Steichen

As my experience and education regarding photography continues to grow, I make a point of learning, at least broadly, the history of this amazing medium. I've always been one to hold to the maxim that if you want to fully understand something, you need to understand its history as much as its current status. This applies to photography as much as any subject. We are fortunate in the case of photography in that it is a very recent technological development and therefore well documented. As with all human endeavors, it is the human element that lies at the center of what photography is and was. This is why I've spent much of the last year studying the early masters of photography as an artistic medium.

A few moments ago, I completed Edward Steichen's incredible autobiography "A Life In Photography". I have been engrossed and moved by this man's story and the parts he played in various aspects of our recent history. I am forced to sit for a while and contemplate his story and why it affects me so.

Part of the matter, and possibly the most superficial although still important, is Steichen's direct participation in such a broad range of historical events. A brief overview:

- He taught himself photography as a young boy when the medium was still barely more than a fledgling technology and was right at the forefront of its development and ultimate acceptance as an art form.

- His relationships as a young man with some of the world's most amazing artists and influential men, in particular Auguste Rodin and Alfred Stieglitz.

- His personal contributions to photography, including aerial photography for the Allies in WWI.

- His development of portraiture as an art form while photographing many of recent histories iconic figures.

- Inventing and re-inventing the concept of fashion photography.

- Creating the first independent photographic unit within the US Navy for the purposes of documenting WWII - he was in his late 60's at the start of the war!

- Serving as the Photographic director of arts in the Museum of Modern Art after the war, assembling some 40 world class photographic exhibitions over 15 years, culminating in the matchless and world renowned 'Family of Man' exhibit, still being shown when he authored his autobiography at the age of 84.

The descriptive title 'Great Man' is one I apply very rarely. I freely apply it to Edward Steichen. Here was a man possessed of an aggressively seeking mind matched with real talent and vision. As recently as two years ago I did not know he had existed. How can it be that people of Steichen's quality are relatively unknown in our society while characters like 'The Situation' and Charlie Sheen fill the headlines during their 15 minutes of fame and are idolized by a sizable chunk of our population, only to be replaced by the next flashy, meaningless splash? As if that weren't bad enough, all this goes on while people of real ability and commitment are rarely known outside of a narrow circle of familiars. It points to something deeply broken within our society.

This small blog entry cannot do Steichen or his contributions any real justice, but I highly recommend reading up on him in detail, especially so if you have any degree of interest in photography. I will offer a couple of small examples that may, hopefully, pique your interest enough to get you to educate yourself regarding this great man. To this end, I am going to break from my usual practice of displaying and discussing my own photographic work and display that of another artist.

The first is an example of his early work from 1902 in Paris and representative of his relationship with the great sculptor, Rodin. Steichen met the older and already established great sculptor during one of his visits to Paris as a young man, still interested as much in painting as photography. Over a period of about a year, the two developed a close friendship that ultimately led to Rodin granting permission to Steichen to photograph him and his work. One of the resulting images is also one of the great, masterful portraits even to this day.

(click on image to enlarge)           'La Penseur'

Here, in this stark, simple photograph, Steichen manages to capture the utter essence of one of the world's greatest sculptors, two of his works forming the backdrop of the portrait. One of the things that I really like about this image is that it represents an intersection of talent of two of my most admired and favorite artists. I've pored over this photograph for hours and even had the pleasure of examining the original in the Metropolitan Museum of Art recently. It is one of my absolute favorite works of art.

Portraits were how Steichen made an early living in New York City and also established himself as a photographer of considerable talent. Over the years, he was employed in photographing many of the powerful and celebrated personalities of the time and exhibited a consistent ability to bring out the subject's personality. There are many, many examples of this talent, but one the most interesting to me is Steichen's photograph of the famous actress Greta Garbo, taken in 1928 and seen below. Steichen was forced to rush through the shoot in an environment where the actress' public image was rigidly controlled by managers and  the shoot also interfered with the active, tightly organized filming schedule. He was unhappy with the results as the shoot progressed, but the right moment arrived when the director shouted over that it was time to get back to filming. Steichen had the camera ready and recognized the delicate and brief moment when Greta Garbo's true personality flashed to the surface as she turned and glared at the director.

