6904-12 / people ~ RIP

Mel, picture by me with a pinhole lens ~ all photos (by Mel) embiggenable

I LOST A VERY GOOD FRIEND THIS WEEK. IN FACT, the only photo friend I have ever had in my entire life.

I am pleased to write that in all our time together we never once talked about gear. Photo wise all we ever discussed was photos, primarily his and/or mine. Over the years we would send-emailed-each other some of our current our photos (he lived in New Jersey) to keep abreast of what we were picturing. During the past few years I was “mentoring” Mel with his fascination with making iPhone pictures.

I met Mel through my wife’s sister, they were neighbors. It seems-without much exaggeration-that every time we were visiting my sister-in-law, especially when other family members were present, Mel was there with a camera documenting the goings on. And again without exaggeration, he must have amassed hundreds of pictures of the family’s gatherings; pictures that he made without ever putting the camera to his eye.

Mel was, without a doubt, in his professional career an exceedingly successful photographer. He leaves behind an amazing body of work which, iMo, deserves nothing less than a retrospective exhibition and a series-too much work for a single monograph-of books. Read his obituary to understand the volume and breadth of his work.

In any event, if such an exhibition / book(s) never happens, he would rank as one of the top unknown photo making greats.

FYI: from his obituary … “For over six decades, Melchior “Mel” Di Giacomo has captured moments through his camera, spurred by a friendly competition with his best friend.” the best friend who spurred him on was Jay Maisel.

# 5909-10 / kitchen life • photos by others ~ hot time in the old town (house) tonight

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THERE ARE THOSE WHO BELIEVE A PICTURE CAN TELL A STORY. I am not one of those people.

Case in point, the picture of Hugo on his butt during a hockey game. The caption, aka: words, tell us that it is Hugo Hobson, that he is scoring his team’s 2ng goal of the game, and he did so Tuesday in Lake Placid. Without words, all of that information is unknowable just by viewing the picture.

Case in point #2, the picture of stuff on my kitchen island counter with sink counter and window in the background. About the only thing one might deduce from the picture is that I must read some blogs, that the corkscrew implies that I might drink wine, and that light is streaming in the window. What a viewer would never know without words is that I am having coffee and light breakfast fare, waiting for the kitchen to warm up from the fire I have just started (in the fireplace).

I have started a fire cuz it’’s -11F outside and we have been without a furnace for two-and-a-half weeks. A viewer would also not know that I am awaiting the arrival of the heat pump distributor to inspect the installation of our whole-house cooling and heating heat system, and then fire the sucker up so we get some heat.

One other unknowables without words is that the, at times, the wife gets gently annoyed by the fact that I refuse to discard dead flowers-or let her discard them-cuz I like the way they look and I just might make a picture of them.

# 5759-61 / civlized ku•people•kitchen life ~ actually, it's how the eye sees

(embiggenable) • iPhone

(embiggenable) • iPhone

(embiggenable) • iPhone

RE: NARROW DOF - THE PORTRAIT MODE ON THE iPHONE.

While the PORTRAIT mode is not "perfect" inasmuch as it has, amongst a few other minor quibles, a limited plain of focus range within which it works. As an example, I most often get the Place subject within 8 feet warning when using the PORTRAIT mode. That's cuz I do not often use the PORTAIT mode for making actual portraits.

Consequently, as in the case of the motorcyle picture, the PORTRAIT "effect" was not applied - the motorcycle-the focus point-was well outside of 8 feet. Which required that I create a narrow DOF look in Photoshop (it ain't rocket science).

Conversely, when making a portrait, as in the case of the beer drinker (my son) picture, the PORTRAIT mode works quite nicely, and, it gives me the ability to select the amount of DOF-via a simulated aperture setting-during post-shoot processing. FYI, that simulated aperture setting is not permanent. It can be adjusted at any time.

Another nifty thing that can be done with the PORTRAIT mode is "correcting" mis-focus. Consider the case of the paper towels picture...

...my point of focus was on the frontmost roll. In processing (on the iPhone), when I got the DOF look I liked, the rearmost roll was out of focus. So, I saved the image file with my desired DOF-albeit with the back roll out of focus-then (on the iPhone) I re-processed the image file to get the rearmost roll in focus and saved-with a new name-that file.

