VISIONISTS

Taste of Africa

2012-01-21T10:30:00.002-05:00

Wandering off and exploring the area outside the safety of the Pondoro Safari Lodge I came across this mud wall. How simple the design of this huts, they blend perfectly into the surrounding Zimbabwe terrain, we back in so-called civilization strive to create environmental art.. here their architecture and all they create is sacred art. The sinking sun has enough heat left to warm the wall both in hue and in temperature, its light skims across revealing the subtle variation which only the human hand can produce, everything is in balance.

Tomorrow I will join Mr. Selous and T.R. out in the bush to chase down a few Kudu. Teddy wants some mounts for the Institute but I am looking forward to a grilled fillet with roasted local veggies..I can almost taste it now....

..oh...I just posted these two shots from the Bronx zoo I shot earlier this month and I was looking out the window, watching the snow build up outside thinking about warmer climates..I must have dozed off...

many moons

2012-01-10T18:49:00.004-05:00

dusk in the Bronx with the moon just shy of full rising above the Bronx river..october weather in the January.

The next night was my 667th full moon... I wonder how many I have really seen?

Time is motion, like the steam, it never stops unless we freeze it with a camera.

Righteous!!

2012-01-05T22:11:00.002-05:00

Righteous Ale from Sixpoint brewery, Brooklyn.. from the tap @ the Oyster Bar, Grand Central Station after viewing the Stieglitz show at the Met with like-minded ex roo, Mr.Kiley.. bwtn christmas and new years... Yes that was a mouthful but I can not pause about all of these things.. starting with the ale.. I really like this rye-based ale.. No, not Rye.. but rye as in the grain..and it seems that who ever is bright enough to serve Sixpoint's brew I also like their establishments.. like the dim and well worn Oyster Bar. very well worn and very dim.. I was lucky to hold still for the long exposure here..I lost track of how long after the shutter did not closing after 1/2 second.

The Met show was exhausting.. to fit into a couple hours of viewing this crammed-packed selection of all things Stieglitz, the Art and Artists he promoted was a bit much...and yet they edited so much too.

So why post today? I happened to listen to a story retold today by Navy Seal Chris Kyle about how Jesse Ventura was speaking disrespectful to a group of Seals having a wake for a fallen soldier.. after being asked to refrain due to family members that were present, Ventura did not, he got clocked and went down. One can not escape the laws of nature, in this case, cause and effect..not even former Navy-UDT & Gov., Jesse "the body" Ventura.

Bars...some are like the old west, where our unwritten laws prevail and if you step out of line, someone can and will put you back on the straight and narrow..before the officers of the written law arrive. .. a somewhat Righteous experience.

The ale is just that too.. pure and simple.. robust and clear..straight and narrow. Not for the fence-sitters or sippers, boasters or bullies..dieters or debutantes..just ale drinkers.

Ritz!!

2012-01-04T14:28:00.004-05:00

I am working on some food paring ideas for my beloved Ritz crackers for a photo series.. what started this all off was a smear of Neal's yard Stilton and a dollop of fig jam. I think I could live on Ritz and 3 good cheeses...at least for a while. Yes I have had every cracker/biscuit made and yes I know the food content in each one.. but when you want some basic comfort snacking...give me a Ritz, topped with something exotic or just as they come.

Have yourself a Jelly Jelly Donut..

2011-12-20T13:12:00.003-05:00

I have no idea what they put into the center of this "Jelly donut" but I am sure it contains red dye no.X. I think this same color was used in the post work on "Centurion" a very brutal UK film I watched, they spent a lot of time showing the effectiveness of the roman short sword and the Pict's axes...I did not know we bled cherry. I am trying to determine what is real and if it matters or not.. the whole idea of a Jelly Donut is not about wholesome real food..yet that is the look I was going for..the non-sterile reality of the cutting board. If you cut into a gooey jelly donut it changes, it is not a perfect thing or pristine. It's messy and you'll have some stickiness on your fingers to lick off. But there is something basic, and satisfying about this unhealthy processed food. To allow its enjoyment you are accepting your own imperfect messy world, so have a jelly donut, embrace imperfection.

Motion & Still

2011-12-13T16:00:00.006-05:00

Days of shooting just still or just motion are nearly over now..new technology allows one to shoot either in still mode or motion. On this shoot I just did some takes with the motion and then switched to still and shot that.. same lighting. On Red's Epic you can lift a still from the motion and if shot on high resolution you will be very impressed with the single frame. That is the beauty of having it in one camera body.. you can be locked down on just what you want and get it all.

The motion requires more production of course, during the shoot and post but with our world moving ( no pun intended ) toward more and more streaming info the desire for motion is understandable..I am sad to say that the print media world will never recover to what it once was. So as I close out 2011 I am looking foreword and will welcome 2012 with new opportunities to work in motion. I will try to achieve the level of excellence that I strive for in still.. however the restrictions on moving images as shown here with this example shows the uphill struggle.. the motion clip has to be compressed to a degree that fine detail suffers and what is shown here is a poor version of the high definition version.

