Happy Birthday Ansel

Ansel Adams spawned a generation of photographers concerned with not only rich black and white imagery, but a deep concern for our natural environment. He was an avid conversationalist throughout his entire life.

Black and white images, along with nature photography, have always had a special place in my heart. Early in my career it was my good fortune to study under one of Ansel's printers. While Ansel printed many of his negatives himself, he also had people he trained and coached in the art of the darkroom. Learning from one who had touched the master's hand was not easy. I remember printing the same negative for weeks before I produced an acceptable print. "Again," was about the only word I heard in that time. At the end of a year my mentor gave me the greatest compliment by saying, "you now print better than I."

It was very traumatic when I said goodbye to silver based photography, leaving behind decades of tradition and craft. I love digital imagery in many ways, but I still miss the acidic smell of the darkroom and the magic seeing a print rise slowly from a blank sheet of paper.


Moonrise over Red Rock, Page, AZ


The following is from the February 20th edition of The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor:

"It's the birthday of photographer Ansel Adams, born in San Francisco (1902) and best known for his black-and-white Western landscapes, many of them shot in national parks. His nose was broken in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and never was set properly. It jutted to the left. As a boy he loved to hike around Golden Gate Park and along Lobos Creek, or out to Baker Beach - a boy who didn't care so much for school, who wanted to become a concert pianist. But when he was 14, his parents gave him a Kodak Brownie camera, and that same summer he saw Yosemite for the first time. He went back every year from then until he died at 81. He joined the Sierra Club when he was 17 and became their photographer, publishing his first pictures in the 1922 Sierra Club Bulletin. He supported himself with commercial photography, but he's remembered for his images of the Sierras and Yosemite. Ansel Adams said, "A good photograph is knowing where to stand."

Death of the ‘Roid

Polaroid announced Friday they were closing down film production facilities in Massachusetts. The closure will lay off 150 people. In Polaroid’s hey day they employed 15,000 in the state.

It’s a sad day for me. I love Polaroids. The colors are totally unique -- no matter how you shape, twist or manipulate digital you just can’t match it.

You can walk around any street in the world and make people smile with a Polaroid. A Polaroid camera is just one of those “friendly” things people gravitate toward.

I used SX-70 cameras for fine art as well as some commercial assignments. I would manipulate the emulsion while it processed to create series of “mini-Monet” renderings. It was artistic and therapeutic. You just couldn’t have a bad day when you were toying with a toothpick on a Polaroid.

Sadly no one will ever have that experience again. Time marches on.

When I made my conversion to total digital production almost a decade ago I knew the world was changing. I knew many of the things I loved would soon be going away.

Goodbye dear friend, I’ll miss you.

County Fair Time!

I love old time county fairs. You know, where the kind where kids still bring in their farm animals and 4-H rules. It's a step back to a simpler time when a stick of cotton candy was a delight. Every year I try to get out to as many as possible just to shoot for myself (and eat things I really should not).

In spite of the usual blazing colors associated with carnivals, midways and the like, I prefer to see a different way, as a memory or a dream. Color is nice, but color is today, I'm looking back, to yesterday. I hope you enjoy.

Time Capsule Parade

I love small town parades and festivals. Over the years I've photographed hundreds of them across the country with the intent of someday putting together a show or book. This weekend Connellsville, PA celebrated the burial of their time capsule. It was a typical small town affair with Boy Scouts, marching band, color guard, fire trucks and a few politicians giving speeches. As with most things in life, it's not what you see, but how you see it. Hopefully you will enjoy what I saw (and how I saw it).

-- The time capsule was given a ride along the route by a horse drawn wagon


-- The local VFW color guard led the marchers


-- Brightly colored umbrellas were the order of the day


-- Folks along the parade route




-- The Boy Scouts surrounding the stage reminded me of the Secret Service protecting the President, only a bit less intimidating...

...or not.

A New Day!

