A straight photograph cannot be abstract

They are imbeciles who call my work abstract. That which they call abstract is the most realistic, because what is real is not the exterior but the idea, the essence of things.

When you see a fish you don’t think of its scales, do you? You think of its speed, its floating, flashing body seen through the water… If I made fins and eyes and scales, I would arrest its movement, give a pattern or shape of reality. I want just the flash of its spirit.” — Constantin Brancusi

yesterday: a leaf

fell as I walked to the car

evidence of change

(Leica R8/DMR, 6omm Macro Elmarit)

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Nathaniel Reinartz creates friday flower

Recently I’ve begun to work with Nathaniel Reinartz. We’re upgrading his presentation portfolio and discussing possibilities and usefulness of web sites for blacksmiths. This young man’s work certainly demonstrates attention to detail, impeccable craftsmanship and a fine aesthetic sensibility.

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“Oh my son’s my son till he gets him a wife, but my daughter’s my daughter all her life.” — Dinah Maria Mulock Craik.

Ann and Erin at Irish Fest, on Ann’s birthday, August 17, 2008.

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Followed the rivers to Ellie’s wedding; then, a damp day along the mighty Mississippi

Last Friday Ann and I packed a few things in the car and drove west by northwest on Hwy 60. We stopped in North Leeds for a bite to eat. The restaurant had what seemed like a romantic little room for two; it also had very little and very red light and quickly began to feel claustrophobic with too much funky decor.

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At Sauk City the highway does it’s best to follow the Wisconsin River. I love to drive the blue highways that follow the rivers; the paths of the animals and birds. At Gotham we headed north by northwest on Hwy 14 towards Viroqua to visit Ann’s niece, Jessica, and her husband Matt. They provided us with wonderful hospitality; including a bed for the night. Saturday morning’s coffee and conversation on their new deck — built by Matt — simply delightful.

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Back on the road at 9:30 am — Hwy 14/61 to St. Paul, MN — now following the mighty, muddy Mississippi. Spectacular views with no time to stop; except for fuel, juice and muffins.

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Arriving just a tad late due to one wrong turn.

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Seeing as a guest and not “the wedding photographer” freed me to photograph “whatever” and take note of things I’d have done differently than the fellow and his crew. Slide show of additional wedding observations here. And a few from the “film” camera here.

Sunday morning, at the Best Western, provided pool time for Sophia and social time for family and friends of the iHusband and iWife (Sean is slowly Macifying Ellie):

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Strolling, shopping, photographing with a late Mexican lunch in St. Paul before heading south along the mighty Miss.

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A chocolate malt while driving through the night. Then south on Hwy 35 (hugging the river on the Wisconsin side); crossing back over to McGregor, IA at Prairie Du Chien.  The Holiday Shores Motel provided us with a terrace seat and cooling summer breeze which made it difficult to “go to sleep.” We watched a huge row of barges navigate the water-way in the dark. Monday morning provided a gorgeous view of Wisconsin’s river shore.

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Monday passed too quickly — simply enjoying the river, the light, the barge traffic and McGregor (at one time allegedly larger than Chicago because of it’s ferry crossing). Slide show of additional river and McGregor photographs.

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A Hasselbad lens now mounts to the Ultima

“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?

Flora now nests where fauna once did

“[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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Storms, floods, visits, drives

“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.

Push hard to get better

“Push hard to get better, become smarter, grow your devotion to the truth, fuel your commitment to beauty, refine your emotional intelligence, hone your dreams, negotiate with your shadow, cure your ignorance, shed your pettiness, heighten your drive to look for the best in people, and soften your heart—even as you always accept yourself for exactly who you are with all of your so-called imperfections.” so says my horoscope dude.

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