Found scenes

2011-12-12T14:38:00.004-05:00

Stamford CT tarmac

my trees looking east at dusk

When you look through a camera you free yourself from your normal world view..you no longer just take things in but you focus and move your head, tilt down, tilt up. Sometimes something like a shiny penny catches the eye and we look down or the colors of the sunset glows in our periphery and we look up. How many times does a manhole need to be shot or the pink of wispy clouds.. I am not sure but I have yet tired of them.

Thunder-traveling-over-the-mountains

2011-12-06T09:54:00.005-05:00

Fog has settled into Rye and yesterday morning I took a few shots on my school run..

Between the school and my house are a few small sections wood, not ancient, but I suspect one day they will be, baring a major revolution in this country, this land will not be built on. The fog obscured the far boundary of the wood so all you could see were the bareness of the trees and fog. I was transported back in time before our European forefathers cleared the land for farms and our future. Contrasting to this pristine woodland scene was one of our utility poles embellished with extra line and graffiti, sadly I can not say whether this was done by misguided youth or approved by a con-ed foreman. West coast readers will have to use your imagination regarding the blight of above ground power/communication lines that decorate our communities here. While processing the shots I thought about the land, its history and how resilient it is to our abuse or cataclysmic destruction.. it comes back like we were never even here.

I then read Chief Joseph's ( aka In-mut-too-yah-lat-lat / Thunder traveling over the mountains ) speech he made to congress.

I don't know if this is taught in schools, I don't remember being taught it in my school, but it should be. How much we could have shared and learned from this culture..how blinded we were by our own doctrine, arrogance and greed..and how eloquent is this man we thought a savage? Truly his words are like thunder traveling over the mountains.

Long Island Sound - quiet at low tide

2011-12-02T16:02:00.003-05:00

December 2..

The clear silence of morning created a tranquil sound this morning. Just a few ripples to indicate the the incoming tide. A rising sun in the southern skies illuminated this east facing frontage exposing buoys and small fishing boats alike. The distant water/sky horizon played flip-flop with each other, so close together their values only their hues separate one from another.

slip into grey - last throws of fall

2011-11-29T16:37:00.004-05:00

The last of the leaves are gone and the color of Rye has softened and grayed. Afternoon light just does not have the punch as it did and the subtleties of the receding wood make differentiating a challenge. the camera struggles to see the strands of grass in the field yet the subtle glow of the whole, flecked with muted highlights, is maintained. The blue sky seems to be thinly veiled by the grey clouds moving in and the trees speak in one mono hue. Despite the lack of cold we are marching into the tomb of winter..yet before sinking into its depths I enjoyed this dying day of fall..the small hints of what was and bland foretelling of the bleakness to come was there to take in.

edge contrast

2011-11-02T22:08:00.003-04:00

frost

laid down on freshly cut

grass / field

next to

house

just before retrieving

dog

drops slobbery

tennis ball

upon the object of my attention

forever changing

this once frozen

still-life

Steve Jobs the Brand

2011-10-26T09:03:00.003-04:00

I have been thinking a lot about Steve Jobs since his passing..he has influenced my life, has indirectly effected my career and yes, gave us the iphone.. on that last one I have some mixed feelings..maybe iphone 5 will be faultless.

Starting in late 1980's I shot for Macworld Magazine and one of my more memorable assignments for them was to go to Next Computers HQ to shoot their products..It was here that I experienced first hand the world of Steve Jobs...He, himself, created this new company from the ground up.. sure there were others involved but it was all Steve driving the boat.

It was at this time that I was designing and building out my new studio in SF from a gutted warehouse so I was very aware of everything that was needed to finish off a studio.. right down to the electrical outlet cover plates..well it was while on a bathroom break at Next that I was taken by their cover plates.., I had looked at every cover plate on the market and was not happy, so when I saw their very cool plates it all fell into place for me, Steve Jobs had these plates made for him... wow! Not that making outlet covers is that big of deal but the fact that he was also trying to revolutionize the whole small computer market with Next and every detail that went into that mind boggling mountain, he was at the same time making the call on what the cover plates should be..that even the ac outlet covers need to be in line with his BRAND... WoW.. After my contemplation and ah-ha moment in the Next bathroom I asked the marketing manager if my deductions were correct and he confirmed that Steve directed every aspect of the design of the offices right down to the smallest detail.

After the magazine was published with this cover I heard from Macworld that Steve was really pleased with the shots..and that did feel good because I know his aesthetic is not an easy one to please.

random estranged thoughts

2011-10-19T12:40:00.002-04:00

Polihale beach Kauai, Hawaii

I am sitting in a large windowless room within a government designed, built and staffed courthouse. My ears are ringing..from my own tinnitus and layered above and below, the combination of sounds from the massive AC units that allow some level of survival for the trapped souls who are here.

