# 7062-65 / common places-things • adk guide ~ seeing not thinking

all photos ~ (embiggenable)

Let’s begin with a CAVEAT: This is entry is NOT intended to be a commentary on the aesthetic quality of the picture-maker’s work. Rather, it is about the manner in which he worked.

I RECENTLY CAME ACROSS A BLOG WITH AN ENTRY titled “The Anatomy Of A Photographic Failure” wherein the author suggests that “showing our failures can be just as important as showing our successful images” cuz “Failures can be used to teach effectively.” an idea that I have no problem with … keeping in mind, of course, that there’s no success like failure but failure is no success at all.

In any event, my take on the entry is that while the author points out a whole host of technique / technical failures with his pictures resulting in that, in his words, “…. they just don’t look pleasing at all to me.”

A statement to which I say, ”No shit Sherlock.”

I mean, how the hell can one expect to respond to a picture making opportunity with spontaneity and feeling when one’s mind is flooded with thoughts technical. To wit ….

I had the Fujifilm X100VI and the wide angle conversion lens, effectively giving me a 28mm field of view.  Wider would have been better for some shots.  But the 28mm was all I had with me … It was extremely bright outside and relatively poorly lit inside so I know that making a single exposure toward the front of the restaurant would be pushing the dynamic range of the sensor about as far as practical—maybe too far.  So, I set bracketing to 5 photos, 1 stop apart. …. I shot handheld, aperture priority with Auto ISO.  I used both f/5.6 and f/8.  A wider aperture would have been better to reduce the ISO but at the distances I was photographing getting most everything in focus required a deeper depth of field.  The interior photos were exposed at ISOs from 250-8000. Also, I set the camera for “Natural Live View” to simulate an optical viewfinder so as to have the best representation of actual dynamic range and best exposure rather than have it artificially modified by a film simulation.  I use the Natural Live View feature extensively in all my cameras that have this kind of feature as I get a much better idea of highlight clipping and best exposure settings.

iMo, working within the framework of this mode of thought is akin to trying to master a dance step without listening to the music. So, if there’s a failure to be noted in this “teaching” experience, it is about what not to do–an idea not mentioned in the author’s entry. Or, to quote Edward Weston:

“To consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk.”

A quote in which Weston was strongly implying that artistic vision should feel natural and instinctive, not forced by rigid formulas / techniques, i.e., an artist should focus on seeing the subject strongly and clearly rather than worrying about strict technical guidelines and techniques.

iMo, if one wishes to avoid the “failures” experienced by the author, the lesson to be learned here is not as the author suggests in his entry summary;

“I should have been more prolific with my bracketed shots to ensure a higher level of success in capturing my intended images. Additionally, instead of five exposures, 1 stop apart, I could have tried three exposures 2 stops apart …. to raise my chance of success.”

WRONG. Apparently, the author thinks, as is common amongst many “serious” amateurs, that more and “better” techniques–and dare is write, more and “better” gear–is the path to more picture making success. Ya know, going deeper down the rabbit hole of technique / gear on the road to nowhere. Whereas, iMo+experience, keeping it simple–both gear and an open, receptive mind–is the way to go.

(aesthetic) ADDENDUM: in his entry the author asserts that “Shooting through the scratched plexiglass was a failed experiment.” I disagree. To my eye and sensibilities–disregarding the lousy blend of the bracketing technique–this is a wonderful picture. Or, with proper processing–forget the blending crap–it could be a very visually interesting picture that could hold my attention for a considerable amount of time. And, it’s the “distraction” of the marred plexiglass that is one of the visual highlights that helps separate this picture from mundane documentation–it gives the picture a sense of reality and character. Hell, I might even hang it on my wall.

# 7038 / an adirondack guide ~ upsurges of subliminal energies into the conscious mind

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ON A RECENT ENTRY SEAN M. WROTE re: the an ADIRONDACK Guide book: “This will be for sale? I want it.” Answer: Yes. A published book for distribution / sale is in the works. Will most likely be available in 3 months.