(click on image to enlarge)                   'Greta Garbo'

Here, preparation and talent combine to deliver on a moment that existed in front of the camera for the briefest of instants and the subject's personality comes right to the forefront.

The last example is another one of Steichen's earlier works, dating to 1901. It is a self portrait, done by Steichen as an experiment. It is also one of my favorites examples of his work. The print is heavily manipulated by Steichen, as much painting as photograph, as he used his considerable creative talents from both mediums and combined them on the master plate to create a subtle yet powerful image.

(click on image to enlarge)                                'Self Portrait'

In order to understand and better work within the photographic medium, it is necessary to understand its history and roots in all its creative variety. Edward Steichen embodies very nearly the entire history of photography in a single package, not only by being present during the early days of the medium making itself known as an art form, not only by participating personally in its history and development, but by actually being one of the creative spirits to make that history, and then guide its progress through nearly a century of growth and development. A unique and great man indeed.

Sidewalk Processing

Technology manifests itself in some interesting and often unexpected ways. For example, you can now do photo processing on the go. I don't mean in the sense of having your notebook computer in the field with you, ready to process your latest and greatest DSLR image. I'm talking one handed, in the street right on your phone as you take the shot. Crazy.

In my prior blog post I went on about having fun with some of the new iPhone camera apps. Well, frankly, I underestimated just how much fun these little programs could be, particularly the odd little Hipstamatic app. It's actually gotten to the point where I haven't taken my little Leica out since I bought the Hipstamatic app and started using it. I even find myself using it alongside my big DSLR 'just for kicks' when doing a serious photo shoot. This happened just this past Sunday during a pre-dawn shoot on a fairly inaccessible bit of beach near my home. I was doing long 15 to 30 second exposures of an abandoned and badly deteriorated bulkhead just off the shoreline in the bay. Behind me was a very large expanse of salt marsh. The DSLR was firmly ensconced on my tripod as I worked through a series of exposures on specific parts of the bulkhead. Suddenly I heard a honking of geese behind me and turning, spotted a large flock coming across the marsh in my direction. I took a quick glance at the DSLR, tripod, long telephoto and all and quickly realized there was no way I was breaking the setup down and getting the camera on target in the very few seconds available. So I went for the iPhone mounted on my belt clip and keyed up the Hipstamatic app just as the geese came in range. I panned and caught six frames as they went buy. True to form, the app captured some nice atmospheric images of the flock of geese in flight over the bay.

(click on image to enlarge)         Geese in Flight
One of the drivers here, as mentioned in the earlier post, is the serendipitous nature of the results that the software delivers. Each image is a surprise and my curiousity simply gets the best of me. I'm pretty sure of the image that will come out of the DSLR, after all, that is what having all that control is about. I can never be certain of what the iPhone camera will deliver via the Hipstamatic app. The result is that after I finish my main shots with the pro gear, I find myself pulling out the iPhone to see what it delivers - click, click, click. Oh, cool!

(click on image to enlarge)          Life in Motion - Jamaica Station

As seen in the story above, one of the great advantages of the iPhone camera is that it lives right on my belt clip. It is always right there, a quick reach and snap and I'm taking pictures. I put the app icon right on the main screen for quick access and on a couple of occasions have had the app loaded and ready to go on power-up. I can go from belt clip to shooting in just a few seconds. Even the Leica requires that I remove my pack, pull the camera out and then remove the lens cap, then switch the camera on, all before composing the image and all of which takes considerably longer than the iPhone. The result is that the iPhone gets used more and more because it is so easy and accessible.

