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This blog is intended to showcase my pictures or those of other photographers who have moved beyond the pretty picture and for whom photography is more than entertainment - photography that aims at being true, not at being beautiful because what is true is most often beautiful..

>>>> Comments, commentary and lively discussions, re: my writings or any topic germane to the medium and its apparatus, are vigorously encouraged.

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BODIES OF WORK ~ PICTURE GALLERIES

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    ADK PLACES TO SIT / LIFE WITHOUT THE APA / RAIN / THE FORKS / EARLY WORK / TANGLES

BODIES OF WORK ~ BOOK LINKS

In Situ ~ la, la, how the life goes onLife without the APADoorsKitchen SinkRain2014 • Year in ReviewPlace To SitART ~ conveys / transports / reflectsDecay & DisgustSingle WomenPicture WindowsTangles ~ fields of visual energy (10 picture preview) • The Light + BW mini-galleryKitchen Life (gallery) • The Forks ~ there's no place like home (gallery)


Entries from July 1, 2012 - July 31, 2012

Tuesday
Jul312012

civilized ku # 2277 ~ the end is within sight

Kitchen help ~ Lake Placid, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggenThere's about 10 more hours to go on my South Jersey prison sentence.

Upon my release, it's another midnight run (in reverse) back to the place where I live. That's the place where people go to vacation during the simmer -er, that is, I mean, summer - in order to escape the heat and humidity - the heat and humidity which I find myself 'vacationing' in.

Tuesday
Jul312012

civilized ku # 2275 ~ speaking of degrees

Fly fishing ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggenThis picture was made during the Sunday Night Light Show event. It was made just moments before the making of the Main Street bridge picture. The picture was made looking away from the sun/clouds goings on.

FYI, it is my normal picturing custom, when confronted by a glorious blazing sunset, to turn away (90-180 degrees) and make what I consider to be much more interesting pictures.

And, BTW, speaking of 90-180 degrees, I'm fairly certain that the temperature today here on the South Jersey Shore is somewhere near the high end of that range. That's why, at 10AM, I'm sitting on a shaded front porch, in the pathway of an air-moving electric fan at my side, while watching all the insane people, if not jogging, then hurtling by on their 5 million dollar road bicycles. The only moderately insane ones are either out for a speed walk or walking their dogs.

Tuesday
Jul312012

picture windows # 48 ~ flowers

Flowers / Saturday morning ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggenTime to spend some time in Purgatory, aka: the South Jersey Shore, where I am sure it will be hot as Hell.

It's 8:45PM and I'm about an hour away from starting my midnight run. I'll hit north Jersey about 2AM and there will be almost no one on the road. From there it will be, as they used to say, clean and green all the way to Stone Harbor.

I'm certain I'll make a few pictures and I'll share them and few thoughts about the future of The Landscapist with you upon my return. That said written, I will be posting during my visit to the shore.

Monday
Jul302012

civilized ku # 2266-74 ~ light show

Reflection ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggen1044757-19653305-thumbnail.jpg
Main St. left ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggen
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Main St. right ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggen
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Au Sable River ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggen
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Main St. bridge ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggen
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Main St. left #2 ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggen
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Main St. right #2 ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggen
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Holywood theater ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggen
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Hollywood theater ~ Au Sable Forks, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggen
Sunday evening, about 8:15PM, the view from my front porch told me some weather was coming. It looked like rain was its way.

Ever hopeful, re: my rain series, I headed over to Main Street with the idea that some rain pictures would be in order. However, it never rained. Instead, what I was treated to was a rather amazing light show.

Arriving on Main Street, I made a couple pictures of some storm clouds as they appeared above the street scene. I then ventured to the Main Street bridge and pictured the start of the sunset on the river. By the time I moved across the street, warm light was starting to spread across the clouds. Then, it was back to my first location and the clouds had started to turn rather dramatic and downright menacing.

