tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10190825639472015662024-03-13T09:35:39.399-07:00captionsby Robert HolmgrenUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-11477136173318625062013-03-20T15:58:00.001-07:002013-03-22T16:26:32.287-07:00Video Interview<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here is an interview I did with <a href="http://www.tlwheatman.com/" target="_blank">T. Lawrence Wheatman</a> at the Soho Photo Gallery for his NYU photography class.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-2461397831670392632013-02-25T22:25:00.001-08:002013-02-25T22:25:59.498-08:00Month of Low Art Photography<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JNy6-ypOcgQ/USxVac_ifxI/AAAAAAAAA0k/1LURiBVHdQ8/s1600/Krappy+Kamera+15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JNy6-ypOcgQ/USxVac_ifxI/AAAAAAAAA0k/1LURiBVHdQ8/s320/Krappy+Kamera+15.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is the time of year for the two big toy camera shows--one on the east coast the other in the west. Rayko Photo Center in San Francisco hosts the <a href="http://raykophoto.com/gallery/exhibitions/gallery-upcoming-exhibitions/" target="_blank">6th Annual International Plastic Camera Show</a>. Last year I was fortunate to be the featured photographer there. The show runs from March 6th to April 22nd. Featured photographer this year is the ever clever Thomas Michael Alleman. Opening reception is the evening of March 6th. </div>
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The east coast toy camera event of the year is Soho Photo Gallery's Krappy Kamera show in New York City. This year's show marks the 15th year of showing inspiring work from humble tools. I look forward to seeing the show in person for the first time and meeting lots of fellow low art enthusiasts.</div>
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After having had the pleasure of showing work at Krappy Kamera for the past several years I now have the opportunity of showing a selection of my toy camera panoramas. Using the trusty Holga I've been somehow able to take multiple exposures that have the effect of disassembling a scene and putting it back together in the wrong order. I use the word 'somehow' because there is little in the way of preconception that can be done. Either magic happens or it doesn't. I don't pretend to understand how these came into being. I call them Polymorphic Panoramas.</div>
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<a href="http://www.sohophoto.com/downloads/mar_2013_press_release.pdf" target="_blank">The 15th International Krappy Kamera Competition</a> as well, as a show featuring the 20th Annual Soho Photo Member Krappy Kamera exhibition, and the show I've organized will be opening on Tuesday March 5th, from 6-8pm at the Soho Photo Gallery, 15 White Street, New York City. It runs until March 30th.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-79207071035561462762012-07-15T17:33:00.003-07:002012-07-17T14:02:58.433-07:00Square 3.2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JiRMW6hvo6U/UANgrM03_gI/AAAAAAAAAyw/GywSnheglRk/s400/cover360.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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<a href="http://issuu.com/square_magazine/docs/32-fr-gb" target="_blank">Square Magazine 3.2</a> is out and has ten of my Holga images gracing inside pages. Check it out, then submit some of your own square pix.<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-26876843168994394952012-07-10T18:20:00.002-07:002012-09-27T05:24:38.798-07:00A Short Boat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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For short trips. It has the added advantage of being able to reverse course without turning. In reality this is the bow of the decommissioned Royal Yacht Brittania located behind a shopping center in Edinburgh, Scotland.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-85174809669693936712012-06-13T12:48:00.002-07:002012-06-13T12:48:45.313-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.saikatbiswas.com/web/Projects/Holga_D.htm">This</a> changes everything.</div>
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-75300721460359285472012-02-11T12:17:00.000-08:002012-02-11T12:17:23.176-08:00Space Agency Psych/Ops<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GeQuaEoz4Uc/TzbKQH11ltI/AAAAAAAAAyM/lS39ZasOxG4/s1600/psych+ops+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GeQuaEoz4Uc/TzbKQH11ltI/AAAAAAAAAyM/lS39ZasOxG4/s320/psych+ops+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I spotted this at the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/home/index.html">NASA Ames Research</a> facility in Mountain View, California. Could it be that 1. NASA is working their <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_Operations_(United_States)">psych/ops</a> with the human population, or 2. working on alien life forms behind the wall? Having a loading dock suggests incoming shipments. Makes me uneasy to see no agreement on the telephone number either.