The only down side is that the quality of the image files is extremely limited. A so-so camera coupled with heavy jpeg compression will only get you so far. I would love to see, at minimum, RAW capability added to the iPhone to avoid the biggest issue, and maybe a much better camera on future iterations of the iPhone, which excels on so many other fronts.

But I digress.

I have discovered that all the iPhone camera apps save the image files in the Camera Roll directory. Easy enough. I have also discovered that the Camera Genius app can access any jpeg file in the Camera Roll directory. This means I can use the Camera Genius App to edit/process any jpeg taken with any of the other camera apps on the iPhone, including the Hipstamatic. Just to see if it would work, I even emailed myself a large jpeg image and saved it on the iPhone. The Camera Genius even worked in this larger file, although it was no rocket. This opens yet more creative possibilities! If a Hipstamatic image is a bit 'off' for one reason or another, say contrast, I just open it up in Camera Genius and adjust it accordingly.

(click on image to enlarge)           Gotham Perspective
I have found myself walking down the sidewalk, snapping a quick shot with Hipstamatic, checking it out and deciding that "the 'Lomography' preset in Camera Genius is just what the image needs to really be cool, and that standard border treatment is getting pretty old hat - one of the borders from Camera Genius would really spruce this up a bit." I'm doing the processing while walking to work and I've done this on several occasions already. But I've become deeply concerned.

I'm worried that somewhere on a Manhattan sidewalk there is a sign post with my name on it. I can really see myself so wrapped up in an image that I walk right into a post or, worse, out into Manhattan traffic. This, as they say, could be very bad for one's health. I think I'm in trouble here. Has anyone trademarked the 'Roadkill Photography' name yet?

­Don't forget to Have Fun!

Occasionally even the dedicated photographer has to be reminded that we are supposed to be having fun. It is all to easy to get sucked up into the supposed 'seriousness' of the process of capturing the best possible photograph that we can forget why we first got involved in the medium. While I do not wish to lessen the importance of those efforts, it is equally important to remember that it is all too easy to start taking yourself too seriously.

I was recently reminded of this when I discovered a photo app for my iPhone. I've perused the Apple App Store often, looking for interesting applications for the iPhone camera. Most fall into the 'serious' category and as I have far more powerful software on my main desktop, I tend to eschew these smaller dedicated programs. One exception is the Camera Genius app. This is a surprisingly capable little program. The feature I like most is the ability to separate and adjust the exposure and focus areas right on the touch screen. Very neat trick that. Just slide the exposure point to the area you want to meter and the focus box to the main point of interest and click. Very nice job designing that, guys. In addition are a series of effects and adjustment presets to add interest to the finished image. Another little detail I like is that the edited image is always saved as a new file and the original remains untouched. Well done. If you only buy one photo app, this one should get a hard look.

The program that really peaked my interest, however, was entirely unexpected. The app is called Hipstamatic. If you are old enough (no comments please!) to remember the really cheap, plastic, crappy Instamatic110 cameras of the 70's, you will relate to this program very quickly. The 110's used a little snap in film cartridge and made the family vacation snapshot all but ubiquitous. They were very inexpensive and very accessible and everyone seemed to have one. Most of those old family photos were very likely taken with one of these cameras or a similar model. We can all revisit these old memories because of them. So, in the end, the job that these cheap little plastic cameras did proves to be priceless.

The makers of the Hipstamatic app claim their little camera program emulates a small, cheap plastic camera marketed unsuccessfully in the early 80's. The original Hipstamatic camera is apparently apocryphal however, and the 'history' presented on the web page just clever marketing. While perhaps a bit disappointing in this respect, it detracts nothing from the functionality of the little camera program. It actually emulates the Instamatic, but it doesn't take much of a leap to imagine certain trademarking complications in using the Instamatic name.

(click on image to enlarge)               'You gonna share those chips or what?'