So on my lunch break while slowing chewing my multi-grain sandwich I opened my laptop to escape into the world of my recent photographs. I have shot from my iphone some pictures around the courthouse here but my attention went to some older shots that I never really spent anytime with. .. and today they are speaking volumes. My shadow falling upon the pristine sand of western Kauai from last summer and the temporary fence in midtown Manhattan..also from this summer.

Both shots have a layer that depicts and translates what the shot is..both finely textured and in themselves bland and non distinctive, impressionable and revealing. It is this bland receiving surface that holds the substance of the scene and like us are the medium for our awareness of that which they aren't. For some reason I find myself pondering the spontaneous generation theories of Aquinas and at the same time wishing to dive into a chocolate torte..the bland off white walls of this place are getting to me.

decisive eternity

2011-10-10T20:45:00.005-04:00

It has been many years now since I viewed reality with an 8x10 view camera. I miss being under the dark cloth, merged in a world of darkness that is the camera. Not to unlike Harry Potter's cape, this cloth allowed for only looking out..I became invisible and oblivious to the world as I took in the light defined on the soft ground glass. This abstracted translation of the world helped break the visual boundaries of what we like to think is real... there on the ground glass it was already becoming 2-dimensional. The list is long of 20th Century photographers who worked in this way.. it was the only way for most. Yes, Cartier-Bresson and others had the Leica and the "decisive moment".. but I and my tradition of masters had the view camera and the "decisive eternity" it provided... and yet there are still others that carry on the dying art of the view camera.. 4x5, 8x10 and some still shooting what must be the last of 11x14 sheet film.

Kodak is on its last legs and with it the end of an era will pass. I no longer own a film view camera..another effect of the causal relationship Steve Jobs had on the world. While I honor him and his dedication to his brilliant inner voice, I am a bit saddened by the loss; the craft of photography, which the old ways honed. I would have liked to ask Steve if he too was saddened by this loss. Maybe not in photography but I know he was a lover of calligraphy, yet the mac put an end to countless typesetters and if the mac hadn't been so completely embraced by the design industry Apple would not have survived the 90's. So what has this to do with the 100 yr old steel hull of the schooner "Peking"? The dots are there.

I did not shoot this old school but I used my digital camera as best I could to pay homage to the view camera and its process..NO HDR here thank you..I do hope the Westons can't look down on us poor users of the camera and see what horrid tricks we play with dynamic range..but that is for another day.

The nature of Nature, unwritten.

2011-09-25T20:45:00.003-04:00

There must be some quote or poem that speaks to the nature of Nature which fits this image .. but I don't know it and am content at the moment having just made it to leave it without a descriptive narrative.

it is magic

2011-09-18T22:06:00.001-04:00

My trip to Hawaii is still with me and finally looking at some of the shots I did there gave me a chance to once again slip into that experience...

I return always to my basics.. water, plants, sky...it seems that despite or rather, in spite of my recent foray into shooting "working wives of westchester" I find solace in the familiar icons of the 20th century west coast photography movement and allow me to reconnect to the tradition of masters which made up that era and pay homage to those that have gone before me.

It may appear like a perfect specimen but up close there are flaws and with the techniques applied via the digital darkroom those flaws can be downplayed while the attractive qualities enhanced.

As creator, I manipulate nature to my liking, I show you what I want you to see, play into what you want to see..and just like a magician it is all slight of hand..an illusion.

per se = per fecto

2011-09-16T16:48:00.006-04:00

Well!!! I have had my first dinning experience at per se...if you have to ask "say what?" then what I write is not of real importance.. but I encourage you to bone-up on Thomas Keller's east coast restaurant, it is that special. Overlooking Columbus Circle and the south west corner of central park, per se commands great views..but the treat for the eyes is really the food.. I could type out the 9+ courses the synchronized staff laid down in front of us, but really there is no point, I don't believe there are any words to describe the tastes, smells and textures, any verbal attempt would not come close to the collective experience of that meal..maybe just a quiet "mmm". I did however wish to capture on camera something of "it"...the light was low, warm and soft in our glass walled private dinning room, the incandescents that floated above the table blended smoothly with the candles in the centerpiece. Before the first course arrived I gave up the idea of shooting any of the plated dishes..so my shot of this, my first glass of champagne and the constellation of lights would be all I would take home in the camera, however my belly and senses took it all in and like the whole of my experience last night, it was subtle, sublime and golden.

"I wold not be in a folis paradyce."

