Category: Things

Searching for the never before seen (in this way)

We look at so many photographs on the web, on the backs of our little digicams or phones and in print. Some minimal fraction of those images surprise us because the photographer has shown us a subject we’ve never seen before; or shown us a familiar subject in some unfamiliar way; or has managed to harmoniously arrange, within the square or rectangular frame, all the visual elements of photography (the rendering of light, color or mono-tonality, the composition of form, shape, line) while representing a compelling subject or event.

Photography, by its very nature, takes an infinitesimal slice out of infinite time and space; whether we expose for 1/10,000th of a second or 1/24th of a day; whether we fill the frame with a view of our own planet or the head of a beetle. Why do images made with a lens fascinate us so? Why do some of us spend decades searching for yet another two dimensional “view” of our three dimensional world?

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Leica R8/DMR, 65 mm Elmar on R Bellows

Why did I make this photograph? Because:  I really enjoy the process; the looking hard; the hands and eyes on equipment; the light; the variations; the post processing; and finally — the simple pleasure of looking at the image — that extremely thin slice — allowing my eyes to roam around it. For me this image has qualities akin to a beautiful charcoal drawing. It’s also very personal. I’ve thought about photographing this, or similar event, for years. Yesterday, when I finally attempted to capture some of those thoughts, it didn’t go at all as imagined. The photograph I had in my mind did not appear. That idea served only as a catalyst to work — to arrive at this unimagined photograph. While working I enjoyed memories of reading Edward Weston’s day books; and how he chose and worked with his pepper; finally placing it in a tin funnel to arrive at the final, iconic photograph.

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.

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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

Hope: “If you build it he will come.” — Shoeless Joe Jackson, Field of Dreams

sit on the porch, watch
it build, then sit, waiting too
hoping for a meal

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Leica R8/DMR, 100 mm apo macro elmarit
(yes. stopping down would have been nice. but for 1/30th @ 2.8. I like it)

Friday flowers with a different sort of twist, tilt and shift

I photographed this flowering shamrock with a Leica R8/DMR attached to the back of a Cambo Ultima view camera chassis and a 90 mm Apo-Rodagon enlarging lens mounted to the front. This photograph made full use of swings, tilts and shifts to achieve the framing and focus we see. The “look” could not have been achieved without the use of those camera movements. The flowers measure approximately 25 mm across. If you look real hard you can “feel” some of that view camera “look” even on this little sensor (or maybe I’m kidding myself).

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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).

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

“Hwy 51 runs right by

Luckily both Seth and I prefer two lane black top over the Interstate. So we took Hwy 51 to and from the ABANA Conference in Memphis. The photographs seen below were created on the way home “…up Wisconsin way…” in Historic Cairo, IL (which has the highest child poverty in Illinois); at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. And a slide show with more photographs from Hwy 51.

“…my baby’s door
Highway 51 runs right by my baby’s door
If I don’t get the girl I’m loving

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Won’t go down to Highway 51 no more.

Well, I know that highway like I know my hand
Yes, I know that highway like I know the back of my hand
Running from up Wisconsin way down to no man’s land.

Well, if I should die before my time should come
And if I should die before my time should come
Won’t you bury my body out on the Highway 51.

Highway 51 runs right by my baby’s door
I said, Highway 51 runs right by my baby’s door
If I don’t get the girl I’m loving
Won’t go down to Highway 51 no more.”
—lyrics © Bob Dylan

2010 ABANA Conference, Memphis, TN

Last Tuesday Seth Tyler and I drove to Memphis for the 2010 ABANA Conference. Seth, besides creating very impressive metal work (both sculptural and functional), turned out to be the best studio assistant I’ve ever worked with.

We photographed about 120 hand wrought metal pieces, ranging in size from virtual jewelry, to pieces 7 feet on the long dimension; in three extremely intense days. Additionally I delivered two 2 hour seminars on how the blacksmiths can improve their own photography. The photograph below shows me working with a shelf bracket on the small sweep. Just to the left we also had a 9 foot sweep.

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