It really intrigues me that the poor quality of the photos from the Hipstamatic, as can be seen in the photo above, is what makes them so interesting. Bad color processing with terrible clarity and focus somehow combine to occasionally produce an odd and ultimately fun form of art. The iPhone app makes all this accessible to a generation that had never seen or heard of those lousy old cameras. I think this is a very good thing. We sometimes become so involved in the drive for perfection in a photograph, that we can sometimes miss the essence. There is a fun irony in that, by intentionally ruining the high quality capability of the hardware, the essence of the image can be captured instead of the technical detail, seemingly by accident.

Let's repeat that: 'Seemingly by accident'. I suspect that the fun lies right in that aspect of this entire idea. The Hipstamatic takes all the usual photographic choices away from us. It is a simple 'box' (OK, it actually an iPhone but you get the idea) with two buttons, shutter and flash. That's it. Period. Shut up and take the shot. Wow! The 'viewfinder' doesn't even show the whole scene or even center it accurately. This opens up a whole new world to the photographer. With such simplicity being the only option, you are forced to focus strictly on composition and the moment. As even the viewfinder is really badly limited and much guesswork is involved, you just point and shoot and hope for the best. How much fun is that! The resulting image is almost always a surprise – not always good mind you, but always a surprise.

(click on image to enlarge)               'And then she said...'

In one of those curious serendipities of life, the evening after I first purchased and downloaded the Hipstamatic app, I happened to stumble onto the Zeitgeist video production on Sally Mann and her unique photography on Youtube. In one of the opening scenes of this fascinating video, Ms. Mann is preparing one of her collodion glass plates and explains that she hopes that the plate is flawed, but flawed just enough to make the image interesting. This is the space that the Hipstamatic operates in. By intentionally distorting the otherwise decent quality of the iPhone camera, something truly interesting happens. The drift away from recording precisely accurate image detail towards a technically inferior image results in something more likely to engage one's imagination! We become engaged in a captured moment that would otherwise be rather ho-hum. As Mr. Spock would say: 'Fascinating!"

(click on image to enlarge)               'Santa's Summer Job'

My exploration into this world has only just begun. My new journey is literally barely 48 hours old as I write this. As with all new explorations, the vital quality of FUN is fully enjoined as we engage with the new concepts we discover and dance with. The creative sparks fly all around we experiment! I love this part of photography and life. Absolutely love it!

Looking for Humanity

I have long had an idea for a photo series that would study the relationship of man to his natural environment. This concept is an extension of my study of the human mind and consciousness, all related to my efforts and study to understand what it means to be 'human'. The photo project is waiting for me to come to some sort of creative conclusion as to precisely what I want to express and also how to convey that message through the photographic medium. My Street Photography Series is the beginning of this process.

It must go much farther than the restrictive environment of man existing - for better or worse - within the self-constructed cocoon of concrete, glass and steel that urban street photography captures, however. Much of the Western world has developed an unfortunate - and potentially fatal - idea that man exists separately, above and independently from what we consider the 'natural' environment. The urban environment is the perfect construct of this reality. Too many of us consider the natural world - those parts that remain mostly unaffected by man's presence and mechanizations - as an alien thing. A thing to be avoided, at minimum, and preferably subjugated and cleaned up a bit at best. The real truth is that, even buried deep within our most impressive skyscrapers, we never exist completely apart from the external environment. We can temporarily alter parts of it to suit ourselves and our unfortunately misplaced and misdirected egos, but in spite of our best attempts the entropy inherent within the broader system always, inevitably catches up with us. This process is actively manifesting itself all around us even now, although most don't have a deep enough understanding of natural processes to recognize what is happening. Worse, many of those who do have an inkling, but an interest in maintaining the status quo, work to promote obfuscation and/or denial.

One of the purposes of art is to open channels of communication not otherwise available to us. By sidestepping the more accustomed verbal channels of interaction and encouraging the viewer to pause and be exposed to a new perspective, art can sometimes deliver a message that might be otherwise missed or never considered.