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-6232444211679773192012-01-09T17:18:00.000-08:002012-01-19T11:16:17.217-08:00Rayko Plastic Camera Show<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PTXSrZS43_Y/TwyolhLFepI/AAAAAAAAAyA/fy3mH1tPgNY/s1600/Plastic+Camera+Show.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PTXSrZS43_Y/TwyolhLFepI/AAAAAAAAAyA/fy3mH1tPgNY/s320/Plastic+Camera+Show.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Rayko's 5th Annual International Juried Plastic Camera Show opens Wednesday, January 18th with a reception between 6 and 8pm. In the past this has taken place in March with the opening on a Friday night and accompanied with large crowds. It will be interesting to see whether the mid-week January date has any effect on crowds. Always lots of interesting images at this show. I'll be eager to see what made the cut. Your's truly will be 'the featured artist'. Say hello at the opening and I'll give you a free print.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Update: Good lively crowd at the opening last night. I was particularly taken by the images of Erin Malone, Eben Otsby, Bob Delavante, Gayle Stevens and several others I fail to recall. Choosing winners has to be difficult. I have a few free prints left over. Anyone want one should shoot me an email with your mailing address.</div><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-50381767288328280132011-11-08T15:16:00.000-08:002011-11-11T19:53:30.161-08:00I was harassed by Gloria Allred<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MdKYM9f487Y/TrmqzyEI4qI/AAAAAAAAAxc/IBr5F4IsIwM/s1600/Gloria_Allred.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MdKYM9f487Y/TrmqzyEI4qI/AAAAAAAAAxc/IBr5F4IsIwM/s320/Gloria_Allred.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Call it sexual harassment or call it inappropriate behavior, never-the-less I was made to feel 'uncomfortable' by none other than attorney Gloria Allred! Allred has a knack for being in the news by representing people connected to high profile news stories. Yesterday she represented a woman accusing presidential candidate Herman Cain of sexual harassment. The press event (no questions allowed) was held in Manhattan at The <a href="http://www.friarsclub.com/index.html">Friar's Club</a>, a formerly all male club for comedians. Allred <a href="http://bigthink.com/ideas/20858">liberated the Friars Club Beverly Hills</a> and engaged in a little sexual hostility while doing so.<br />
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Sometime in the 90s Fortune Magazine assigned me to photograph Ms Allred Esq. at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemian_Club">Bohemian Club</a> in San Francisco. You see the Bohemian Club is an all male club and Allred was and is opposed to all male clubs. Fortune wished to get to the bottom of the issue with assistance from a bottom feeder.<br />
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Allred agreed to fly up to San Francisco for the photo shoot. I picked her up at the airport and drove to the Bohemian Club. Arriving at the Bohemian Club my assistant and I began scoping out the exterior of the club for a suitable vantage point. We correctly assumed the club wouldn't allow a photo on its premises. Before we could begin shooting Allred stationed herself by the club entrance and began scolding members as they entered. As you would imagine this was not a one way conversation. Intending this to be a portrait rather than a re-enactment of the free speech movement I struggled to regain control of the situation. Having shots of Allred only from the backside would not be a career enhancer. This proved difficult so we moved Allred to a new location across the street. <br />
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Upon finishing Allred was freed to return to shouting at men entering the Bohemian Club. Rejoining Allred near the entrance she prevailed up me to enter the club lobby. There she requested an application for membership from the person at the reception desk. The receptionist directed Allred to a small phone booth across the lobby. Allred entered the booth and beckoned me to join her in the cramped enclosure. I did but she insisted I come even closer and place my head next to hers. Some would say this was to facilitate hearing her request over the shared telephone receiver, but could there have been another reason--perhaps one that was unsavory? Momentarily Allred's perfume altered my senses and I remain unable to recall much else.<br />
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Were these the innocent actions of a well-meaning socially active citizen, or perhaps worse? I'm ill-equipped to make that judgement without proper legal counsel. I wonder if Ms Allred would take my case?</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-90627201966961818982011-10-06T02:58:00.000-07:002011-10-06T03:03:47.901-07:00Steve Jobs, Francis Coppola and the Grateful Dead<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Around the time Apple opened its Palo Alto store film director Francis Ford Coppola opened a restaurant two doors down. I happened to be passing by on the evening Coppola's restaurant held its grand opening. Standing on the street talking with Coppola was Steve Jobs. Behind them, in the window, comedian Father Guido Sarducci (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Novello">Don Novello</a>) was performing. Coppola's restaurant has closed, Steve Jobs has died but the Apple Store lives on in the same location that previously housed Swain's House of music where the <a href="http://www.paloaltohistory.com/gratefuldead.html">Grateful Dead bought, practiced and borrowed instruments</a>. A tile depicting a harp still rests in front of the store. And now Apple dominates the music distribution world.