2011-09-08T11:04:00.002-04:00

in pursuit of happiness...we build walls, fences and barricades to keep the unwanted out, yet are we really painting ourselves trompe l'oeil cages to keep us contained and bound to the familiar and safe.. but is it really only a fool's paradise? as happiness is only found within.

east meets west... not really..ever

2011-09-08T00:48:00.004-04:00

Just back from my first visit to Rhode Island's Beaches near Westerly. Really liked the area and low key communities that dot the coast there. I shot mostly with my IPhone and am beginning to look at the shots from there. These 2 shots were from just outside the door of my room.. literally 180 degrees from each other.. they have nothing to do with each other than my feet were in approximately in the same spot on the earth.

Himalaya - Playland

2011-08-15T22:21:00.003-04:00

playland ride

With life such an uneasy ride I am not sure why one would volunteer for this so called amusement...perhaps that explains why there where so very few riders over 11 on the Himalaya.

The only bit of calmness or respite is the center globe, but you have to pass through the tombstone arch to get to it.

Mr. McQueen Met Show

2011-08-12T12:59:00.004-04:00

bodhisattva and McQueen que

ceramic tiles and stainless - Metropolitan Museum

I am now part of history.. I was among the thousands at the closing day of the Alexander McQueen show at the Metropolitan Museum last Sunday. It was a 4 hour wait to see the show and I have to say that it was good..painful.. yes, to spend my Sunday waiting but it stayed with me longer than the wait did. The Met is big and the lines were blocks long outside and once inside the line meandered throughout the museum, nobody was there to view the other artwork and I seemed like the only one taking notice..almost the entire collection could be viewed by the time you made it to the featured exhibit. As crowded as it was in the galleries the bathrooms were empty and silent and provided a moment of solitude from the masses.

I thought it funny that no photography was allowed of the McQueen work.. I guess the clothes' day of going out to photo shoots, being stuffed into the back of vans..quickly steamed by stylists and assistants, gaffer taped and pinned back for the camera were very much like the designer..gone.. they now exist in the realm of the museum, white gloves by those authorized to don white gloves, photographs only for the exhibition book and to promote the glassed off collection. I think he would have liked this other worldly existence for his art and it fits perfectly with the moving holographic Kate Moss, floating within a glass pyramid and that behind yet another windowed 3-wall enclosure. Despite being Ethereal and out of touch from the masses this exhibition drew numbers on closing day ( the second one ) that equalled Mona Lisa's visit back in the 60's. He had a vision and brought it to full expression and it showed in this show.

sculpting hedges

2011-08-08T08:49:00.004-04:00

I've been doing some hedge trimming so now when I am out and about, all I see are hedges..round balls, boxed walled even some animals.. while my financial neighbors are into a different type of hedge, the sculpted hedges of Westchester provide interesting studies in positive and negative space.

19th century brooklyn on tap

2011-08-03T08:09:00.004-04:00

I enjoyed a quick trip to Brooklyn yesterday afternoon with friend Alain who is visiting from SF. The light in "Prime Meats" was amazing.. food wholesome and satisfying and the Righteous Ale .. well, I never say no when given the opportunity to guzzle a pint of Sixpoint's rye ale on a hot summer day. Please tell me why the watering holes in Rye NY don't have this on tap? Alain is in a Pilsner moment and enjoyed their refreshing pils..as you can see he liked it.

Brooklyn's 19th century food renaissance is in full swing and no better place to reap the benefits of that than this great Court st. establishment. If it were not for the brutal traffic from

Westchester which I endured, I would already be planning my next visit!

Kauai send-off

2011-07-07T23:31:00.003-04:00

Western coast of Kauai

For such a small little island it is a grand place.. a fitting farewell to friend Walt who loved the islands and did many fine photographs here.. he is back home here, Aloha Walter.

lost ad

2011-06-29T17:04:00.002-04:00

Jeff Gregg,the Art Director who created this ad was kind enough to send me a good reproduction of it for my portfolio. I am missing lots of outtakes from my hidden valley days

and it was good to get this back the barn. I did not shoot the landscape but the salad and the ranch dressing product. As I take a break from editing my Working Wives of Westchester shoot from yesterday I am amazed at how much has changed since shooting that ad.. 6-7 years ago?...aahhh the good ole days! The lighting I set up would have made a good tv spot because I had to shoot and reshoot the " pour path" of the ranch dressing. I sure could use that shot now in my reel! But back to the WWW gals. Who said life was cyclical?

AYC - friday evening sailing

2011-06-27T09:44:00.005-04:00

I had the pleasure of going out on the sound for some inter-club racing at the American Yacht Club this month.. light winds but it was a beautiful evening with burgers on the lawn after the race.. A very nice way to start a weekend. The iphone once again comes through with a good shot - with one hand on the iphone and the other working the mainsheet. I am a much better shooting one-handed than using both hands trimming the main..it has been too long since my last crew position!

This was shot as we headed to the first buoy. The atmosphere may not be favorable to sailing but with all the moisture in the still air it makes for color-rich sunsets.

dear john plea..