A friend of mine, Shane Steinkamp, has spent a good portion of his life trying to come to terms with this not always subtle reality. Among my broad group of friends, he is one who can speak clearly and at length to the general concepts touched upon in the paragraphs above. He has also been experimenting with photography and video as a way to convey some of what he has learned. He is, unsurprisingly, a naturist who eschews the artificial shell represented by clothing and prefers to shed that shell whenever a practical opportunity to do so presents itself. During a recent canoe trip with friends, he took a series of photographs which mark a new level of success for himself in the photographic medium, but also served to help clarify where I want to go with at least a part of my project. Of the photographs he posted for us to see, two were standouts in-so-far as what he was trying to accomplish. The two photographs posted below were taken by Shane and then processed by me.

I immediately saw the potential in these two images and decided to see if I could help them along a bit to better communicate what I saw in them and what I thought would better reflect Shane's intent. The first image is of Shane balanced on a fallen tree in a remote section of the Mississippi's Black Creek. I am really attracted to the dynamic of this shot. The composition is spot on, with the shattered trunk anchoring and dominating the lower right and the flat diagonal of the fallen tree leading to and literally - as well as visually - supporting the obvious focus of interest, Shane himself. A case could be made that the figures presence is too small within the frame, but for this image to work as intended it requires the broad angle of view of that long, fallen tree trunk and the resulting void around the image only enhances the sense of place. The pose speaks directly to raw exposure and joy in this scene. The original is in color, but the photograph, to my eye, is far stronger in black and white as the conversion both removes the distracting element of color and forces the focus onto the parts of the image that are most relevant.

(click on image to enlarge)            Release

The next image is actually my favorite of the pair and speaks more directly, if more subtly, to what we are trying to convey with these photographs. Shane set up for a long exposure and then positioned himself in Black Creek for the shot. The result was this photograph:

(click on image to enlarge)          Water Spirits

As with 'Release', the composition is excellent. The presence of the main subject is again a bit small within the frame, but the sense of place is critical and, accordingly, requires an enhanced place in the subject's background to effectively convey the moment. One of the most important aspects of this image is the tension in the subject which is communicated to the viewer within the subtleness of body language. This is not the quiet, immobile, zen-like moment it appears to be at first glance. Note the curve in the subjects back and the expression on his face. His eyes are closed, but he is not relaxed. He is forced to lean into the slow but steady current as the water flows by, implacable and unrelenting.

These are parts of the message we need to deliver. The photograph 'Water Spirit' speaks directly to the metaphorical description of mankind's increasingly precarious position. It requires attention and careful balance to maintain ourselves in an ever moving and changing environment. Failure to achieve this balance will ultimately result in our being swept away with nary a trace.

Static

"Her eyes were a shade of gray between onyx and miscalculation." - Harlan Ellison

The panoply of writers that I admire comprise a rather eclectic group, ranging in subject from philosophy through science and nature through psychology and even speculative science fiction to hit a few high points. Mr. Ellison holds a special place in my heart as the writer who possesses a searing ability to not only convey the dark side of human nature, but to dwell in and caress it in a way unique to himself. The above quote is from his short story "On The Downhill Side", published in the collection "Deathbird Stories".

I read this story recently, part of a long overdue revisit to Mr. Ellison's work. As much as I admire the writing and the story itself, the quoted sentence above stands on its own in a way that grabbed me and wouldn't let go.

"between onyx and miscalculation."

On the surface of it, the conjunction of the words has no meaning. Yet, something deep inside is blasted by the phrase. A connection was made and I keep going back to the sentence and re-reading it, trying to identify the reason it hit. I actually highlighted it in my Kindle reader so it would be easier to find.

Here lies the reason that fixed print media, whether word or image, will never go away. Other media cannot be studied, examined, visited and revisited the same way: in quiet, leisurely privacy and contemplation. Yes, you can watch the same bit of video or listen to the same bit of music over and over again, but you are held captive to the pace of the media. At the very least, having to hit rewind and replay to cycle back through moving dynamic media certainly breaks the contemplative reverie.