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-38856991145745414652011-09-30T06:36:00.000-07:002011-09-30T06:40:49.125-07:00Venice Past and Future<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Owing to my failure of imagination I couldn't foresee returning to Venice in quite the way it has turned out. When we first visited, in 2005, our daughter had just finished high school and had little interest in continuing on to college and a short time later she would head off instead to Chicago for City Year a Americorps program. <br />
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Venice is spectacular with it's ancient history, unique transportation, and its nearly incomprehensible winding streets that periodically open to one surprising view after another. As a guess I would suppose there are more camera carrying visitors per square mile than anywhere on earth. I had just begun using a toy camera back then and was anxious to try point it in new directions. The results, I confess, were less than spectacular.<br />
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But still we enjoyed sightseeing and seemed to constantly hoping aboard vaparettos for rides up and down the Grand Canal. We visited the Doges Palace, St. Marks Tower, the Lido as well as the modern art at the <a href="http://www.guggenheim-venice.it/inglese/default.html">Peggy Guggenheim Collection</a>. That was also a year in which the large semi-annual art exposition The Venice Biennale was taking place. From time to time we stopped in to the various national pavilions to see what strange and interesting creations artists had come up with. My daughter seemed to take an interest.<br />
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Italy made an impression on my daughter and when she finally started college the following year she immediately signed up to study the Italian language. And when she asked if she could enroll in a University in Italy the following year we agreed. Last year she graduated with a degree in Art History and moved to London for further study in contemporary art. Upon completion of those studies my daughter was accepted as an intern at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. That's why we've returned to Venice, but it doesn't end there. Earlier this month her fine Italian boyfriend Andrea proposed marriage on a Venice bridge and she accepted. My imagination wasn't that large.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-36465874552815834752011-08-28T23:44:00.000-07:002011-08-28T23:51:27.168-07:00My Computer Signed by Steve Jobs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FTeDjk33tKg/Tlq9DgXk9QI/AAAAAAAAAww/5cFbAdvuxRE/s1600/324359394_577f228500_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FTeDjk33tKg/Tlq9DgXk9QI/AAAAAAAAAww/5cFbAdvuxRE/s320/324359394_577f228500_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My first MacIntosh computer--the Mac Plus purchased in 1986 for somewhere in the neighborhood of $2500. Luckily I had it on hand in 1989 as a prop for a photo shoot with most of the original MacIntosh team for the <a href="http://www.folklore.org/ProjectView.py?project=Macintosh&index=6&sortOrder=Sort%20by%20Date&detail=medium&gallery=1">5 year anniversary</a> (scroll down). In the photo are most of the people whose names were embossed on the inside of the plastic case. They're mimicking a familiar Steve Jobs hand gesture at my suggestion.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ijGx2ic4WPQ/TlszH6j8sGI/AAAAAAAAAw4/x9ZJtnGNnAg/s1600/five_years.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ijGx2ic4WPQ/TlszH6j8sGI/AAAAAAAAAw4/x9ZJtnGNnAg/s320/five_years.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At that shoot I asked those present to sign the underside of my Mac. Here's a photo of that.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-prfZ-xj5YYs/Tlszuy2_WQI/AAAAAAAAAw8/ZHpHiM0b2wk/s1600/324359393_827b37a1e4_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-prfZ-xj5YYs/Tlszuy2_WQI/AAAAAAAAAw8/ZHpHiM0b2wk/s320/324359393_827b37a1e4_z.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Among those not present at that event were Bill Atkinson, Burrell Smith and Steve Jobs. I frequently see Burrell Smith walking in Palo Alto and have tried to ask him to sign the computer but he refuses, and although I have photographed Bill Atkinson I forgot to bring the computer along. As for the Steve Jobs autograph--I did not forget to bring the computer on my last shoot with him. Here is that signature.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vQwu2L3Ymi0/Tls0uEgVlfI/AAAAAAAAAxE/kCKnbDcieiA/s1600/324359388_55ffe9955c_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vQwu2L3Ymi0/Tls0uEgVlfI/AAAAAAAAAxE/kCKnbDcieiA/s320/324359388_55ffe9955c_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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I arrived at the house mid afternoon. The streets were empty except for the blue pick-up truck parked in front of the address I had been given. Somehow it seemed dishonorable to be secretive but it also felt odd to be standing in the street aiming my camera towards the ex-home of a famous person. So I decided to find out if the owners were home and tell them what I was up to.<br />