2011-06-13T16:47:00.006-04:00

bar at terminal 3 JFK - iphone photo

Dear Creatives at Vitro...

I was waiting for my flight to London a week or so ago and wanted to start the trip off on a good note.. so I ordered a Newcastle Brown Ale, a traditional North England style ale, I think it suffers due to its self- imposed name.. Brown Ale..

who wants to drink "brown ale"? When it comes to appetite appeal, nobody wants brown..brown is just not hip or cool.. so my marketing advice is change the name... a few hours pass...

I have now come to my senses and realize that I was completely wrong.. it is the Brown that makes this cool in a retro, contrarian way... what do I know anyway about hip marketing and focus groups?.. I make pictures and I had better stick to doing just that. We face constant change in the world of beverages, new and improved packaging, trendy colors, etc... I now see the beauty of this heritage brand, keep it as is!! Perfect.

If you Vitro folks out on the west coast want to send me some Newcastle layouts or storyboards.. I am game!

Playland on Long Island Sound @ Rye, NY

2011-06-07T09:55:00.002-04:00

I shot this back in early march.. the last grips of winter giving way to spring.. and now spring

is already gone.... I know that because I am sitting on my patio listening to lawn mowers doing their noisy thing. My apologies if it appears jittery I have not yet found a really good downscaling workflow for internet movies.. seems what ever I try something is lost in the translation. This time I imported directly from youtube and it has cropped the movie.. double click on the image and it will play the uncropped version.

Moving forward

2011-06-05T12:22:00.002-04:00

okay, the show is done and I am thinking about the next one..and in a different venue..

I shot this the other day in the pedestrian tunnels under the railroad near Rye station. They have just repainted it all white and would make a great gallery for photographs...a guerrilla art show...I have been wanting to do a series of portraits so they would look great down there really big.

American Made

2011-06-01T15:37:00.002-04:00

from Denham village to Gotham village..The Empire State Building in all of its art deco glory peaking through to Bryant park this week. That is one impressive building.. backing up the perception of this city with real steel and concrete. To say they don't build them like this anymore is an understatement.

I am naturally drawn to our pre-war period in both fit and finish. All american steel and labor at its peak, flexing 1930's potential might cloaked in modern design.

A short visit to Denham Village

2011-05-17T17:17:00.006-04:00

from Old Cottage to St Mary's

spring blossoms at River Lodge

I am looking forward to my return to Denham Village next week, although short it will be sweet. All of the seasons there are enjoyable, but in fall and again in spring, the village seems to glow. The view from the upstairs window in the Old Cottage is towards both ends of the old village, allowing a sensation of being right in the center. It will take some effort to attend to my repairs and not be distracted by old friends wishing to share a saturday afternoon pint on the green...that in itself will be incentive to get finished early as it is the inhabitants of the village that make the place really special.

Jules and Jake at water show

2011-05-16T11:20:00.003-04:00

My son Jake was the big winner at my show reception..he happens to love sushi and he got his fill at the show's reception on Saturday. He could not keep his hands out and ate so much I thought he was going to pop. One of the visitors to check out the show was golf photographer legend Jules Alexander, he also started photography as a boy and is still going strong. We shared some Ansel Adams workshop stories and the pros and cons of digital Leica photography. He has a passion for the medium and it shows in his work. I can only hope to have camera in hand for as long as he has.

I admit it.. it is self centered

2011-05-10T09:17:00.003-04:00

lone piling, milton harbor, rye ny

My photography show, " The Presence of Water" is now up at the Harrison Library till June 3rd. I limited the show to 18 due to the physical constraints of the gallery space, I had to edit out many. Here is one that I was not able to work in... Once you put together anything you can always stand back and second guess, but I am pleased with the final look the the collection and happy to see them all up in one place. Making fine-art prints that speak firstly to me is such an indulged luxury, satisfying on many personal levels and if the viewer takes a liking as well that too adds a feeling of fulfillment. Creating this show I have also learned some things about my professional career. I have a new and deeper appreciation for my commercial work...maybe my commercial shots will not be something that will be framed and put in a home, or speak to some quiet inner values, but they are created for a desired purpose and if crafted well, fulfill the needs of the client, they function...and a functioning image in the marketplace is a good thing...a fulfilling thing.

This is not the end of my foray into fine-art, I hope to develop and maintain my personal work and not go another 30 years without showing it to others and I have a new interest in commercial photography, so regardless of prints sold the show is already a success in my book.

The Show's reception is this Saturday, May 14th 2-4pm at the Harrison NY Library it is open to all so if you are in the neighborhood check it out.