Re; the book. Over time, as this body of work has been edited down to a 50 photograph collection for inclusion in a book, I have made 5 “proof” POD books, each with a slightly different selections of photographs, The purpose was to try to determine what combination might work best to convey / illustrate the look and feel of the total body of work (450 photographs). Frustratingly for me, to my eye and sensibilities, none of the different edits seemed to do the trick; which is not to state that they were” bad”. Rather, they just did not seem to light my fire. However …..

…. during this period of time I was showing the various “proof” books to a considerable number of people; not all of the variations but just whatever one was the latest variation, and, no viewer viewed a different variation of the book. ASIDE an overwhelming number (95%?) of the viewers were “locals”, i.e. residents of the Park who were not affiliated with the arts in any manner, aka: just “regular” people END ASIDE Much to my astonishment, the response from everyone was extremely and unabashedly positive to each variation.

What I came to realize was that, whatever my final edit is, it will not be “wrong”. In fact, it is reasonable to write that it might require some concertedly weird herculean effort to screw it up––not very probable but, never say never.

That issue settled, I turned to picture sequencing in the book. True be told, when I am making photo books, I have never been much concerned with sequencing inasmuch as rarely am I striving to tell a story. Rather, I am trying to create a feeling for any given body of my work. And, I do believe that my work is best viewed as a body of work; in many cases that is the only way some of my work makes any “sense”.

In the case of the an ADIRONDACK Guide book my only guiding principle, sequencing wise, was to be certain to give the work a very random sequence feeling. That is, to avoid having a person picture immediately follow another person picture, a landscape picture follow another landscape picture, and so on. Randomness was also important to experiencing the work cuz, in actual fact, that is exactly the manner in which the photographs were made––randomly, over an extended period of time.

That written, coincidentally, yesterday as I was researching material for a future blog entry, I came across this from Sally Eauclaire from her book, the new color photography:

“Eggleston’s work has supplanted the self-sufficient art work with organically welded groups of photographs intended to be experienced in a book format. The effects can be almost incantatory, with individual photographs providing interdependent statements that contribute to an aura of feeling. Flashes, fragments and snared moments ultimately cohere. By proceeding in such an indeterminate and dynamic manner, Eggleston appears to be tapping what William James called “invasive experiences”––upsurges of subliminal energies into the conscious mind.”

Yikes! Anyone else out there think it to be somewhat cosmically weird that I find this at the same time I as I am dealing with putting a book together?

# 7025 / adirondack guide ~ a slap upside the head

(embiggenable) ~ all,photos made along the side of the road

OVER THE COURSE OF ORGANIZING, EDITING, AND selecting photographs for inclusion in the final edit for the An Adirondack Guide book, there have a number of decisions that to be made. Most of those issues have been resolved with the exception of the final photo edit with which I am still tinkering around the edges.

That written, the biggest change made since the inception of the project has been about my initial decision to have no scenic landscape photos in the collection. That idea was instigated by the fact that scenic landscape photos of the Adirondacks are a dime a dozen. Walk into any Adirondack gift shop and there are more landscape photo books on the shelves than you shake a birch stick at, and, they all look alike.

I had no desire to add to that clutter and, to be sure, my project intent was to illustrate everyday Adirondack life “on the street”, so to speak. To a certain extent I was following Edward Weston’s adage that “Anything more than 500 yards from the car just isn’t photogenic.”; i.e., my project modus operandi was basically to make photos during my everyday driving around the Park––ya know, see something, stop the car, get out and make a picture. However ….

…. as I was rooting around in my photo library culling out photos for inclusion in the collection, I keep coming across landscape photos that were made with exactly the same M.O. as my “on the street” photos. It took a while but eventually it hit me––duh, I live in a ginormuos 9,375 sq miles Park (technically it’s a forest preserve, not a park) that is known worldwide for its natural beauty. A place where it is nearly impossible to move about without encountering and being immersed in the Forever wild natural world (protected by the NYS Constitution) of the Park.

Simply put, the natural world is part and parcel of daily life in the Adirondacks and to ignore that, picture wise, in my project would be, well, kinda dumb.

And, lo and behold, I have quite a number of photographs that were made while driving around, seeing something, stopping the car, getting out and making a landscape picture. Most of which, BTW, were made within only 10 yards of the car. So …..

