African World Festival

Apparently, the Carribean festival was rained out, so actually, this festival was supposed to be a combination of the two.

Dancers prepare for the next performance…

The performance begins…

 

Spectators succumb to the beat of the drums…

A budding drummer’s first lesson…?

 

It was incredibly hot each day of the festival, and each day, the crowd seemed to grow.  I don’t generally use a flash, so it was a bit difficult getting decent lighting until the sun was on its way down.  Tip: Many people think the best time to shoot is outside on bright, sunny days, when the sun is directly overhead.  This is actually the worst time and place to photograph people! Unless you have some sort of partial cover, e.g. a tree, or use some sort of artificial lighting, eyes tend to be covered by shadows, making for less than attractive images. This is why the hours just after dawn, and just before dusk, are referred to  as “magic” hours. The light is much less harsh, and subjects are not nearly as prone to squint.

Is it Love…or is it Rolleiflex?

It just dawned on me that some reading this post might not be old enough to remember the ancient Memorex commercial that the title gently parodies… in any event…

No, I am not referring to the lady in the picture! She’s an acquaintance and, obviously, a photographer. Rather, I am alluding to a small, cuddly, four footed beastie with two clear, sharp, lovely eyes.  She loves to go for walks, taking in the sights of the city…

She even likes visiting my friends.

If you know me at all, you know I hate talking to people who ramble on about the equipment with which some of us make art.  Hell, I almost got into a fight a couple of weeks ago because somebody followed me around (stalked, I think!) at an art opening, seemingly hell bent on talking about the Hasselblad I was carrying. “I don’t wanna talk about cameras” just wasn’t working with this guy.  Geez… get a life!  But I always wondered why people rambled on about the Rollieflex tlr. Now I know. It’s like holding a finely crafted watch… that makes pictures!  I think I am going to be using a whole lotta film in the next few weeks…

More later.

f.

In Pursuit of Beauty

Rolleiflex

The single most thing that is responsible for my unending addiction to photography is the appreciation of beauty, God’s handiwork, if you will.

But then again, this begs the question: What is beauty?  Symmetry of form? Fitness of body and/or mind?  Color coordination?  Or is there some other, more mercurial aspect of beauty? Something undefinable, but undeniably pleasing to the human spirit?  Something that does not lend itself to discovery by means of the spoken or written word? Something that echoes the sublime grace of the Universe… 

 

This lady has served as a subject for me several times. She has an inner beauty that, amazingly, competes with her physical beauty.

 

 

This is a graduation portrait of the daughter of a former coworker. I really don’t think she knows just how beautiful she really is…

 

This young woman has a beauty that can warm the coldest soul.  I met her father, and subsequently, her, during my first trip to Montreal.  The warmth of her smile contrasted starkly with the cold autumn air. 

 

This woman is not only possessed of great beauty; she has an aura that exudes the warmth of all that is positive about the human spirit. 

Even in death, the vessels that once carried life  echo the grace of Nature’s design.

 

More later.

Artistic Growth

October 27, 2008

 

After adding yet another 8×10 camera to my ever changing collection of photographic tools, I’ve made a decision to take my work in a new direction.

I have made a firm commitment; I’ve let go of three of my venerable Hasselblad lenses and my medium format film scanner.  This is quite a big decision for me artistically.  What prompted the change?  Simple. Whenever I make an image I’m pleased with using 4×5, 5×7 or 8×10 film, I end up wondering why I do anything else photographically. 

Hey, I’m all for new beginnings.  Change I can believe in…

Back to the Center of Things…

October 12, 2008

Ok… my brief encounter with event/documentary or whatever the fuck you want to call it photography has proven to be a complete waste of time, money and other resources.  Guess it’s time to meander back to the real reason I like playing with cameras, making art.

I’ve developed a liking for wide angle lenses. I was the only nut walking around at the Obama rally in Detroit with a camera with a single, fixed, wide angle lens.  The 50mm seemed just the right tool to convey the notion that the Obama campaign is primarily about the people, and not the candidate.

And finally for today, the image I look at when I am ready to pack up all my photographic equipment and go back to teaching.  If I could only find people willing to participate in the making of fine art portraits, the thought of quitting would likely never cross my mind again.

OK, a few  more. Perhaps the magic will begin to return. 

Photography for beauty’s sake and that alone…

… a vain attempt at mimicking the artistic perfection of the Universe.