# 5778-86 / nocturnal•noir ~ other worldly?

May 21, 2021

WHILE I HAVE NEVER ACTUALLY CONCENTRATED UPON the making of pictures of the dark side of life-that is, the low-light side, not the negative, troubled, or antagonistic part of life-I find that, nevertheless, I have a collection of approximately 100+ dark side / low light pictures (thank you, discursive promiscuity).

In any event, I must admit that I am drawn to nocturnal/noir-type pictures in a manner that I do not fully understand. Although, it would not be a stretch to associate my fascination/attraction to/with nocturnal/noir pictures with the "normal" human condition-not a phobia (nyctophobia)-of fear of the dark. An emotional state which conjures up ghosts, monsters, strange noises, apprehension of the unknown, or, even a feeling of detachment from self or feeling "unreal". Or, simply written, other worldly. I would even go so far as to write that, when viewing my dark side pictures (and those made by others), those feelings are amplified relative to what I experience in situ.

That written, to my eye and sensibilities, my nocturnal/noir pictures are quite different fom my "normal" work inasmuch as my "normal" pictures tend to be, on their surface, a rather "cool"(non-emotional), detail-oriented observation of real world referents. Whereas my nocturnal/noir pictures are slim on detailed referents and heavily oriented toward an appeal toward the emotional side of the street. That being the case, what both picture making M.O.s have in common is, iMo, that both approaches to picture making tend to instigate the same reaction, re: what is going on here? / what is this picture "about"?

Dispite instigating a similar question, each body of work tends to direct a viewer's answer to that question in a different direction. My "normal" work is biased toward the recognition and application of the principles of art and the nature of beauty, i.e. a somewhat reasoned appeal to the intellect (albeit not without an emotional aspect). My nocturnal/noir work is biased toward an immediate assualt upon the emotional senses (albeit not without the recognition and application of the principles of art).

Case in point:

Judge for yourself. What is going on in these pictures?

PS I am not afraid of the dark.

# 5736-39 / trees ~ one way or the other

April 22, 2021

WORKING ON A BOOK ABOUT TREES. Might be in BW or, maybe, color. Have not decided yet.

# 5730-32 / the new snapshot (gas stations) ~ making sense

April 18, 2021

A FEW ENTRIES BACK, I WROTE, re: my gas station pictues:

"...I believe that my hesitency to embrace this project is the fact that I do not have a clear-in-my-head project intent. That is to write, that, were I to be pressed to write an artist statement, re: this project, at this point it would be a rather rambling, un-focused statement."

That statement incited a response form Thomas Rink:

"Is an artist statement or a written concept really required? Visual aesthetics does not work on a conceptual (language) level - a picture says more than a thousand words...so, is an artist statement essentially no more than a means to combat our fear not to "make sense" to others?

I have forever been an advocate of/for the artist statement. Whenever I have felt compelled to write / speak in defense of the artist statement, it has usually been as a response the idiotic opinion that a picture that needs words is a failure. That written, let me be a bit more specific about my feelings, re: the artist statement.

First and foremost, iMo, an artist statemnt should be, as the saying goes, short and sweet. And, it should refrain from attempting to "explain" anything about the photo(s) which accompany the statement other than to inform-avoiding pretentious artspeak-a viewer about what instigated the picture maker's desire to make the photo(s). In other words, never, ever put thoughts in a viewer's mind about what the photo(s) "mean".

As an example, an artist statement, re: my gas station pictures, might read something like this...

THERE USED TO BE MEN (AND WOMEN) IN COVERALLS
(WITH GREASY HANDS)

While driving with a friend, I noticed the need to get some petrol. As we approached a "new fangled" gas station cum ~~mini~~ maxi mart, the thought occurred to me that, in my life time, the manner in which I/we got petrol had changed considerably.

As a result of that change, the landscape has, in many places, become littered with relics of the places where we used to get petrol. Many of these relics are abandoned, a few still sell petrol and a few have been repurposed for other business pursuits. In any event, the fact is that most of these "traditional" gas stations have literally disappeared.