The next processing step (in Photoshop) was to cut/select the 2 in-focus paper towel rolls from the image file in which they were both sharp and paste that selection into the image file with my desired DOF. Viola, an image file with my desired DOF with both paper towel rolls in focus...a composit picture made from the same image file with different aperture/DOF settings.

All in all, easy-peasy. And, I might add, try getting that from a "real" camera with just 1 click of the shutter.

PS Kinda makes me wonder what Gordon Parks might have thought, re: this technology and how he might have used it. Although, this quote from Parks might contain a hint (inasmuch as, to my eye and sensibilities, I have always thought / felt that narrow DOF conveys a sense of dreamy-ness):

"...I have felt like a wayfarer on an alien planet at times — walking, running, wondering about what brought me to this particular place, and why. But once I was here the dreams started moving in, and I went about devouring them as they devoured me.

picture by Gordon Parks ~ (embiggenable)

# 5588 / civilized ku ~ some other guy's pictures

crossing Lake Champlain ~ (embiggenable) • iPhone

(embiggenable) • iPhone (copy photo)

(embiggenable) • iPhone (copy photo)

I HAD BEEN CONSIDERING AN ADDENDUM ENTRY, re: my last entry about Admas sucks, but decided not to do so. Then a coupled comments appeared which I felt required a response. So....

Prior to those new comments, my desire for an addendum entry was driven by the fact that I neglected to be clear, in my previous entry, that I was not suggesting that Sir Ansel was a "great" color picture maker. In fact, I have never been a big fan of Adams' B&W work. Although, I have been fortunate enough to have stood in front of a number of Adams original prints-most at the George Eastman Museum-and one would have to be blind not to recognize and appreciate the stunningly beautiful objects, aka: photo prints, he created.

new comment #1: John Sparks wrote that Adams' color pictures "....don't suck, but also don't have the drama/impact of his B&W work. He also wrote that Adams had some color blindness, a notion that rings a bell with me.

my response: Up to point, I would agree with the idea that Adams' color work is less dramatic than his B&W work. However, that is the quality that I like about Adams' color work and a quality / characteristic Adams pursued in his quest to find / develop a "color photography aesthetic"...

Adams believed that "...it was impossible to get a truly 'realistic image' [with color photography]" and, as a result, "a concept of psuedo-reality developed in both professional and amateur work." He also wrote that "The Creator did not go to art school and natural color, while more gentle and subtle, seldom has what we call aesthetic resonance."

Adams' concept of a color photography "psuedo-reality" was based upon the emphasis placed upon, by color picture makers of the era, "smashing, garish color ....a bebop of electric blues, furious reds, and poison greens". He had no desire to venture down that path so it should come as no surprise that he pursued the making of color pictures which evinced a more "realistic"-Adams always placed the word in quotes-representation of a "more gentle and subtle" natural color.

new comment #2: Christine Bogan wrote "It is a question of Taste. Why Not discuss with Mike Johnston your Personal experience and Knowledge?"

my response: The easy answer to that question is to suggest that you read Elephant Tongue and Hypnotized Chickens

I have included a sampling of Adams' color pictures-quick iPhone copy photos-from the book Ansel Adams~In Color. Pictures which I would suggest dispel the idea that his color worked sucked. In fact, as far as I am concerned, if I were required to have an Adams' picture on a wall in my home, I would rip out a page from the color book and frame it rather than display an original Adams B&W picture.

Cuz, as Christine Bogan wrote, "It is a question of Taste."

# 5560 / kitchen sink ~ the chicken and the egg?

(embiggenable) • iPhone

PERSUANT TO YESTERDAY'S ENTRY, re: :work directed by the...example of others and my kitchen sink work, is the work of Jan Grover.

40 years ago, I was inroduced to the work of Jan Grover during my participation with the production of the book, the new color photography. What I "learned" from that exposure was that even "lowly" kitchen utensils are very suitable as referents for making fine art photography.

However, it wasn't until 30 years later that I actually began to make pictures of my kitchen sink. Even though I was standing on the shoulders of Grover and her work, my work differed from hers in several ways, not the least of which was that Grover created / constructed her still life work while I pictured found arrangements.