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The owner of the house answered my knock and he appeared to have recently arrived home from work since he was wearing dark blue clothing typical of industrial workers I'd known. I explained what I was up to and asked him to verify that this was the home Steve Jobs grew up in. He confirmed the story and surprisingly invited me in to have a look around--provided that I took no photos inside. <br />
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The home was small but neat and soon after entering I was directed towards a cramped bedroom just to the right of the front door. I remember looking to the room and being surprised that the room displayed early Apple Computer posters, as if the room were decorated for curious visitors. And then I asked, "Are you Steve's dad?" He was.<br />
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Paul Jobs and his wife Clara adopted the infant Steve when the unmarried birth mother and father gave him up for adoption. I asked Mr. Jobs if his son had provided him stock in Apple--he said he had none. He did volunteer that he was somewhat frustrated early on that the boys (high school aged I take it) needed prodding to get them to try and sell their garage production of electronics. But then perhaps he wasn't aware of what they were <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Box">really doing</a>.<br />
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Since there wasn't much else to see in the house itself, Mr. Jobs directed me towards the garage where his son and Steve Wozniak had worked on assembling some sort of electronic device. Except for a yellowed newspaper clipping that mentioned two local boys building computers (Jobs and Wozniak) the garage was clean and bare.<br />
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Thanking Mr. Jobs for the kindness of the home tour I proceeded to record the outside of his garage to satisfy my assignment.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-17714458216442234472011-08-26T13:31:00.000-07:002011-08-26T13:34:55.835-07:00Me and Steve Jobs, part III<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">After the buzz about Steve Jobs' NeXT Computer died down and the prospects were considerably dimmer the company relocated to a quieter part of Silicon Valley next to a boat dock in the Redwood Shores area of Redwood City. NeXT's sleek two story headquarters no longer exuded energetic invention--rather, it had a library vibe. I was given an assignment to shoot Jobs there.<br />
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Every photographer I knew, and ones I'd only heard about, had stories about long waits to photograph Steve Jobs. I recall the story told to me of a photographer who flew in from New York to shoot Jobs at the Redwood Shores location only to be told after a long wait to come back the next day, and when he returned to shoot on the next day it was also cancelled after another long wait. So in the back of my mind I was prepared to arrive on time and be ready to shoot at the agreed upon time, while still knowing the shoot may be seriously late or cancelled at the last minute.<br />
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As I selected my location and began to think about the prospects of Job's canceling the shoot and the trouble this would cause my magazine client, it occurred to me that if this were to be about to take place it might be wise to counter with a stripped-down extremely quick session that would smooth the way to an agreement. Normally I would shoot using strobe lighting but that would necessitate waiting for the strobes to recycle or risk a last minute strobe failure wasting precious minutes. I decided to use the hot modeling light built into the strobe head for my illumination instead of the flash. It would prove useful.<br />
