from unexpected perspectives.