While I have pictured some "traditional" gas station remains, I have not been able to picture the men and women in coveralls (with greasy hands) who have completely disappeared from the gas station landscape inasmuch as one no longer needs to interact with a human while getting petrol.

After reading the above artist statement, it is then up to a viewer to "make sense" of what the pictures "mean" to him/her self. To engage in deduction, speculation, and fantasy based upon what he/she brings, life experience and knowledge, to the viewing. Or, as Paul Strand stated:

"Every artist I suppose has a sense of what they think has been the importance of their work. But to ask them to define it is not really a fair question. My real answer would be, the answer is on the wall.

# 5720-25 / flora•around the house ~ inexhaustible invitations to deduction, speculation, and fantasy

April 14, 2021

PICTURE MAKING WISE, I AM, WITHOUT A DOUBT, A DEVOTEE OF facts clearly described...

"There is nothing as mysterious as a fact clearly described. I like to think of photographing as a two way act of respect. Respect for the medium, by letting it do what it does best, describe. And respect for the subject, by describing it as it is. A photograph must be responsible to both." ~ Garry Winogrand

...but, nevertheless, I believe that a clearly described fact, as described by a photograph, can, in the best of cases, introduce a fair amount of mystery. Even if the intial mystery is simply incited by nothing more than a feeling of, "it is a mystery to me why the picture maker made this photograph." However, once a viewer gets beyond that "mystery" (if she/he can), there remains the idea that...

"Photographs, which cannot themselves explain anything, are inexhaustible invitations to deduction, speculation, and fantasy... The very muteness of what is, hypothetically, comprehensible in photographs is what constitutes their attraction and provocativeness. ~ Susan Sontag

All of that written and getting back to "facts clearly described", I have always believed that the medium of photography and its apparatus are inexorably and intrintically linked to the real. That idea fits nicely into my concept of the real - I see it, therfore, it is. However, when I make a picture of "it", followed by the making of print of "it", then viewing that "it" in a photograph of "it", I sense a change going on. A change something along the lines of...

"Instead of just recording reality, photographs have become the norm for the way things appear to us, thereby changing the very idea of reality and of realism. ~ Susan Sontag

In any event, I do not want to go too far down this rabbit hole. So, just let me write that, to a certain extent, it is all a mystery to me.

# 5715-19 / civilized ku (gas stations) ~ going, going, gone

April 11, 2021

EVEN AS I CONTINUE TO ADD more gas station pictures to my collection I have still not decided to formally commit to the project. Dispite the lack of commitment, I have, nevertheless, given the project a tentative title, there used to be guys in coveralls with greasy hands. Although, it turns out, with some research, that there used to be gals in coveralls with greasy hands.

In any event, I believe that my hesitency to embrace this project is the fact that I do not have a clear-in-my-head project intent. That is to write, that, were I to be pressed to write an artist statement, re: this project, at this point it would be a rather rambling, un-focused statement. And, I most definitely want to have of body of work that evidences a consistent visual characteristic...which, at this time, is a somewhat deadpan picture making approach. An approach which, when coupled to my the new snapshot technique, seems to be a very valid visual picture making / presentation manner of picturing.

All of that written, it is quite possible that I am over-thinking the whole thing. Guess I'll just have to give it some more thought. And, keep making more gas station pictures.

FYI, I made the top-most picture in this entry as a quite possible cover picture for a quite possible photo book inasmuch as it does illustrate one of the themes of this maybe project. That is, the fact that "traditional" gas stations are disappearing due to the fact that corporate America has decided that "super"-10-12 pump-it-yourself gas pumps-gas stations accompanied by a "mini" mart-to include a made-to-order deli, seating booths, a very modest grocery selection, and every candy, junk food known to humankind and a slection of a zillion bottles of carbonated soda, water, and, of corse, beer, are what Americans want.