It was this point that I returned home to get a tripod because I knew the roiling near apocalyptic clouds above the Hollywood (looking east) were too bright to picture with just a simple 3-stop auto ISO bracket. The exposure difference between the clouds and the theater entrance was just to great for a 3 stop on/over/under bracket to handle.

The last picture with the pinkish magenta color in the clouds was my last exposure.

All together, the picturing sequence - except for the reflection picture, presented in chronological order - took place in no more than 20 minutes. It seemed as though every time I turned around the light and clouds had changed, not subtly but rather dramatically. The viewing sensation had a slightly surreal feeling, kinda like being in a strange / unfamiliar time and place.

I'll readily admit, in this case, to 'chasing the light' all over the place - what a visual and sensory treat.

Sunday
Jul292012

civilized ku # 2263-65 + nothing ~ chance punishes the un-prepared

Coyote puppy ~ Lake Placid, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggen1044757-19632864-thumbnail.jpg
# 8 green / Mountain Course / Lake Placid Resort GC ~ Lake Placid, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggen
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# 9 green / Mountain Course / Lake Placid Resort GC ~ Lake Placid, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggen
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# 8 green / Mountain Course / Lake Placid Resort GC ~ Lake Placid, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggen
Late yesterday afternoon, as I was coming over the rise from which I could see # 9 green - golf note, the 2nd shot into # 9 green is a blind shot, only the top half of the stick and flag are visible - there, playfully hopping around behind the green was a coyote puppy. He/she looked to be having puppy fun while pursuing insects which he/she processed to eat.

Upon reaching the green, the coyote kept his/her distance - about 15 feet - and displayed no real alarm to my presence. I later learned that he/she had stolen golf balls from the green and then deposited them in the woods, only to return and patiently wait for more balls to appear.

After sinking my putt, I approached the puppy to get a closer look. He/she appeared to be very healthy - a beautiful full coat, bright eyes, a cautious alertness, no signs of emaciation, and a very inquisitive nature. Long story short, I sat on the ground and the puppy eventually approached and sniffed my outstretched hand.

While he/she was very cautious, I began to suspect that, with no parent in sight, the puppy was most likely abandoned because he/she had not had much, if any, instruction regarding human contact, aka - instilled fear. Although, it's possible that mom was just out hunting for the day and would return later with dinner and some parental supervision. It's also possible that mom (or dad - coyotes are 'family' creatures) were, in fact, very nearby, just out of sight. They have been known to do exactly that - leaving their young to fend for themselves, while they keep an eye on the goings on.

In any event, I did something yesterday I very rarely do - I made a very conscious decision to not take a camera with me out on the golf course. For some strange reason, I figured I had made every picture worth making on my home course over the past 11 years. I mean, what more could there be out there of which to make a picture?

So, in honor my stupidity, I have posted the blank frame on which my encounter with the coyote puppy should have been made. I will refer to it on a regular basis just to remind myself how luck and chance favor the prepared.

FYI, the golf course pictures posted in this entry were made later in the evening, and a beautiful evening it was, when I returned, cameras in hand, to the scene of the earlier encounter. Alas, the puppy was nowhere in sight. That just might mean that he/she has hooked up with his/her parents and will live happily ever after.

BTW, I intend to return to the scene of my picturing ignominy again today. This time with both golf clubs and cameras in my possession.

Friday
Jul272012

civilized # 2259-62 / ku # 1160 ~ it's how one sees the world

Part of an office window view ~ Plattsburgh, NY • click to embiggen1044757-19615595-thumbnail.jpg
Foliage covered house ~ Plattsburgh, NY • click to embiggen
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Patio conversation ~ Lake Placid, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
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Camping/fishing gear ~ Bog River Flow / Low's Lake - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
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Birches seen thru pines ~ Bog River Flow / Low's Lake - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
Apropos a new endeavor I will be announcing in the next few days, I would like to address the notion of vision, as in having an identifiable approach to making pictures. That notion may include the idea of style but it goes well beyond that idea and into the realm of motivation, intent, and how one sees the world, literally and figuratively.