The printed word and image, whether paper or digital, has that more important, timeless quality of allowing the viewer to set the pace of the meeting. I can slowly roll the words over in my mind at will, caressing them along with the implied, imagined meanings. Photography and other printed arts are the same in that they have the static quality that allows leisurely, focused contemplation. One of the elements which I try to bring into my photographic prints is the ability to not only survive this type of close, thoughtful examination, but to actively encourage it. It is necessary that the viewer be able to project themselves into the image, to make that direct connection to it. This quality, if properly achieved, is a fundamental characteristic of successful art, including photography.

The image below is very simple. There are very few visual elements within it, minimalism being something I really prefer if the subject allows: a bit of dune, the walkway winding away and fading in the fog. That's it. Yet, these simple elements draw the viewer directly into the image. Where is it? Where does it lead? Where am I going...

(click on image to enlarge)         Destination Unknown

Imagination is a critical part of this process. We are all metaphorical creatures in the sense that we cannot think or communicate without the use of metaphor, although most of us do so without realizing it. Yet, who of us has not gazed into the eyes of another with whom we have an emotional connection and not been transported?

"Her eyes were a shade of gray between onyx and miscalculation."

It is in the familiarity of the emotion and the vagueness inherent in metaphorical communication that we find our room for personal interpretation. Our individual connection is found somewhere in that opening. The sentence makes no literal sense and yet we connect to the individual components in a way that bridges the irrationality of it. In the end, we do understand its meaning, but at a visceral, emotional level, not a literal one.

Photography can work on this way, but it is much more difficult than with most other visual arts. The photographer must take a bit of reality and distill the scene or image within the camera in such a way that the literal distractions are minimized, allowing the potential for the metaphorical connection to come to the surface. The ability of the viewer to study the image in their own space and time, to contemplate the emotion inherent in the elements of the photographers work, is often a necessary component of the process. This is where the value of the physical print comes into its own. Hung on the wall, the viewer can revisit it at there own pace and leisure.

(click on image to enlarge)                Invitation

The nature of photography, based in the reality of physical objects and light, requires the photographer see the metaphorical potential of a subject in real time. When we are in this groove, we are moving through an imaginary reality, examining the material reality for these metaphorical constructs even as we move through them. The image above was taken right from the sidewalk, looking into the unlit restaurant. The carefully prepared table right up against the window sill and the rest of the space in dark shadow, except for the window at the far end of the room. I felt the space as I walked by and connected with it instantly. There was a curious energy and potential in this most mundane of scenes that could be brought out if the camera was used with sensitivity and care for the metaphor that it silently communicated.

Do these images work on this level? Only the viewer can say, as we are all different with varying likes, interests, sensitivities and degrees of ability to communicate in this mode. I've seen people make the connection with these two prints, enough so that several have been sold already, so I know that some do make that metaphorical leap of imagination with them.

Let's close with an architectural image:

(click on image to enlarge)    The Shining Light of Reason

The title is a rather broad hint at my intent with this one. Take some time and contemplate it. Does it connect with you? If so, why and how? The static nature of the image allows you to come back and reconsider it or even rekindle the emotion it might ignite within you. This is the gift of photography to the world of the arts.

Slices of Life

I had the great pleasure, and very interesting experience, of meeting Thomas Leuthard last Friday evening. Thomas is the creator of the 85mm Street Photography web site and a rather fascinating collection of candid photographs of passerby that he has produced over the last few years. I highly recommend visiting his web page to study his work both for the quality of his photographs and his instructive commentary on the practice of street photography.

I've been dabbling in street photography for a few months now and it is an exciting area to work in. Most of my photographs are the result of a contemplative, almost zen like process. I see a scene and process it mentally, considering angles, elements, quality of light and subject until I settle on the - hopefully - ideal image. This process can take a few minutes or repeated visits over a period of months to a particular place until the image I have in mind is produced. Street photography is exactly the opposite, which is one of the aspects of it that draws my interest. A photographic opportunity typically presents itself for a brief few seconds and if you aren't intimately familiar with your camera operation and can't compose the image almost automatically you will likely miss the shot.