Soleri Bridge, connector and communicator

2011-04-27T10:34:00.003-04:00

Paolo Soleri's bridge crossing the Arizona Canal in Scottsdale Arizona

Of all things that are man-made, bridges are the most "structural," single-minded, and imposing. As connectors at a breaking point, they have a heroic force that is aided by a challenging structuralism. . . . To bridge is a symbol of confidence and trust. It is a communication medium as much as a connector. - Paolo Soleri, 1970

Since his time with Frank Lloyd Wright, Soleri has been designing bridges, but this is the first one to be completed. How lucky is the Scottsdale Waterfront to have this bit of architectural history?
The gap between the two large stainless steel towers allows just enough space for the sun's rays to illuminate the painted red stripe that runs down the middle of the pedestrian bridge, acting as a sun calendar marking the Equinox, Solstice and Quarter dates.
It is such a simple yet elegant thing..combining art with function...perfect.

Unbounded Bricks

2011-04-26T09:49:00.004-04:00

When I dropped off my son at college last September I was stopped by this wall, part of the college bookstore, it was not preventing my escape but reminded me of freedom attained in front of my own college library wall years ago.

Life is spiral and the small little trees in front of my library brick wall are most likely nice mature trees as the ones casting their shadows here. There is inherent irony in these walls, the static monolith, a barrier playing like a boundless void somewhere in the gap between earth and sky...also I enjoy the fact that it's a place of higher learning, yet window and door less, lacking any visage of ivory towers and what they represent.

Following Passion to Fulfillment

2011-04-25T10:23:00.006-04:00

Tarek Sakr of Chateau Musar

beef tenderloin at Lon's

Tarek Sakr is Chateau Musar's Oenologist.. aka winemaker. After many years of enjoying the results of his efforts I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with him last week in Chicago.

He is passionate about his work and I am thankful for that, as I think the Musar wines are very special and reflect his and the Hochar's approach to producing a wine that is more than "the sum of the process" and the result is fulfillment.

I was able to enjoy one of my favorite vintages of Musar, 1997, with a great meal I had with my family at Lon's at the Hermosa in Paradise Valley, AZ. It was a perfect evening in the "Valley of the Sun" and we ate outdoors on their patio. Sonoma froie gras, baby lettuce & beet salad and beef tenderloin medallions with cured bacon, all prepared with attention to detail and with quality ingredients. We arrived at dusk and left by the light of the vintage Dietz oil lanterns that adorn each table, this was the best meal I have had in a long while and it will stay with me and inspire me to follow my passion as that leads to the abode of excellence.

harmonic chaos

2011-04-18T21:40:00.003-04:00

Mid-town Manhattan construction

( painted wood, steel and concrete

inorganic begetting spiritual

harmony within chaotic discord

the characteristic curve; silver tones

all in perfect order )

I saw the Brett Weston and Sonya Noskowiak photography show at the Phoenix Art Museum yesterday.." Inspired Vision".

Some great prints by both them..wonderful silver and platinum prints with deep blacks and held highlights. Great to see two photographers so deeply entrenched in their black and white medium.

Sunday

2011-04-17T10:34:00.004-04:00

mirrors, like water reflect

images,

self

bursting into existence

creation

is confined to it's coffin

being is not

The James Hotel

2011-04-10T13:55:00.002-04:00

I was very pleased when I opened the door to my room at the James Hotel, very simple, well done with all that I need for my stay here in Chicago. I cracked the bottle of "drink deeply" water.. and did drink deeply..I think that will be my new motto this week.."drink deeply my friends".

I was reminded of my upcoming show, "the presence of water", so I thought I'd check out my cameras and did this shot to make sure all is good.. and it is, so far very good.

Greenwich CT, sister city is Thebes?

2011-04-07T15:01:00.004-04:00

Spring, The sun brings longer days and stronger rays and I was enjoying both last Sunday on the high st in Greenwich, CT. I have to defer to the Egyptians for their devotion to the sun god, Ra. Seems I am not the only one here that feels the same..just a few blocks down there is a 50 ft obelisk ( ancient Egyptian symbol for the sun god Ra ) in front of their post office, for most here, just another world war memorial to our fallen heroes, but I know better, either the secret society masons are behind it or sun loving east coasters giving thanks for another spring.

Awake my soul

2011-04-03T09:42:00.004-04:00

Downtown Rye does not have the canyons like Manhattan..but since all it's buildings are no more than 3 stories the sky is much more apparent. Saturdays weather provided the perfect "real " cloud conditions and with a bit of Rye's skyline added the scale of the clouds is telegraphed in this shot. I am always drawn to the silvery tones of such clouds, they aren't wispy or fluffy, but have enough weight in them to show depth and allow for that silver lining especially against such a clear intense blue sky..enlivening and awaking the soul. har har, har har.

