Dance at the studio
April 4th, 2009
Practically since the very beginnings of my life as a photographer dance has been a subject I loved. I started photographing dance at the newly-formed Ohio University Dance Department when I was a 17-year-old college freshman looking for something to photograph. I fell in love with dance then and that love remains.
In recent years I’ve returned to Ohio University and the now School of Dance and have started photographing their concerts again. I’ve also this year invited some of the best student dancers to come to my studio for photos in a more controlled environment. Jesse was the first to take me up on that invitation. This is one of the photos we got that day, back in December. It has since been used for the posters to publicize the school’s winter concert.
Several more dancers have come to the studio since Jesse’s visit. I’ll be sharing some of those photos with you soon.
But for now I’m about to head out to Chicago where I’ll be doing a little shooting, but mainly I’ll be visiting the Chicago Art Institute to look at the Karsh exhibit they have up. I’ll also most likely spend some time in the Munch exhibit that is also there. Should be a fun week.
Karsh has an OU connection. He was emeritus faculty there when I started in the photo school way back when. I never got to meet him, but his influence was still felt in the school.
Weston, Kubota and Detroit
March 30th, 2009
We spent the weekend in Canton and Akron. The Weston exhibit at the Akron Art Museum was wonderful. Smaller than the show a couple years ago at the Dayton Art Institute, but the prints were fantastic to see. These were “vintage” prints made by Edward Weston himself and really showed what a master printer he was. If you haven’t seen original Edward Weston prints, well, you haven’t really seen what a great master he was.
The only complaint I have is that I think the gallery was just a little underlit. I understand the need to protect these very valuable prints, but still, there needs to be enough light to fully appreciate them. I’m sure Weston would not have been happy that there wasn’t good strong light to bring out all the detail and the amazing multitude of shades of gray that he worked so hard to include in these prints. Still, if you are anywhere near Akron, Ohio, you really should try to get to this show before it leaves on April 26. And after you see the show I can give a hearty recommendation for dinner at Crave right across the corner from the museum.
Before we drove over the Akron museum from Canton my sister-in-law suggested we stop by the Canton Museum of Art to see the kimono exhibit there. Not something I’m usually interested in, but I went along and wow! What a great surprise that was. These kimonos created by Itchiku Kubota using a once lost method that he re-invented through years of trial and error are wonderful, masterful works of art and simply beautiful beyond words. So, if you are going to Akron to see the Weston museum it’s really worth the half-hour drive over to Canton to see the kimonos.
And, finally, I’m going to have a few prints in a show in Detroit in April. The details are in the flyer below. It’s just a two-day show, April 17 and 18 at the C-Pop Gallery, put together by the Midwest Society of Erotic Photography. I still don’t know why they invited me to join this group, since my work is almost never about the erotic. But they invited me and I decided to accept, since there are a whole lot of very fine photographers in the group. They are also very fine individuals, so I’m happy to be associated with them, even if my work doesn’t really fit in. But there will be a few of my prints on the wall those nights. If all goes well I’ll be there on Saturday night if you want to come by and say hi. And you could always buy a print or two and help support my habit.
Curl Up With A Good Model
March 27th, 2009
I worked primarily in black and white for many years, starting when I first worked as a newspaper photographer back in the days when newspapers only published black and white photos. About 15 years ago I found myself becoming more and more interested in color. I shot a lot of color film and was happy when digital came along and gave me back the level of control (and then some) that I had enjoyed with black and white work.
I appreciate good black and white work, but often color is a significant part of the subject matter for my work, so I seldom appreciate the occasional comments suggesting one of my photos would look better in black and white. Those comments tell me that the viewer of the photo doesn’t understand at all what I am trying to do with my work. That’s somewhat my fault, since what I’m trying to do should be apparent to a serious viewer. But often those comments come from people who are clearly not serious viewers, just thoughtless people with an unthinking preference for black and white photos.
Black and white photos are a curious artifact of the early days of the medium. Everyone working to develop the medium of photography was trying to find a way to record the colors of the image. And they succeeded early on. Color photography has been possible almost since the beginning of photography. But it was technically very difficult to make color photos in the early days. So, black and white was a poor substitute for what was desired. And the gray tonal representation of a color scene is a unique artifact of that twist in the science of photography.
But, that’s not to say that black and white photos are not beautiful things. And that sometimes black and white can be a more effective way to communicate an idea through a photo. But I don’t think black and white has any inherent virtue setting it above color photos as art or as communication. It’s just a different thing. A different way to communicate and create.
And sometimes a photo in black and white just works well and looks nice. That’s the case here. I shot this digitally in color. Athena photoshopped it and converted it to black and white for the model, Unbearable Lightness. And this is one case where I don’t mind the switch to black and white. It works and I like the result. So here it is.
And, speaking of beautiful black and white photography, tomorrow I’ll be going to the Akron Art Museum to see the Edward Weston show they have running through April 26. I hear it is an excellent show of prints actually made by Edward Weston. If you’ve never seen a Weston print up close and in person, you really should try to find a time and place to do that. If you are in the Ohio area this show in Akron could give you a good chance. It’s nothing like seeing a photo here on the web…and is really vastly different from seeing a reproduction in a book, even one with excellent reproduction.
Buy This Book
March 25th, 2009
Back to Photography
March 22nd, 2009
OK…that’s enough of politics and legal crap. Back to photography and beautiful nudes. And light. And shadow. Here’s Athena again from the Florida shoot. This was taken in weak, overcast late afternoon light. I liked what the weak sun was doing with the shadows of the balcony railing. I like the way the shadows play over Athena’s lower body. I love the beautiful pose Athena struck. I love the colors and the textures of the wall. It all came together pretty well on this shot. Thanks, Athena!
2257 Rant
March 17th, 2009
I’m mad as hell and I’m going to vent about it. The draconian, unconstitutional provisions of an extremely poorly written law go into effect tomorrow. This law violates my constitutional right to freedom of expression. I take violations of my rights very seriously.
Under The Wire
March 16th, 2009
Coming Home
March 14th, 2009
I’m on my way home from the beach. It’s hard to drive north and watch the temperature drop on the car’s thermometer. It was a great vacation. Lots of fun. But it’s time to go back home. We are stopping to visit relatives in Virginia, then will go on back to the frozen north.
I haven’t had much access to the internet, but I am able to connect now, so I did a quick laptop edit on this shot of Athena from the condo in Florida. It’s nice to have art in the place you are staying, and Athena sure added a beautiful touch to the side table in the dining room.
This is a good example of shooting with available light. Back in my photojournalism days we defined available light as any light that was available to help light the photo. I enjoy working with outdoor natural light, but also finding artificial light that happens to work well for photos. I liked what those two lamps were doing, so I put Athena into the setting.
Lots of work to do when I get home and there will be more posts coming.
Erotic Signature
March 10th, 2009
Steamy
March 4th, 2009