The 85mm web site is an excellent resource if you are interested in street photography. Thomas provides not only a collection of terrific images, but a solid how-to commentary on equipment and technique. I was primarily interested in the latter, as my inherent respect for other peoples privacy was holding me back from progressing in this area. The chance to participate in a personal, live demonstration of Mr. Leuthard in action on the NYC streets was not to be missed. Per the invitation, we met at the 'pointy end' of the Flatiron Building at 5:00 pm. The group numbered six, and and after introductions all around, we went through a short discussion of the various cameras that were brought along and the advantages/disadvantages of each setup. Thomas, like myself, had already started shooting on the way to the meet and had a couple of interesting captures. He continued to shoot even as we were getting acquainted on the corner of Broadway and 23rd.

Once the introductions and camera discussion was completed, we started walking east on 23rd looking for opportunities. The trick to successful street photography is to capture your subject while they are completely unaware that you exist. This is an extraordinarily difficult thing to do with a wide prime lens. The range to your subject is typically about 8 feet and often much less. As several of our group quickly found out, New Yorkers are inherently very alert and difficult to sneak up on! Learning how not to draw attention to yourself is critical and no small trick when your camera is a bit of a monster, as my Canon 5DMkII is, especially with the 24-105mm general purpose lens on it. It can be done, however. There are a number of appearance and behavioral practices which help. Avoiding bright colored clothing, no fast moves, no direct eye contact with the subject, etc. One that worked very well for me was to pretend I was shooting another, more distant subject. I would switch to manual focus and preset to the focal plane of the real subject, all the while pretending to be interested in something else entirely. Once it was clear that the subject's guard was down, I would pan them into the frame and activate the shutter.

One of the things to consider with street photography is your intent. Thomas Leuthard, for example, is mostly about the person. He goes for some close up detail, usually a portrait but there are interesting variations such as using feet or hands as the primary subject. My photography tends to be about places and and objects. Accordingly, when I started shooting with Thomas, I quickly found myself shooting in such a way as to incorporate the person into their immediate surroundings - man in his element, as it were. To me, for my style of photograph, this context is absolutely critical. Leuthard's images might be summarized as 'this is me at this moment'. Mine might be summarized as 'this is me in this place at this moment'. My goal is to tell the broader story of not only the person, but the person's immediate environment and how the two components of person and place interact.

(click on image to enlarge)   "Cool Splash"

I was actually setting up to shot another subject when I spotted this man cooling himself in the fountain behind my subject. I had about 20 seconds to get into position, setup and shoot. I caught three frames before he turned and walked away. I love the moment I was very lucky to capture here. It is a very human moment in a public place that very few people even noticed as it happened. This is an excellent example of the power of street photography - the ability to capture a completely natural, unscripted moment in a person's life and to record the human beauty of it. This is the defining characteristic of street photography: humanity. Capturing little slices of unscripted life as it happens. An intimate, real moment captured in time.

(click on image to enlarge) "Distant Relations"

Here, I spotted what appeared to be a mother/daughter team interacting, unaware they were being observed. I took two frames from a kneeling perspective and turned away before they saw me. There is an interesting, complex dynamic conveyed in the body language in this tableau, while the mother is completely absorbed in her cell phone, that inspired the image title.

(click on image to enlarge)  "An Offer of Piano Instruction"

This guy held my attention for a long time, sitting on the sidewalk near the entrance of a subway entrance. He was very alert and I had difficulty getting an unguarded shot. I finally moved behind a column about 10 feet away and tried to set up a shot from there. He then got up to walk away, hesitating for just a moment. That moment was all I needed to the unguarded exposure. The bright sun, deep shadows and, finally, the little random piano instruction advert pulled all together.