The picture in question has an abandoned and stripped bare former gas station in the foreground with a "super" gas station directly behind it across the street. Sorta a living and the dead picture.

# 5707-11 / civilized ku (gas stations) ~ gas 'er up (or not)

April 8, 2021

OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS I HAVE been out and about searching for and, consequently, picturing "traditional" gas stations. By "traditional" I mean gas stations which were dedicated to pumping gas (by men in coveralls with greasy hands) and performing auto repairs and maintenance. However, very few (if any) of those meeting that definition still exist.

What does exist, especially so in rural areas like where I live, are many abandoned remnants of gas stations, still in use gas stations-some of which still sell gas-which perform maintenance and repair only-and older gas stations-built in the 50-60s-which have added some sort of quickie-mart / convenience store to the operation. Some architecturally unique / interesting gas stations have been acquired and converted into antique /specialty retail stores.

In any event, my recent driving about picture making has focused on picturing gas stations. A big part of that motivation is devoted to figuring out whether I want to pursue a gas station body of work. Cuz, the fact is that, for a number of reasons, I am not certain that I do wish to do so.

One reason for that hesitancy is that I am not that keen on creating a series of primarily "documentary" pictures. That is, pictures made just to document that something exists. Rather, I want to make pictures which conform to my unique manner of seeing, aka: my vision, which is not so much about what is pictured but more about form.

The thought has occurred to me that, perhaps, this project would best be served by being a subset of my the new snapshot series. BW pictures with a snapshot border might just be appropriate for this project (should I decide to undertake it)....the depicted referents are not dependent upon color to be interesting and the snapshot border supports the idea of another time. I am pretty certain that approach would not be viewed as merely attention-getting gimmickry.

That written, over the next couple weeks I will be out and about-with µ4/3 camera / 25mm f1.8 lens attached-looking for gas stations to picture.

# 5701-02 / single woman ~ unbearable weight of conjecture and deconstruction

April 1, 2021

(embiggenable) • µ4/3 - from my single women body of work — (embiggenable) • µ4/3 - from my ***single women*** body of work

I HAVE BEEN FOREVER ANNOYED BY ATTEMPTS to turn photographs into something they are not. A good example of such an attempt can be seen HERE in an entry, What the Photo Doesn't Show, on Leicaphilia. The title of the video in that entry, WHAT THIS PHOTO DOESN"T SHOW, rather concisely illuminates my point, re: to turn photographs into something they are not.

In any event, on to the photo in question:

“Young Farmers”, or, “Three Farmers on Their Way to a Dance” ~ August Sander - c. 1914

August Sander, born in Westerwald, Germany, made many pictures of the rural people in that region. His intention was:

..."to speak the truth in all honesty about our age and the people of our age...[I] hate nothing more than sugary photographs with tricks, poses and effects."

Regarding his ideas about making pictures, he stated..

..."The person is mobile, ... then I freeze one moment in his movement, a mere five-hundredth of a second of that person's life-time. That's a very meager or small extract from a life."

Re: my point - a picture, any picture, is, as Sander states, a very meager or small extract-a mere five-hundredth of a second-from a life. Given that fact, iMo, the only thing one can "know" from a photo, knowledge wise, is that which is discerned from viewing the precision of the depicted referent in a photo.

Here's what I "know" from viewing this photo...depicted are 3 young men, dressed like dandies in an enviroment for which such dress seems to be rather incongruous. It's a cloudy day. The young men's expressions do not tell me much about what's going on inasmuch as they range from: tough guy, supreme confidence, and, huh? say what? Other than those things and the supposition-cuz it could be well executed reenactment-that it is a vintage photo, that is all I know.

But, here's the thing (for me). That's all I need to know cuz this photo just flat out draws me in. To my eye and sensibilities, it is both factual and yet somewhat strangely mysterious. It raises questions to which it provides no answers. And, from a purely visual POV, I find it to be delightfully interesting.