# 7010-24 / adirondack guide • common places-things ~ I can see clearly now

all photos ~ (embiggenable)

3.5 DAYS, APPROXIMATELY 442 MILES, 9 HOLES OF GOLF = 15 photographs.

Re: miles driven - from my house to Indian Lake is 97 miles as the car drives but only 40 miles as the crow flies (straight line). Of course, I am not a crow so driving it is. The hamlet of Indian Lake was our center if operations; it was where we bedded down and from where we ventured out–and back–each day. Monday to the south, Tuesday to the west. Weather was sunny and hot. Good food along the way to include a meal at an weirdly out-of-place Irish Pub; Guinness on tap and Irish egg rolls (stuffed with sauerkraut and corned beef).

Re: 15 photographs - this excursion was a bit of an oddity for me inasmuch as I rarely venture forth from home with the intent to make photographs. Rather, as mentioned previously, when I leave the house, I always bring along a picture making device and tend to keep my eyes and mind wide open for picture making possibilities. So, as this outing was mainly for the purpose of making photographs for very specific purpose, there was a bit of self inflicted pressure on me. Ya know, not a life or death kinda thing (artistically speaking), but a bit of success anxiety––sorta like, what if I head out and find noting of merit (project wise) to photograph?

In any event, I managed to get what I was looking for and, as an added bonus, I had plenty of time while driving about to think and fester, re: the project, it’s objective, and how to realize it. One primary thought on my mind during the drive about was the fact that a new version of project book was delivered to my house on the second day of my travels. The anticipation of viewing it was driving me to distraction if not actually driving me around the countryside.

That written, the new version of the book is still a proof version inasmuch as I knew I would want to add a few of the new pictures to it. But, I was also concerned about the revised selection of pictures in the book; some new ones added in place of other previous pictures which were removed––did it still convey the feeling I was looking for? And, the inclusion of picture locations on the facing page of the 2 page spread was a concern––did that work or was it a distraction? After viewing the new version I decided that the picture selection was good but that a few of the deleted pictures would added back in along with a few of the new pictures. That would bring the picture count to 70 images, a number that works for me. The picture location information? …. gone with the wind.

With those issues resolved, I turned my attention to the very daunting and all important task of writing a cover letter to accompany the zine “teaser” being sent out to galleries and art institutions. Daunting cuz I have come to the realization that a mere artist statement just won’t do the trick. That statement needs to be accompanied by an short and simple essay that speaks to 1) the uniqueness of the project––in the modern era it has never been done before, 2) it’s relationship to the early work––1870 thru 1890s––of Seneca Ray Stoddard and to that of William Eggleston in his William Eggleston’s Guide, 3) the book version’s popularity with Adirondack “locals”, 4) last, but not least, the pursuit of exhibition possibilities and the possibility of a permanent home for most of the 450 photographs collection.

All important cuz the cover letter really needs 1) to sell the importance of this work, not only for now but also future generations, 2) demonstrate that the work was created on a long term basis––over 25 years––and with a serious commitment to craft. While I believe that the work stands on its own merits, a little thoughtful “hype” might help it along.

# 6972 / landscape • common places • adirondack survey ~ keeping the ball rolling

THE PHOTOGRAPH IN THIS ENTRY, STRICTLY WRITING, qualifies as a part of commonplace life in the Adirondacks––I live in a truly amazing place––inasmuch as it is a view from the 1st tee of my home golf course that I frequent on a regular basis. FYI, the golf club has 45 holes––2 18s and 1 9 hole course––this being the Mountain Course, aka: the Upper Course.

In any event, this photograph will not be in the Adirondack Survey book cuz in ain’t square although it could be included in an exhibition. However, I do have a square image for the book made from essentially the center portion of the panoramic image to include the Olympic Ski Jump towers and the aiming post in the center of the fairway.

Re: the Adirondack Survey project: In my pursuit of getting a solo exhibition of the work, my first effort, the distribution of a zine featuring 100 photos from the collection, is at the printer (Blurb). I am awaiting that single “proof” copy for my approval before ordering 20 more copies for distribution to gallery and art institution curators / directors.

This link will take you, in a separate window, to a PDF of the zine. Viewing hint; 1) set the view to 75% to see a nearly life-size view, 2) in the viewing window, scroll to the copyright + statement 2 pg spread––scrolling from that point on, keeping 2 pages in the window should allow you to view the 2 pg spreads as they appear in the zine.