43rd Street view into history

2011-04-01T09:44:00.008-04:00

The buildings along the streets and avenues of Manhattan are captivating. I never tire of the long dramatic vistas this dark canyons provide. Like gunsights they force the viewer into their concrete crevices where there are often surprises. The shot above was looking due West along 43rd st from 5th Avenue, dazzled by the flickering lights of Times Square and the wonderful bounced light hitting the Woodstock Hotel. I was of course in the street shooting so I did not take in all the details of the shot which later revealed my surprise. 43rd St. runs into the West Side Hwy which borders the Hudson River, directly across the river is New Jersey and this little slice framed in the bottom notch is the Weehawken dueling grounds. Above the grounds on a bluff are houses along Hamilton Ave., named after founding father and first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton was challenged and lost his pistol duel to ex -Vice President Aaron Burr on July 11th 1804. The exact spot of the duel has been lost to the railroad which runs up the Hudson but a monument is in place up on Hamilton Ave. just to the right of that parked car.

Hamilton's brain child was the federal bank..so we have him to thank for that. I find it very interesting that Hamilton's own son was killed at the same site, with the same pistols just a few years before, but he is still down in the history books as so intelligent... some say he threw the duel, others say his early misfire was due to a very light (hair) trigger not typical on dueling pistols.. regardless Burr drilled him and he died painfully the next day. Burr had just a few months before he lost the NY Governor's race to a Hamilton ally; killing Hamilton just sealed his public opinion fate, he was done.

Manhattan has such a rich history with every street holding some kernel of influence on the future...it would make a good History channel series, "If these streets could talk".

Finding vision in blind brook

2011-03-31T09:13:00.004-04:00

Often chaos prevails and obscures,

On occasion, I can see clearly when looking into Blind Brook.

No matter the darkness which pervades, if my attention can enjoy some play of light I feel connected to that which is under the surface and beyond the temporal trees of my reflected surroundings.

It is fleeting..but yesterday my index finger did its duty, effortlessly.

Shadow Play

2011-03-30T08:38:00.006-04:00

Translating 3d space into 2d..the straight power-line casts it's shadow to reveal the physical nature of the building..in doing so it gives or relinquishes it's shape to become that which it isn't. The straight line of the shadow, like ourselves is projected onto the physical world and we bend and merge with it, losing all resemblance to our true nature. We read this 2d image and interpret the scene to match our pre-exitsting knowledge of the world, but this is only possible because we also know the true nature of the shadow. We bind ourselves to this physical existence as we have created it and until we let go of our gross impression we will be as this shadow is, simply following the contours of the bricks and mortar, unaware of our true existence.

Now back to taxes.

The Presence of Water - Photographs

2011-03-28T19:15:00.008-04:00

Floating - Long Island Sound - 2008

I am having my photography show in May and the press releases are being sent out so I thought

I would post here my show description and statement. The show runs

May 8th - June 3rd - With an opening reception Saturday May 14th 2-4pm.. if you are in the vicinity..

Harrison Public Library, Harrison NY

The Presence of Water

Statement

As a photographer I try to co-exist in two worlds which overlap in a

delicate way, the scientific world of the photographic process and

the artistic world of self-expression. My challenge then is the

selective use of camera and the desire to create for myself and

viewer a visual inward experience which is beyond just viewing the

objective photograph.

For nearly 40 years, like a divining rod, I have turned my camera

toward water.

Water: Earth’s omnipresent substance, manifest in all three states,

gas, liquid and solid. Reflective, translucent, fluid, ever-changing

and essential to all organic existence; water naturally presents

itself as a metaphor for inner spiritual existence.

The photographs presented here were not intended as a series, or

variations on the theme “water”, but rather a collection of

individual experiences, separate singular images photographed over

the last couple of years. They are distinct visual sutras describing

not just water, but something beyond the physical, something

experienced while in the presence of the scene. I hope these

strung-together images convey some sense of wholeness. I will not

try to describe in words the non-verbal experiences, but leave them

for the viewer to explore and discover.

We all share a collective experience with water, it isn’t mine, or

yours, but ours. I hope the photographs meet my challenge, visually

direct and remind you of your inner nature and allow for a shared,

collective experience in the process.

For the duration of the show all profits from any sales will be

donated to the David Lynch Foundation, specifically for their work;

healing, restoring and preserving Native American Culture.

Paul Moore - 2011

Manhattan Suprematism

2011-03-27T10:11:00.003-04:00

I don't know if there is a name for it.. it being the use of white brick in Manhattan.. lots of it around midtown.. and east midtown..but I really like the look. I found this huge expanse of white brick along 43rd near 5th ave. Very Malevich in nature..which then reminded me of the Gogosian Malevich show and book they produced. In his writings Malevich speaks of white being the final level of Suprematism. So once again I do homage to his white on white, in brick.

Out of the Cave

2011-03-24T10:16:00.004-04:00

Standing back, life is very simple..Winter evolves into Spring, but the details are complex and confusing..starts and stops, entanglements, dead ends and unexpected retrogrades.