IMO, to my eye and sensibilities, the most interesting pictures on the planet are those made by a picture maker with a vision. His/her work is unified by a personal approach to seeing. An approach than is not gear / technique driven - although a specific vision is most often mated with specific gear and technique - but rather, is driven by a picture maker's desire to explore / investigate a referent / theme and, consequently, illustrate (the pictured results) that process for the purpose of illuminating (to his/herself and the viewers of his/her pictures) his/her individually unique thoughts, feelings, and other notions/ideas related to the specific referent(s) and/or themes which drive the picture making pursuit.

Conversely, to my eye and sensibilities, the most boring pictures on the planet are those made by a picture maker who bounces from one type of gear to another and one technique to another - most often in pursuit of series of one off / one note "hits" which, when viewed within the context of the collective body of work, are so diverse in 'vision' as to, ultimately, be vision-less. This type of picture making is that which is most often pursued by 'serious' amateurs who are in pursuit of the phrase, "great picture", or collecting as many "like" notations as they can accumulate.

CAVEAT: Once again, let me reiterate - if the pursuit of one off / one note hits is what floats your picture making boat, I sincerely hope that you successfully stay afloat, with wind at your back, for the rest of your picture making days. Sincerely, have at it with all your heart/soul and enjoy the ride.

In any event, there has been an ongoing discourse about the so-called digital picture making revolution. Is there a revolution? If so, what is it and where is it going? Has digital picture making had an effect on picture making or is it just a new means of doing the same old thing? Is the medium moving forward, backward, or just treading water / staying in place?

I have my thoughts on much of the matter but I won't go into it here. That's reserved for the new endeavor I will be embarking upon shortly. However, in the interim, I will mention one thought on the matter ...

... IMO, the most obvious result of the digital picture making era is the fact that more pictures are being made by more people than even before. Without taking the time to look it up, it has been stated that, over the past 4(?) years or there about, more pictures have been made in that time frame than had been made in the entire history of picture making prior to that recent time frame, starting from day 1. Whatever the specific recent time frame involved, that's a staggering number of pictures which have been made, primarily due to the fact that "everybody's a photographer now".

That said, once an individual has acquired a digital picture making device - camera, cell phone, iPad/iPod, etc. - there is no theoretical limit, imposed by cost, to the number of pictures one can make. That fact was illustrated by Svein-Frode in his recent comment wherein he wrote (in part):

... Very rarely do I plan a shoot or theme. Rather I just carry cameras everywhere and fire away whenever I feel inspired.

Carrying cameras everywhere and firing away whenever I feel inspired, is on the whole, how I picture - I do, however, often picture to theme. I also suspect that MO is how many other picture makers work, even those given to pursuing a theme/vision. It's form of 20fourby7 (make note of that phrase) picture making, always being on, re: picture making opportunities.

Of course, the result of always being on is a boatload, really big boat, of pictures. And the thing about those pictures - pictures made with a constant vision - is that no matter the referent depicted, the vision behind / driving the always being on MO is almost always readily apparent. No matter how many pictures, covering even a very diverse number of referents, such a vision-inspired picture maker might make, one can always identify the individual vision associated with his/her pictures - see one such example HERE, one of many I could direct your attention to.

All of that said written, IMO, vision in picture making is paramount in the making of truly interesting / involving pictures, no matter how many pictures one makes in the course of a day/ week / month / year / lifetime.

Stay tuned for further developments, new endeavor wise. And, BTW, did I mention I'm looking for interesting bodies of work? The submission desk is open for business. Especially for always being on (but not limited to) bodies of work.

Friday
Jul272012

ku # 1159 ~ another reason to hate the technocracy (a rant)

Shoreline trees ~ Bog River Flow / Low's Lake - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggenI have written, on a number of occasions, about my displeasure (to put it mildly) about the never ending upgrade treadmill which the technocracy class has us all running on, some of us at full speed. One upgrade begets another upgrade, and another, and another, ad infinitum. At times, it makes me want to yell, "stop the world, I want to get off".