That is also all I need to know cuz I am not looking at this photo as a history / geography lesson. I am viewing it as a piece of art. I am not hoping to learn something. Rather, I want to feel something.

I want to be visually delighted / interested / intrigued. I want art to raise questions, not to give me answers (propaganda)...in the case of photography, why was a particular referent selected by the picture maker? In the case of any form of art, do feel as though I am touching, at the very least, a fragment of the nature of beauty?

All of that written, in most cases, I have not the slightest interest in what a photograph doesn't show. That is simply because a photograph's unique characteristic is to show us something with a fair amount of specificity, something that has been extracted from a mere small moment of life.

If making pictures is result of a picture maker being in the moment, then it make sense to me that, when viewing a picture, the viewer should be in the moment. That is, at that moment the only thing that matters is what is in the picture, not what isn't.

FYI, I have included in this entry some pictures from my rather substantial single women body of work. That is cuz I felt there is some relevance to the topic at hand inasmuch as I could not offer any information about the women-all strangers-depicted other than what can be viewed in the photographs.

The women were pictured-in public places-without any knowledge-before or after the fact-that they were or had been pictured. I made the picture and went on my merry way. Which, BTW, was a pretty niffty trick inasmuch as all the pictures were made with a 34mm (eqivalent) lens.

# 5682-86 / miscellania ~ an assortment of "serious" cameras

March 22, 2021

a serious camera? ~ (embiggenable) KODAK Tower / 8x10 view camera — *a serious camera*? ~ (embiggenable) KODAK Tower / 8x10 view camera

a serious camera? ~ (embiggenable) iPhone — *a serious camera*? ~ (embiggenable) iPhone

a serious camera? ~ (embiggenable) µ4/3 — *a serious camera*? ~ (embiggenable) µ4/3

a serious camera? ~ (embiggenable) Nikon F3 — *a serious camera*? ~ (embiggenable) Nikon F3

a serious camera? ~ (embiggenable) Polaroid SX-70 — *a serious camera*? ~ (embiggenable) Polaroid SX-70

IF YOU WANT TO GET ME ALL WORKED UP, just point me to a link on the interweb which contains the phrase "serious camera". Especially so if it is used in a sentence along the lines of the iPhone is not a serious camera".

That written, do not be misled into thinking that this entry is made in defense of the iPhone cuz it is not. Rather, it is about the rather dumb idea that there is such a thing as a "serious camera".

The idea of denigrating certain types of cameras (and the people who use them) got a significant boost with the introduction of the first KODAK. "Serious" picture makers of that era considered the KODAK to be nothing more than a "snap-er's" device which according to a "serious" camera maker's manual stated that "...the photographer whose knowledge has been confined to pressing the button can never hope to make good pictures."

Adding to that thought, Stiegltz opined, "... thanks to the efforts of these persons [the] hand camera and bad work become synonymous." FYI, the "these people" Stieglitz was referring to were "...every Tom, Dick and Harry...[who] without trouble, learn how to get something or other on a sensitive plate." Steichen, on the other had, referred to them as "ye jabbering button-pushers".

In my picture making career, I experienced the not-a-serious-camera prejudice back in the mid-60s when I was handed a Graflex Crown Graphic as the camera for use by a US Army photographer. This dispite the fact that I was stationed in Japan, a country awash in 35mm SLRs. But, of course, those were not "serious cameras". FYI, my ongoing whining and caterwauling eventually led to the acquisition of not 1, but 2, Nikon Fs for my picture making use.

In any event, dispite the fact that the It's-not-a-serious-camera BS willnever die and as you may have deduced, in my picture making world, there are no "serious cameras". There are only good pictures ("serious" pictures?), no matter the picture making device used to make them.

ADDENDUM OK,OK. I wrote that this entry was not conceived as a defense of the iPhone. I still stand by that statement but I would be remiss to not provide a link to the iPhone Photography Awards (2020). Lots of "serious" picture makers making "serious" pictures with a "serious" camera. Be sure to check out each category (at the bottom of the page).