FYI, the 32 page zines will cost approximately $8.50USD per copy. I consider that to be a very minor cost for exposing / presenting the work to potential “clients” (for lack of a better nomenclature)––a lot of bang-the-buck, so to write. It is a very nice physical object that mostly likely will be appreciated and is easy to pass around to others for consideration and feedback.

#6968-70 / common places-things • adk survey • sink ~ I'm just a soul whose intentions are good. Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood

all photos ~ (embiggenable)

DURING THE ARTIST AS ENTREPRENEUR EVENT, ONE OF THE points that was emphasized–in fact, emphatically stressed–was the importance of writing an artist bio and artist statement; a point with which I equally, emphatically and vocally disagreed.

The moderator stressed that it is vitally important in the writing of an artist statement to inform viewers / audience / gallery directors re: what it was/is that drives you to create the work that you are presenting and what is your intent in the making of that work. Throw in a bit about how the work was made and you are good to go. The rational behind that (iMo) absurd idea is that doing so will illuminate the person and the mindset of the work’s maker which will help a viewer reach a better understanding of the work.

My hand raised, verbal response to that idea was simply, “Who I am as a person and what drives me to make my art is no one’s business but mine.”

The rationale behind that statement is, again, quite simple; in the Formalist tradition, I believe that everything a viewer needs to know about a work of art is contained in the art itself. Consequently, I eschew tell-all artist statements, and, concomitantly, never title or caption any of my work. Simply written, my desire is that a viewer comes to my work and makes of it what they will based solely upon what they see and intuit–literally and metaphorically.

Case in point; at the aforementioned event one of my fellow participants, while viewing my Adirondack Survey book expressed, in great detail, what she was seeing and what she was experiencing / feeling as she viewed the work, some of which surprised the hell out of me. That written, she never uttered a word about the why, how or intent of the work’s making. Nor, I should mention, did she never asked me what color underwear I was wearing (metaphorically speaking).

All of that written, in today’s NY Times there is an article, 8 Proposal for a Better Art World, in which 9 artists were queried for thoughts on the matter. One artist / curator / critic, Michelle Grabner–a person after my own heart–opined:

“An art world where we’re not trading on individual biographies or identities. That would put more work on the viewer, who’d have to do some interpretation. A problem with the professionalized art world is that it’s become overly transactional. Removing the author, the artist, the biography from the conversation may take us a long way.”

Be still my heart. I am always delighted to discover that I am not a lone voice howling in the wilderness.

# 6963-67 / adirondack survey • common places-things ~ moving on with the show

all photos ~ (embiggenable)

BACK FROM THE ARTIST AS ENTREPRENEUR EVENT. Did not learn very much other than I might get involved with applying for a few artist grants. That written, I did make significant connections with 2 other event participants. One in particular was Lauren Comito who I have “commissioned” to write an introductory essay for my Adirondack Survey book – the insights and comments she expressed upon viewing the book were a rather stunning revelation to me.

Re: the Adirondack Survey, aka: Adirondack Guide body of work. My primary take away benefit from the event was my renewed appreciation for this body of work. The reception it garnered from not only the event participants–the “art” crowd–but also from a few non-art people–the bartender at the hotel bar as an example–was in a word, overwhelming for me inasmuch as the art crowd got the “art” part of it and the average “person on the street” viewer was captivated by how the work so accurately articulated everyday life in the Adirondacks.

That written, I have come to realize / understand that this work is my magnum opus inasmuch as one event participant stated, “This is a really an important body of work.” At the risk of sounding immodest, I agree; the scope–covering a huge geographic area–and size–350+ photographs, 25 years in the making–of this body of work has never before been undertaken. Many have pictured the “grand and glorious” natural landscape of the place but no one, other than me, has attempted to illustrate the unspectacular commonplace of daily life in the Adirondacks.

This renewed recognition of the importance of this work–a direct result of my event participation–has set me on path to not only pursue exhibition opportunities but to also find a place that can house the work for posterity. Consequently, I am embarking upon an aggressive self-promotion campaign; to include a new stand alone website for the work, an email blast to galleries, art venues and institutions, and a direct mail promo zine to the same venues.

Wish me luck.