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The shoot was scheduled for 3pm, Jobs showed up 2 hours later. He appeared tired and began to beg off, suggesting we do it again tomorrow. In response I said that we could do that but it would probably involve the same amount of effort from him. Rather, I proposed, since he was already here we dispense with it in 30 seconds. This would also allow me to FedEx the raw film to meet the magazine deadline. The logic appealed to him. I sat him down and held my finger on the shutter release through a full roll of film using the camera's motor drive. As promised it was 30 seconds. He was happy, I was happy and the magazine need not be bothered with a missed deadline.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-41751475869136496812011-08-25T14:07:00.000-07:002011-08-25T14:11:20.308-07:00Me and Steve Jobs, part II<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dOwqZtIz83w/Tla4k7RAIdI/AAAAAAAAAwY/ACNfSRlL1JM/s1600/Steve+Jobs003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dOwqZtIz83w/Tla4k7RAIdI/AAAAAAAAAwY/ACNfSRlL1JM/s320/Steve+Jobs003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>After Steve Jobs left Apple there was significant interest in his next venture--which indeed was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NeXT_Computer">NeXT Computer</a>. In preparation to revealing their first computer product NeXT Computer arranged a single day of several overlapping photo shoots with national media in the same large conference room. Business Week had asked me to do the assignment for them. I seem to remember I followed Newsweek and Time and was followed by others.<br />
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The NeXT PR department was under orders to not allow photographers to duplicate the work of others. The problem for photographers was that NeXT wouldn't previously reveal what others had done, only after they saw that you were about to do what someone else had done. After having a couple ideas shot down by the PR executive I devised a scheme that was sure to be approved. I would shoot Steve in front of a black cloth. Where the cloth existed no film would be exposed (pre-digital) leaving me to rewind the film and insert something else in its place to be exposed. I had used this technique in the past and was pretty confident I could re-roll the film and get the frames to match up. Remember this was before PhotoShop was widely used.<br />
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Sure enough no one previously had shot Steve alone in front of a black backdrop and I was given the first go-ahead. Steve was ushered in and wanted to know what the plan was. I told him, he seemed highly skeptical but consented and I proceeded to shoot several rolls, the session ended, we said our good byes.<br />
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In addition to the portrait I was to shoot the top secret new computer system which was all black. Because this set up was ready to shoot I re-rolled the film and double exposed Steve with the computer. The combination of black background and black computer allowed a unique portrait.<br />
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When the NeXT Computer was revealed in the press there was a good deal of interest. As a photographer I was curious to see what others had done with the NeXT limitations and was satisfied that I had done well. After a few days I received a call from someone at NeXT who asked me to hold the line. Then Steve Jobs came on the phone to tell me that he finally understood what I was attempting to do and that he loved the result and thanked me. As you may suspect, this never happens.<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-80657417174585721782011-08-25T09:46:00.000-07:002011-08-26T15:25:49.366-07:00Me and Steve Jobs, part I<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The recent <a href="http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/08/24Letter-from-Steve-Jobs.html">announcement</a> that Steve Jobs has stepped down as the CEO of Apple seems to signal a change in his health prospects. Unless one knows the details of his pancreatic cancer it isn't likely to know with great specificity what his life expectancy would be, but the upper limit for <u>most</u> pancreatic cancers seems to be about 5 years. Jobs was diagnosed in 2004 and it appears that he has beaten those odds. <br />
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Since I've been able to photograph and assist in photographing Steve Jobs on a number of occasions this seemed like a good time to remember. <br />
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I met Steve Jobs for the first time after running across the Stanford University campus loaded down with photography gear. After giving my shot trying to carve out a career as a fine art photographer I had decided that there was something to be said for making money doing commercial and editorial photography. The irony was that I had just been awarded a National Endowment for the Arts artist fellowship and intended to use the money buying lighting gear for my lateral move. Being able to understand how one went about completing assignments seemed a prudent thing to know and so I began assisting editorial photographers in order to learn what they knew.<br />
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And so there I was assisting <a href="http://edkashi.com/">Ed Kashi</a> on an early morning shoot at Stanford. We were running late because our time with Apple Computer's then CEO John Sculley had run long, and now a portrait of Sculley and Jobs together was the next thing to be done. Sculley was very concerned that the guy who hired him, Steve Jobs, would be left waiting alone on the Stanford campus wondering when we would arrive. Remember when no one had cell phones? Everyone knew Job's temperamental nature and as we ran we imagined the worst. With apologies and heavy breathing the shoot commenced with none of the histrionics we'd come to expect. Could it be that we simply got Jobs on a good day? <br />