I will be doing more work like this. It was an exciting, intriguing and perhaps a bit risky process. The results can be fascinating, however, and it is the only way to capture such natural photographic imagery if you want to incorporate the unaffected human element into your photography. I can't wait to see what develops!

On Little Cat Feet

Up and out with the camera gear hours before dawn this morning. We have had thick fog every morning for the last several days and today I have a chance to get out in it. First stop, the Bay Shore train station. The fog was thick and gave that haunting, blurred, atmospheric light reminiscent of the old black and white movie scenes. I shot a few different angles and then moved on to St. Patrick’s Church, the big Roman Catholic church in the middle of town.

This massive pile of brick is an unmistakable and imposing presence. I suspect most people don't realize just how massive the structure is, as the sight lines are broken up enough that you have to actually stop and look from the odd angle to appreciate the real bulk of the thing. I have wanted to shoot this building for some time now, but could never settle on the right way to capture its real presence. I suspected the fog would offer some opportunities and this was my main target for the early morning shoot. I wasn't disappointed. The fog picked up the glow of the well lit Main Street, giving just the right amount of background light in the thick mist. A twenty second exposure did the trick. There are only a few angles that give a clear view of the church to get a good feel for it, and I walked around shot a few other perspectives while I was set up, but it was the three-quarter view from the rear that gave the best overall angle, just as I expected.

(click on image to enlarge)
The next stop was my favorite easy beach walk - the walk to the Fire Island Lighthouse from the parking field at Robert Moses State Park. I had wanted to get some updated images of the lighthouse itself, but the fog was far too dense. Instead, I went searching for interesting details in the dark, but gradually lightening mist. It was a marvelous morning. Cool and damp in that predawn way that you have to personally experience to appreciate. There is no way to effectively describe it as the physical presence of the low-lying cloud plays so much a part.

Really thick fog such as this brings on an odd and unique quiet. On the boardwalk, well into the densest part of the swale, I could hear the ever-present Atlantic surf pounding on the nearby shoreline, but even the dunes were out of sight in the gray mist. The omnipresent roar was punctuated by the mating calls of several redwing blackbirds, invisible in the tall grass and dense thickets of pine and scrub. If I stood still and listened, even with this serenely evocative background medley, the muffled silence was still deep enough to hear the drops of condensed fog drip from branches and pat-pat-pat onto the sandy ground. As I wandered the walkways alone within my own thoughts, I wondered at the mystery of the walkways disappearing around blind curves into the gray cloud. A barely discernible rustle revealed a doe with a yearling fawn browsing in the scrub for breakfast. Moving ever so slowly and quietly, I setup for several freehand shots as the pair moved quietly and slowly about their morning business, less than ten feet away from my crouching position at one point. The pair moved unhurriedly, gradually deeper into the tall grass and finally out of sight. The redwings continued their calls uninterrupted – adding such serene beauty on this solitary moment. For the first time in recent memory, I felt myself slowing down.

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The sun had risen by now, but this was evidenced only in a very gradual brightening of the thick mist. The fog was full of light, making exposures tricky, especially in the subtle variations according to angle and soft shadow of each shot. I found a groove and made it work, tending to underexpose rather than blow out the increasing glow of the sky. I finally made it to the lighthouse, but as I anticipated, the fog was far too dense. I was within a hundred and fifty feet or so before the base of the column was visible at all and even then it was just a vague hint of a vertical shadow. The fog shrouded pathways and other details would remain my main subjects for this morning. I continued on to the beach to see what surprises might be there, but the dense cloud hid almost everything, getting even thicker as I approached the primary dune line and the Atlantic itself.
This made for perfect conditions to shoot the walkways. I love the implied mystery of these scenes and how they invite the imagination to open up and wonder. What is about the fog that calls to me in this way? I am not much of a fan of poetry, with the notable exception of haiku, but Carl Sandburg's short poem 'Fog' has stuck with me for most of my life. He captured the essence of fog’s quiet mystery with such simple precision I cannot walk out into a misty day without the words popping into my head:

The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.