I can honestly write that I don't believe I began my kitchen sink work as a result of seeing Grover's work inasmuch as my work was a result of following my own unique way of seeing / vision. Nevertheless, while one could state that my work references Grover's work, my work is the "same" but different.

civilized ku # 5284 / ku # 1424 ~ from bad to worst

rain ~ Troy, NY (embiggenable) • iPhone

the Cascades ~ near Lake Placid (embiggenable) • iPhone - picture by the Cinemascapist

This past Weekend Hugo's (my grandson) hockey season started in earnest with 2 games in Troy, NY - approximately 130 miles south of home.

While there, we were treated to a non-stop driving rain. During our drive home, at about the 60 mile point, that rain turned to sleet / freezing rain and, shortly thereafter, turned to heavy wet snow. The sleet / freezing rain put down a glaze of ice on the roadway as a kinda based-coat for the snow.

As is often the case with the first heavy snowfall of the season, road crews were rather slow to get out and plow. The result was, especially on the interstate, cars were scattered off the highway like bowling pins. Off the highway, it was no different except that there was enough snow covering the ice to provide some traction. Unfortunately for some, they did not realize that slow and steady was the driving order of the day.

civilized ku # 5173 / vintage snapshot # 8-12 ~ message in a bottle

After yesterday's Color Riot entry, I thought a bit of monochromatic might be a good idea. FYI, the Polaroid pictures are a find from my previously mentioned antique shop adventure.

RE: the Polariod pictures ... while they certainly quailfy as snapshots, they appear to be a more serious attempt at making pictures inasmuch as the picture maker was required to focus the lens and make some sort of exposure decision. Perhaps there was even an attempt at making "art". Whatever the case, I - as a picture maker - chose them because I liked them and because, as far as I know, there are no rules for collecting snapshots.

That written, on Easter Sunday when all the inlaws were gathered together, a few of them expressed an interest in viewing my snapshot find. Interestingly, but not a surprise to me, every person who viewed the pictures responded with great interest and commentary with those pictures which were people referential - ones like those from 2 entries ago. The Polaroids were given rather scant attention

Without a doubt that reaction was driven by the viewer's ability and inclination to picture him/herself in similar pictures, situations or knowing someone who has been in similar pictures and/or situations. Or, in other words, they made a personal connection to the pictures.

The viewers had absolutely no knowledge regarding the pictured people, places, things or events. Nevertheless, other people's snapshots, aka: personal memories, have the ability to instigate memories in people with whom they (the picture makers) have no connection or knowledge.*

I find that fact absolutely fascinating. Fine Art pictures come and go but snapshots have a staying power like no other pictures.

*Think of the pictures as kinda like a message in a bottle cast out to sea. No knows where or in whose hands the message might end up.

vintage snapshots # 1-7 ~ I found a gold mine

While in North Jersey, during a search for a chocolate-covered vanilla-cream filled donut as well as a well above average hot dog, I came upon an antique shop that looked to be a well worn antique in and of itself. Add to that allure the fact that it was a warm sunny day so the owner - somewhat of a patenaed character himself - was lounging on an antique chaise sette out in front of the shop, all of which virtually demanded a stop and look see.

I was pleased as punch upon entering the shop inasmuch as it was even better than I thought it would be as indicated by the exterior. It was crammed with shelves (no antique furniture other than what was outside) that were in turn crammed - literally, every square inch - with stuff. Even though the shop was a small single room, I could have spent an entire day in the place and not seen everthing there was to see.

Fortunately, one of the things I did see was a floor standing jewerly cabinet with 10 drawers which, upon investigation, were filled with old snapshots. The wife immediately gave me a look which implied that my time to browse the collection was short so I quickly sorted through the top 2 drawers and selected 20 pictures which looked good - interesting referents and decent condition - to me.

The only remaining objective was to find out how much $$$ was required to leave the shop as a happy guy. Fortune smiled on me once again inasmuch as the cost was a mere $10.00USD.

RE: During my donut quest I had been waxing nearly poetic about Krispy Kreme donut shops because they are the only donut shops where I can be assured of finding chocolate-covered vanilla-cream-filled donuts. Unforunately, they seem to be few and far between. So it was Karma that, while my donut quest was unsuccessful, I was able to settle for a reasonable consolation prize in the form of a Krispy Kreme delivery truck bank - another item I found at the aforementioned antique shop.