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(<a href="http://www.corbisimages.com/images/ZK001618.jpg?size=67&uid=ca2c9bcc-21f0-4d15-b135-39ded596f522">here is a photo</a> from that shoot with Ed Kashi)<br />
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As I will reveal in subsequent posts, this was entirely consistent with several other experiences I've had with photographing Steve Jobs.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-32418842896911969882011-08-25T09:15:00.000-07:002011-08-25T09:15:51.997-07:00Composer Alexander Borodin, 1928<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-07ijIa-4AJo/TlZ0F0T7RYI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/mKvvgezsZqc/s1600/retouched-007a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-07ijIa-4AJo/TlZ0F0T7RYI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/mKvvgezsZqc/s320/retouched-007a.JPG" width="228" /></a></div>Looking more like a sketch than a photograph yet someone thought the image needed improvement with a sloppy smear of gray paint.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-13377436557317245142011-08-21T18:24:00.000-07:002011-08-21T18:24:25.466-07:00J.P. Hanna, 1938<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WAnNNyc7j5Y/TlGstny9mYI/AAAAAAAAAwA/o3Fpby9t6gE/s1600/retouched-005a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WAnNNyc7j5Y/TlGstny9mYI/AAAAAAAAAwA/o3Fpby9t6gE/s320/retouched-005a.JPG" width="254" /></a></div>The Executioner--not a nickname, it was what he did for a living. The newspaper clipping on the back of this photo sketches in a few details about a pending execution but the web has more.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iN99lXw76YU/TlGtQQOZb4I/AAAAAAAAAwE/4k0ftEJ_7Wo/s1600/retouched-005b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iN99lXw76YU/TlGtQQOZb4I/AAAAAAAAAwE/4k0ftEJ_7Wo/s320/retouched-005b.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div>J.P. (Phil) Hanna was an Illinois farmer who developed hanging apparatus for capital punishment cases and supervised the executions for devices of his design. On at least one occasion he agreed to also be the actual executioner.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-46258420454004033202011-08-20T23:37:00.000-07:002011-08-20T23:37:45.127-07:00Mary Nash, 1921<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WslpQne91Dk/TlCnFoQGG9I/AAAAAAAAAv4/WSkGXBFbr4M/s1600/retouched-004a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WslpQne91Dk/TlCnFoQGG9I/AAAAAAAAAv4/WSkGXBFbr4M/s320/retouched-004a.JPG" width="209" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">She was a noted stage actress in New York and successful in vaudeville before moving to Hollywood in 1934, where she was in films until 1946. According to <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allmovie" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Allmovie">Allmovie</a>: "Nash was often cast as seemingly mild-mannered women who turned vicious when challenged, as witness her work in <i>College Scandal</i> (1936) and<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Chan" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Charlie Chan">Charlie Chan</a> in Panama</i> (1940).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Nash">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Nash</a></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-21379100702465738892011-08-19T10:48:00.000-07:002011-08-19T10:48:58.309-07:00Mrs. Evangeline Lindberg, 1927<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5rxJYLU1X4w/Tk6hIu_WbRI/AAAAAAAAAvE/MBx3SXlUEtA/s1600/retouched-003a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5rxJYLU1X4w/Tk6hIu_WbRI/AAAAAAAAAvE/MBx3SXlUEtA/s320/retouched-003a.JPG" width="199" /></a></div>The isolated headshot gets a decorative edge effect while Mrs. Lindberg's head resides among the stars.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-63324695721560158812011-08-18T19:17:00.000-07:002011-08-19T15:52:00.095-07:00Miss Louise Chase, 1919<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QfiVj6ifIQU/Tk7pBNlAMII/AAAAAAAAAvw/rQwNZxKzyS4/s1600/retouched-002a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QfiVj6ifIQU/Tk7pBNlAMII/AAAAAAAAAvw/rQwNZxKzyS4/s320/retouched-002a.JPG" width="253" /></a></div>Little retouching on this one but the crop marks are a stylish addition.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-89942979265112479092011-08-16T12:23:00.000-07:002011-08-17T09:58:22.755-07:00R. Clifford Durant, 1920<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r3GvQgxicXg/Tkvy0U5sP0I/AAAAAAAAAu0/cUfLshE2YYY/s1600/retouched-010a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r3GvQgxicXg/Tkvy0U5sP0I/AAAAAAAAAu0/cUfLshE2YYY/s400/retouched-010a.JPG" width="284" /></a></div><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">This photograph got me interested in heavily retouched press photography. See it large by clicking on the photo.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-18073674780899847282011-08-15T09:39:00.000-07:002011-08-17T09:59:05.728-07:00Grand Marshall Joffre of France, 1917<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IyIyXjuNzQc/TklLYDtestI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/aJI9iewoL3M/s1600/retouched-008a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IyIyXjuNzQc/TklLYDtestI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/aJI9iewoL3M/s400/retouched-008a.JPG" width="323" /></a></div><br />