The technocracy class has figured out how to use the now defunct Detroit auto industry planned obsolescence shell game to a T. Except now, the shelf life of digital technology products is measured in months.

That said written, there was a recent article in our local newspaper which really set me off. It reported that, by the Fall of 2013, movie studios will no longer be releasing movies on film. They will be released as copy protected hard drives only. A format that mandates a theater to have digital projection or, if not, drop dead. Just close the doors and send everybody home.

So what, you might be wondering? well, here's what ...

In our region there 12 small town theaters. Theaters which serve small local communities and which operate on slim margins. The $100,000USD price tag for a digital projector, + relayed costs for screen (for 3D) and sound system upgrades, are way beyond these theaters to absorb. While the theaters have banded together to find a way - primarily through NYS Community Enterprise grants - to acquire the $$$$$ to purchase the digital projectors and upgrades, there is a very real possibility that these theaters will close.

In our little village, we have a theater which was abandoned but resurrected ( a few years ago) by a local couple. It was resurrected by a lot of sweat equity by the couple and other locals and businesses. The theater has turned out to be a valuable village asset, not only for the people it serves but also by its position as key element in the Main Street revitalization. To lose it would be nearly unthinkable.

In light of this situation, a study was undertaken to determine the economic impact of these theaters upon their respective communities. The findings discovered that, collectively, the theaters represented an 8.4million dollar (per annum) contribution to the regional economy. That number reflects not only the income generated by the theaters and the salaries they pay, but also by related economic activities - eating in restaurants before or after a movie and, by their draw, additional traffic and expenditures on their respective Main Street business districts.

That's a whole lot of money to lose, not to mention the approximately 100 jobs that would disappear.

Why might this happen? The answer simple - the technocracy class doesn't give a shit. It's no skin off there collective self-centered noses, noses, I might add, which they can seem to see beyond. A great example of modern day "let them eat cake".

But there is another method to their madness. The studios have stated that they will help - whatever that means - the theaters acquire the projector / sound / screen upgrades but ... only if the theaters give the studio a say in the operation of those theaters. That sounds more than a little bit like extortion to me.

In any event, I'm hopping / spitting / sputtering mad as hell. Nut jobs think the government want to run their lives when, in fact, the technocracy class (and some their corporate brethren) is already doing a pretty fine job of it.

A pox on all them and their families.

Thursday
Jul262012

FYI / people ~ what I was doing yesterday / feeding the monkey on my back

Portrait on location • click to embiggenA Portrait setup • click to embiggenSuddenly, I am knee deep in client requests for portraits made on location.

I can honestly say that I have never pursued portrait business, other than portraits made for business clients. In fact, other than family members, I have probably made less than a dozen non-business portraits. On the other hand, I have made hundreds of business client portraits - corporate CEOs for use in annual reports, general workers (business and labor) for annual reports and corporate capability publications, editorial / magazine feature and cover uses, to name just a few types of business portraits.

While some portraits were made in work environment available light, reportage style, many were made with setups similar to that shown here. In some of those situations, the lighting requirements were much more complex than the pictured setup. It was not uncommon to be using 4-5 lights and multiple scrims and fill cards and hauling all the stuff around was a pain in the ass. But, of course, it wasn't my ass hauling all that stuff around because that's what god made photo assistants for.

The lighting setup for yesterday's session - 3 different persons - was rather simple. The main light was a strobe with a large reflector with diffusion screen attached, and a fill card to soften the shadows. The background umbrella light was connected to another strobe power pack on which the wireless triggering sync was turned off. That was so because I wanted to bathe the background in the warm tungsten light of the modeling lamp.

I still use strobe equipment for 2 reasons - first) it's what I know and, second) at this time, I don't do enough of this kind of work to justify the expense of acquiring professional quality LED light panels.

FYI, I still keep my hand in this market because it is much more lucrative than the general (public) portrait market. In the business market, I don't have to compete with the Sears / department store portrait studios and other not-so-skilled-but-cheap purveyors of less than discriminating pictures. And, the income helps feed my art / personal habit.