Blogging has been a lot of fun. You see, I like to write. I'm not especially good at it, at least not in a Proust sort of way. I usually write in a conversational manner, just like I talk. Maybe it comes from working alone too much and talking to myself, who knows, but for what ever reason it works for me. Now let me state for the record, I was NOT an english major so from time to time I may screw up my syntax or other things I should have learned in school had I been paying attention and not messing around with my camera. Sorry. Deal with it. If you can't, just look at the pictures, OK? Thanks.

So why the apology? Because for those who are English sensitive there is going to be a lot more to be sensitive about from now on! I've decided I like this blog thing so much I need to do more of it. But rather than just spew out a bunch of stuff happening every day (boring!) I'm going to try to make it useful. I've noticed there are a lot of photographers who check out my blog. Many are good friends, some new friends and some are friends I haven't yet met. It's all good. And since I really enjoy sharing what I've learned I might as well do it right here from time to time. Besides, I KNOW there are a lot of my brides who are really into photography so maybe some of the tips here and there can help make their photography experience more rewarding.

So stay tuned, the best is yet to come!

Peace

Happy New Year!

Hip Hip Hooray, it’s 2007! I hope you are as jazzed as I am about all the new opportunities that lie ahead in the New Year. I gave up making “resolutions” long ago because they were too easy to break (most didn’t last more than a couple of weeks). I do however believe very strongly in setting and achieving goals, and while I’m not quite ready to share them with the world, I will say I have a lot to accomplish this year!

We are excited about the coming wedding season! So far we have booked a lot of great weddings and would love to book another 15-20 awesome events. So if you got engaged over the holidays, or you know someone who did, give us a call ASAP!! Much to our surprise we still have 07.07.07 open!

On the personal side, I’m getting back into working out every day. I know my personal trainer, Weston Lyon, will be happy to hear that! While ‘round’ is a shape, it’s not a good shape to be in.

Many other changes are in the works, but for those you’ll just have to stay tuned!

Goodnight Mr. President

President Gerald Ford has passed away at the age of 93.

Gerald Ford was the first President I had the opportunity to photograph. In 1975, as a very green news photographer in Michigan, I was assigned to cover a speech he made at the University of Michigan.

Back in those days (before computers ruled the world) the Secret Service would physically do a background check of people requesting press credentials. We were known as the “day passers,” meaning we were covering the president just that one day and not traveling with his entourage. I remember my mother all excited because a Secret Service agent just called and asked a bunch of questions about me. She wanted to know what in Heaven’s name I did! When I told her I was going to photograph Gerald Ford she was relieved. She really thought I might be in trouble!

When I arrived at U of M the press photographers were herded into a back room for the obligatory bag check. Every camera bag was stripped and thoroughly checked to make sure nothing was being smuggled into the arena. Afterward we all stood around and waited for the signal we could enter and rush into place for the President’s speech.

While waiting, one of the older press photographers noticed my day pass and asked me if this was my first time. Proudly (and loudly) I said yes, this was indeed my ‘first time shooting the President!’ Oops!! As soon as the words left my mouth a very heavy finger tapped me on the shoulder. I slowly turned around to see a very dark suit staring down at me. It was a Secret Service Agent. In a soft, but stern voice, told me “son, we don’t use that slang when talking about the President of the United States.” Maybe it was my age, my naiveté or the fact my face was white as a ghost but the very large gentleman with the automatic weapon under his jacket just smiled and walked away.

When the time came to rush into the arena I got my first taste of the national press and how sharp the human elbow is when used as a weapon. Junkyard dogs would have been a nicer lot than those beasts! But as soon as Mr. Ford came onto the stage all pushing ceased and the clicking began.

The images I made that day were nothing all that special. At best they were typical news photos of a Presidential speech. But, they were MY pictures of President Gerald Ford, my first Presidential assignment, the President from my home State of Michigan and a boyhood friend of my uncle. It was an experience I will always remember.