“I have to be as much a diplomat as a photographer.” — Alfred Eisenstadt
Ann’s sister, Teri, visits from Florida and the family gathers together at Menomonee Park, the 297 acre site of a water filled Lannon Stone quarry. Additional slide show of images.
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“Some of us cynics say that ‘the quickest way to make a million dollars in photography, is to start with two million dollars.'” — Anonymous
Saturday afternoon we found ourselves at Al Simon’s 70th birthday celebration at Beth El Ner Tamid Synagogue. I managed to see and document two moments of fine light before being told that I cannot do this “work” in the temple during Shabbat. I did not understand this rebuke. Pushing a tiny button in response to beautiful light is “work?” I think not. After-the-fact research and dialogue brought understanding. A kind, Jewish acquaintance offered, “One should not try to view any of this from a rational perspective. It is a discipline.” A web site added this insight, “Working on Shabbos… means doing creative acts that manipulate nature… When G-d rested on the seventh day… He rested in the sense that He ceased creating. We must do the same.” Aha! Not a silly “rule;” rather, a discipline to help one connect with the divine. I get it. Respect and honor discipline (including the discipline to continuously learn from and about others).
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Later: While walking with Sophia on her Radio Flyer.
And still later: Popcorn and video.
“The whole search is for the unknown.” — Jerry Valente
Today I finished assembly of the milled ring to the recessed Cambo lens board to allow the mounting of Hasselblad lenses to the Cambo Ultima. After mounting the 40mm Distagon and the R8/DMR to the Ultima I walked the rig out to the porch, where a fern had grown up between the floor boards, and composed the first test.
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I made just one exposure and removed the SD card from the DMR. Having just worked with the view camera movements this felt like removing a tiny, miniature sheet film holder. I fondly recalled the days of pulling out 12×20 dark slides and holders (as well as 11×14, 8×10, 5×7, 4×5 and 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 and now this) after making an exposure I felt good about. Walking the itty-bitty image holder to the computer, then dropping the file into LightRoom, compressed an hour and a half of darkroom film processing and proofing into about 5 minutes; then, almost immediately, sharing the results with the world.
I love this return to view camera controls. A whole different experience in photography occurs when every conceivable movement of camera image plane and lens becomes available during the acts of framing and focusing. Contemplation. Meditation. Dare I call it a spiritual experience?
“In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.” — Alfred Steiglitz
Last Saturday Sophia, family and friends celebrated her third birthday. Slide show of additional images.
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And on Monday we remembered Mom and Dad, together. Slide show of additional images.
Huge thank you Doug. You’ve twice given me and my family precious memories.
“If there is a good thing about photography, it is that it can be easily enjoyed.” — Lord Snowdon
(Grand) Father’s Day brunch – 08 – lucky me.
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“[I crop] for the benefit of the pictures. The world does not fit conveniently into the format of a 35mm camera [frame].”
“What use is having great depth of field, if there is not adequate depth of feeling?” — W. Eugene Smith
they appeared where once
I photographed a family
of feathered friends
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“Saturate yourself with your subject and the camera will all but take you by the hand.” — Margaret Bourke-White
Last evening the storms roared through (again).
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The rain poured down most of the night – leaving our little town’s main street underwater (and the upstream water has yet to crest). Click here for slide show of Thiensville Flood.
A visit with Sophia and Tanya this morning.
On the way home.
“I didn’t want to tell the tree or weed what it was. I wanted it to tell me something and through me express its meaning in nature.” — Wynn Bullock
Last weekend severe storms swept through our area. Many families lost things, including some losing their homes. Our own Main Street was several feet under water. Today I stopped by Firemen’s Park in Thiensville. The Milwaukee River remains dangerously high. And new storms currently rain down upon us. The damn is totally under rushing water.
“It’s about time we started to take photography seriously and treat it as a hobby.” — Elliot Erwitt
May 28th brought my niece, Libby, to Milwaukee for lunch and to pick out clothing which no longer fit Sophia. She seems to be counting her new outfits.
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My nephew, Erickson also attended the lunch (as did their mother Mandy and my sister, Donna).
This past weekend Tanya and Sophia participated in the neighborhood rummage sale.
Sophia had to take a last ride on a too small toy.
and added a title or two to her library.
“There’s no such thing as taking too much time, because your soul is in that picture.” — Ruth Bernhard
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