Photographer, cinematographer, Lowel-Light founder and creator of gaffer tape Ross Lowell died on February 15 at the age of 92, according to PDN. Lowell lived in Pound Ridge, New York, at the time of his passing, leaving behind his wife Marilyn Shapiro-Lowell and four children. Above is a video he participated in wherein he talks about various lighting tools and techniques.
Over the course of his long career, Lowell pioneered numerous lighting solutions for photography and cinematography, ultimately registering more than 25 patents, founding lighting company Lowel-Light and publishing the book Matter of Light & Depth. Among Lowell’s inventions is gaffer tape, a type of cotton cloth tape popularly used during production and staging work.
From the mid-1960s through 1985, Lowell also shot, directed, wrote and produced multiple documentaries and short films, including Oscar-nominated Oh Brother, My Brother. Lowell received multiple awards during his career, including a Technical Achievement Academy Award, the John Grierson Gold Medal and Lightfair Technical Innovation Award.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)