Another heavily retouched photo from newspaper archives.<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-88798260408661603212011-08-13T15:51:00.000-07:002011-08-18T23:32:51.290-07:00Gen. Coolidge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A4SqQcOJZR8/TkcMeCyLvdI/AAAAAAAAAuE/QaXyeLn10R0/s1600/retouched-001a.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640490768587800018" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A4SqQcOJZR8/TkcMeCyLvdI/AAAAAAAAAuE/QaXyeLn10R0/s400/retouched-001a.JPG" style="height: 371px; width: 400px;" /></a> <br />
Gen. Charles A. Coolidge, 1925 <br />
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(click on image to see larger)<br />
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As the previous post indicated, I've recently acquired a number of photographs from newspaper archives that were heavily retouched. What I like about these images is the pre-photoshop handiwork that went into enhancing or isolating aspects of the photo, as well as some of the accumulated markings from periodic handling of the image. Rather than the photograph simply bearing witness to events recorded by a camera, in the hands of newspaper editors these have become both an artifact of the way images were handled in newspapers as well as objects of an accidental aesthetic. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-56217163362723081392011-07-07T20:48:00.000-07:002011-07-08T13:28:30.688-07:00Time PassesTwo months without a blog post is like forever in the world of these things. After Photo Lucida my photo production tapered off. Shooting gave way to production, entering in a few competitions and the general futzing around that seems to be a harbinger the desire to move in new directions. Inspite of the black and white work I'm fond of I also have been shooting in color. Some of which I like a lot, but I'm still feeling my way along. Until I hit on a recognizable vein I'm reluctant to show that. <br /><br />Back in the day black and white was the hallmark of the 'concerned photographer' and now we seem to besotted with the ennui of the modern day large format color shooter. Their type of commentary leaves me wondering where the field of photograph is headed. My inclination is always toward personal imagery rather than reportage and reportage seems to be carrying the day even in the art photography community. Meanwhile popular personal work aims to dwell in places of low regard.<br /><br />Recently I discovered a caché of photographs from newspaper archives from before the advent of the digital darkroom. Some of these go back to the 1920s and seem to taper off in the 80s. Of particular interest is the markings on the photos. The photographs show the work done to these photos in preparation sending them to press. They have grease pencil or tempera painted crop markings, written instructions for when they were to appear and some paint over subject matter that didn't seem to interest the editor. You see the thinking that went in to decisions about what to show or not show. Now days all of that is done without leaving a mark. I've acquired enough of these to at least put together a Blurb book in the near future.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1019082563947201566.post-14033606826138680882011-05-05T12:46:00.000-07:002011-05-06T14:07:22.798-07:00High Hat<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N_t_8hv6_vI/TcL-1RFYm_I/AAAAAAAAAtM/yu021xQLFRI/s1600/article-1383535-0BD33E3E00000578-764_468x582.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 322px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N_t_8hv6_vI/TcL-1RFYm_I/AAAAAAAAAtM/yu021xQLFRI/s400/article-1383535-0BD33E3E00000578-764_468x582.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603321077474827250" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The British royal family seems to wield an impressive amount of influence in the US. This fine bit of wedding headwear worn by princess Beatrice seems to be getting a <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1383535/Princess-Beatrices-Royal-Wedding-hat-defended-Philip-Treacy.html?ito=feeds-newsxml">fair amount of attention</a>...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z4KWQfFW_FI/TcL_j_k0iCI/AAAAAAAAAtU/BeGciVyufHM/s1600/tumblr_lknt8nus8Q1qd3rsuo1_500.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z4KWQfFW_FI/TcL_j_k0iCI/AAAAAAAAAtU/BeGciVyufHM/s400/tumblr_lknt8nus8Q1qd3rsuo1_500.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603321880228694050" /></a><br />...as evidenced by the cranial decoration preferred by the Obama administration <a href="http://www.bookwormroom.com/2011/05/04/the-obama-administrations-cloud-of-confusion-explained/">while monitoring</a> the capture of Osama bin Laden.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0