Category: Sculptural Forms

Beauty and its beholders

Heading north on Lake Dr., approaching Capital Dr., I notice, for the second time, a newly installed sculpture in Atwater Park. This time I stop to have a closer look. Approaching the transparent human form, by internationally known artist Jaume Plensa, I’m immediately hooked into the visual elements of both the metal and its surroundings. The Leica moves to my eye.

(click images for larger views)

A young mother, with two children, also appeared, drawn to this installation. They speak quietly about what they see. The little girl attempts to find the letters of her name within the figure.

A truly beautiful, warm, fall day
to experience the powerful presence of this great lake;
these metal sans serif letters loosely describing a contemplative human figure;
and this lovely mother with her children.

Did the camera capture these simple, peaceful thoughts along with my nonverbal feelings? Later, looking at the images on the computer, I think, “maybe.”

So I began writing this post by googling to find the name of the sculptor; only to find this depressingly, negative review of the Atwater installation; complete with absolutely horrible photographs. I agree with the critic, Mary Louise Schumacher, about the frumpy poured concrete base; the rest of her critique – not at all. It seems neither she nor her photographer could see or properly feel this particular intersection of art, lake-scape and humanity. Yet, thankfully, this work, titled Spillover II now exists there for we who care to experience and enjoy it.

Leica M8, 75 mm Summilux and 28 mm Summicron

This small world traveler seeks surprises

The macro (and even micro) world attracts my attention (again and again); wanting to get ever closer; seeking to discover forms, shapes and lines which my naked human eye fails to appreciate. The constant struggle to achieve both depth and visual poetry simultaneously frustrates and seduces the optical explorer of the world; whether one travels the globe or looks within a few inches of this amazing planet. So I continue to peek through my old Bausch & Lomb binocular microscope, and try every lens, tube, bellows and sensor I have, to discover an occasional aesthetic slice out of 10 to 50 mm of space and 1/100th to 1/1,000th of a second of time.

“The details are not the details. They make the design.” — Charles Eames

This particular “event” surprised this small world traveler and momentarily satisfied the insatiable curiosity which keeps him constantly searching for the next discovery.

(click image for larger view)

R8/DMR, 100 mm apo macro elmarit on bellows with maximum extension

Site Specific Design by Nathaniel Reinartz

Back in May I had the opportunity to photograph a chandelier designed, forged and fabricated by Nathaniel Reinartz. In his portfolio catalog Nathaniel describes it as mild steel, fire scale and beeswax finish, diameter: 36” height: 48”. The wax lamp shades have each taken on its own subtly different shape from the heat of the electric lamps and provide the feeling of warm candle light. Nothing quite like having artists create functional work specific to a site — whether an architect designing a building, a metal smith designing a lamp, a graphic designer working out elements for a web site, or a photographer providing images for a site.

Upon arriving at the location I felt immediate appreciation for how beautifully the piece integrated with its surroundings. Not knowing what either the piece or environmental conditions would require I brought three Elinchrom studio strobes with various umbrellas and soft boxes; but needed to use only one light in an octagonal soft box to achieve some highlight modeling on the right side of the chandelier’s two rims.

Leica R8/DMR, 35 mm Summilux

Leica R8/DMR, 21 mm Super Angulon

Leica R8/DMR, 60 mm Macro Elmarit

Seth presents a studio challenge

A couple weeks ago Seth Tyler completed two chandeliers. In this particular case Seth felt a “neutral” background would be preferable to their installed environment. We met to discuss how best to photograph them in the studio before they were permanently installed in the commissioner’s home.

So the challenge begins with questions like, “Do you want the illusion of a ceiling meeting a wall? Or the look of a ceiling meeting two walls (as in a corner)? Or the feeling of a studio sweep (more of an abstract space)?” Each of these possibilities requires a different approach to set design and construction as well as lighting; and of course budget in terms of time and materials. We must also consider the space limitations of my two relatively small shooting areas. In the end we decided to create an “upside down” sweep using a 4×10 foot sheet of gray Formica which I had in inventory; with the bottom edge held firmly in the channel of my Foba shooting table; we had only to figure out how to suspend the other 10 feet. When creating studio sweeps gravity is normally your friend. Gravity becomes your enemy when turning the sweep upside down. To save “my” time I drew up a suggested frame design that Seth could build and bring on the day of the shoot. But on the day we stood in my studio, discussing that approach, we also started pulling out nearly every light stand, clamp, and horizontal pole support I own. Three hours later we had the sweep inverted and needing only a 2″x4″x8′, properly drilled, to mount the chandeliers to. Lighting through the maze of light stands was, of course, yet another challenge. (additional chandelier details and lighting options can be seen in this slide show).

(click image for larger view)

Leica R8/DMR, 60mm Macro, (additional image slide show includes 100 mm Apo Macro)

Evening demonstrations at ABANA Conference

June 2nd, after the first day of photographing the 2010 ABANA Conference Gallery items, we strolled through the demonstrator’s tents; where metal met fire to become functional and decorative objects. Additional images from this stroll can be seen in a short slide show here.

(click images below for larger view)

Leica M8, 50mm Summilux Asph

the chase

we all chase something
choosing what, when and where to chase
makes all difference

May we chase and capture that which makes a positive difference in the world in 2010.

“The fact is that relatively few photographers ever master their medium. Instead they allow the medium to master them and go on an endless squirrel cage chase from new lens to new paper to new developer to new gadget, never staying with one piece of equipment long enough to learn its full capacities, becoming lost in a maze of technical information that is of little or no use since they don’t know what to do with it.” — Edward Weston

“This is where the artist comes in, arranging in a frame the scattered elements into a story, anticipating and chasing the light, bringing it all together to create an evocative image capable of communicating the visual experience… . — Guy Tal

(click image for larger view)

Leica R8/DMR, 100mm Apo Macro Elmarit