Imagist Blog

…at Deanie Neiman’s Farm Stand

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Tanya in the Corn Maze; under infrared light; outside the “visible” spectrum.
Leica M8, 40 mm Summicron w/ B+W 093 IR Filter

Sophia and Tanya transformed.

Father and Daughter “pick their own” rasberries.

Leica M, 28 mm Summicron Asph

…on the last day of the exhibit, this past Sunday, aptly titled
Van Gogh to Pollock — Modern Rebels.
Anyone who attended Art School in the Sixties and Seventies
would certainly appreciate this intense, succinct, little collection;
which provides a strong synopses without overwhelming.
Though I did feel a bit underwhelmed by the POP and after collection;
and thirsting a bit for 80s to present;
in other words — I was immersed — and then it was over too soon.

A gorgeous Sunday afternoon at the very remarkable Milwaukee Art Museum.

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They placed Giacometti’s “Walking Man” absolutely perfectly;

as the life size figure appears animated against the paintings;

In a room devoted, to some extent, to deconstructing color
this young woman appeared to have dressed for the sculpture.

I spent an entire semester studying Arshile Gorky; and decades in love with his lines

See what I mean? The Walking Man IS everywhere.

Profoundly powerful architecture; designed with the intention
to make continuous love with light, time and space.

Leica M, 28 mm Summicron Asph

And of course the Leica M8 with 40 mm Summicron and B+W 093 IR goes everywhere;
because we, well I need to “see what things look like without ‘visible’ light.”

…beautiful
…people …music …food …sun
what else could one ask for?
Thank you Alverno.

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Above: Leica M8, 40 mm Summicron w/ B+W 093 IR filter

Leica M, 135 mm Elmar

…my Dad would take us, me, my sister and a couple friends, to the Lion’s Den. A mysterious place. No one was ever there but us. Had to walk a long way from the road, down through a deep gorge, that cut through the 100 to 150 foot high bluffs; on the Western shore of the Great Lake Michigan; about 20 miles North of Milwaukee. As kids; as the bluffs rose and swallowed us up; then, suddenly, opened to that glorious great lake horizon; we pretty much thought we had hiked to a very wild, and special place. And I thought only my Dad knew about this magical place.

As the years passed into decades I no longer knew how to even find “the Lion’s Den.” I never visited the place as an adult. A couple years ago I shared my memories of this place with my daughter, Tanya, and couple other people. And discovered that the Lion’s Den had become “known” and civilized; with walking paths; and board walks; and stairs from the top of the bluffs to the beach. I suggested to Tanya, “We should go have a look some time.”

A week or so ago Tanya texted, “How about we do waffles and the Lion’s Den on your birthday?” The waffles came up because a year ago I bought a turn of the century cast iron Griswald waffle iron for the ridiculous price of $15. It needed some tender loving care but was solid and fine under the rust and grime. It sat in my garage during the move. At some point Tanya, a consummate collector, connoisseur, and cast iron gourmet cook, and I decided it would be better refurbished and used by her, than sitting in the garage. She did a marvelous job of reconditioning, seasoning, and loved using it. Then a couple weeks ago she called from a flea market and said, “I found a number 9.” So now we have two and mine was returned on my birthday yesterday; when we made waffles on this 100 year old iron and hiked the Lion’s Den. A very fine day. To be sure.

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above: M Monochrom, 50 mm Summilux Asph

And of course the ashes of Mom and Dad
are very much a part of this Great Lake

The message, “I will love you every step of the way”
(and there are a lot of steps)

above: M, 28 mm Summicron Asph

above: M8, 40 mm Summicron w/B+W 093 IR filter

as we watch the falling
of petals and leaves
and summer

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Hasselblad 500 CM/39-CF, 80 mm Zeiss Planar on Extension Tube

with the wood peckers, robins, finches, doves, and other unknown birds,
squirrels and chipmunks,
all furtively flitting from here to there;
from branch to branch to ground to trunk to branch;
swooping and pecking and perching and preening;
never still for more than a fraction of a second;
so busy; so much to do;
all; but the frogs; who simply soak;
seeming, almost, in a state of meditation;
but for the occasional croak.

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Canon 5D, EF 70-200 mm 1:2.8 L IS USM w/ Extender 2x II

all over the place

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Canon 5D, EF 70-200 mm 1:2.8 L IS USM w/ Extender 2x II

In the so-called “good old days” we always carried one camera loaded with color film and another loaded with black and white film. And if we were feeling “experimental” we might load a third body with some infrared film, or super fast film, or super slow fine grain film.

So when we decided to go down to the Lake Front for Indian Summer, this past Saturday, I decided to be ready for any and all inspiration; and “again” took 3 specialized cameras out “into the field.” The M8 is hyper sensitive to infrared light and had the 40 mm Summicron w/ B+W 093 IR for Infrared photographs. The M Monochrom with 50 mm Summilux Asph can only create deep rich black and white photographs. And the M with short (135 mm Elmar) telephoto, and the 28 mm Summicron in the bag for color photographs. Here’s a few of the results. (More from the event can be seen here)

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I purchased this 40 mm, the smallest, lightest Summicron that Leica ever made, to use with the M8 and my B+W 093 IR filter. Though it’s such a sweet performer; with such a unique and lovely field of view on the full frame sensors; that I just keep wanting to try it in all possible situations to discover how it “draws and paints.”

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Leica M, 40 mm Summicron + OUFRO

Stroll the front porch… consider the concept of creating photographs while blocking all “visible” light… to create images of the unseen.

Allow only infra-red waves above 830nm to pass through the lens and strike the sensor. In other words make the previously “invisible” (to the naked human eye) visible. Art should do that. Show us visions we could not see before viewing this or that artwork. Show us the extraordinary. Expand our understanding through visual experiences.

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I’ve imagined this photograph of the corn for weeks. Just waiting for the clouds.

Leica M8, 40 mm Summicron with B+W 093 IR