Despite the snow last night, Spring is here..this, like time itself can not stop and another tick of the cosmic sweep hand jerks into place. I left my cave this morning and while trying to embrace the green show was held in check by the gnawing bite of cold, its oppressive grip not wanting to give way. Letting go is hard and Winter, so established this year, is well dug in.. but it never wins.

Boys survival food

2011-03-22T09:12:00.003-04:00

I sometimes wonder if my boys would survive without their daily intake of Utz's pretzels. I have gone through countless pounds and they don't seem to tire of them. I buy the largest container available through costco..costco big, about 3.5 lbs in one jar. But they steadily get through them, five at a time, one in your eating hand and 4 in the other is their typical M.O.

What I like about the Utz is they are durable, you can throw them into a packed school lunch with no fear, that despite the brutal treatment their backpacks sustain these guys survive. Also they lack any sweeteners, the other half of the boys' cravings. Somewhere in between they get some protein and veg., not enough of course.. but they are surviving.

mango liquidity

2011-03-16T12:12:00.004-04:00

Mighty Mango by Naked Juice - I can't keep this in my frig long enough to have a couple of glasses, seems my sons think that just because mangoes grow on trees they can empty the bottles freely. Will have to see if this is a publicly traded company because I know their revenues have increased in the past couple of months. So I poured out a nice small glass for myself and thought I had better shoot it because it won't be around tomorrow.

..update, okay I should have known, my neighbor here in Westchester, Pepsico, bought them a year ago.

Wood between the worlds..which ring is it?

2011-03-11T18:07:00.002-05:00

I always forget which ring to use..god knows I don't want to go back to the world with the crazy

witch. The wood is not such a bad place but nothing ever happens.. I don't think its heaven either..but I'm not sure if anything happens there either. All I really know is that I stepped in when I pressed the shutter.

Subleties: manipulation of the digital image

2011-03-10T16:14:00.004-05:00

Hen Island in Mamaroneck Harbor from Milton Pt. Leica r9/dmr 35mm lux

The challenge in digital photography is making the raw captured image come alive..I felt a bit like Dr. Frankenstein today, out in the rain, the big storm moving and everything looking like 3 shades of grey on the lcd..what can be made of it, can it be brought to life? But there were subleties out there, my eyes could see and feel it.

"It is in the details"..God, the Devil, seems all things that are beyond our normal perception have been associated with details. This shot required some attention to those details to enliven the subleties that were speaking to me today. Details that not all cameras can deliver equally when asked to do so..and I was using all my coaxing on this. The frustrating part of this blog is that what I post here is a compressed jpg of the image. When the shot is bold and or colorful, you still get the idea in this form, but many of my personal shots are about the pursuit of details, like the soft transitions of fog, mist and cloud. It is only really appreciated with viewing a traditional print in good light.

Still-life: years in the making

2011-03-09T12:08:00.006-05:00

My son was my client this morning..at 745am I was informed that he needed additional visuals for his science project..due at 815am...we were out the door with 4 additional shots glue-sticked-down to his first science project by 810...another happy customer.

A couple years back..

I finished a product shoot around 2 in the afternoon..I had completed the shoot with the client pleased with the result but a bit nervous, he turned to me and asked, " is that it?, I mean, is it okay we are done so early?, it seemed so easy." I, not wanting him to feel disappointed in missing out on anything simply stated, "It took me 20 years to do this shoot, if I were just starting out we would be here til I got it right and you would not be happy".

So it was this morning, I had just minutes to get the 4 shots and as I lined up this last, funny little still-life, a familiar feeling came over me.. feeling the elements fall into place, good light, rich full tones,..it was easy and fun.. and yes, this took me years to do.

But really, thank goodness for digital workflow, that is what saved the day.

Tangent? Is that a town in France?

2011-03-08T15:09:00.007-05:00

Rye Ny - shot with leica r9/dmr 19mm elmarit

Often there is more going on in back than there is in the front. This is the back of Rye's main shopping street and the side that faces the parking lot. With it feeling and looking like spring I had to stop and take in the cote d'azur color palette mixed with the play of tangencies at work here. For a moment I was on the Quai de l'epi in Saint-Tropez again. The light, the stucco, the colors and that blue sky..one can wish.

On a completely separate note.. for all of you fellow art photography students of the seventies..I went to a Cindy Sherman show at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich CT. and I must say I felt proud that one of us really made it in the real world of ART. Way to go Cindy! It left me amazed on many levels.. don't worry, I will not be posting a retrospective of my self-portraits here..well if Cindy's show sponsor, UBS insisted, I would be all over it.

Water: metaphors threading parts into wholeness..cont.

2011-02-25T19:32:00.005-05:00

"And I need only enough technique to remember to use my camera without bungling when I am transfixed by light." - Minor White

As I try to decide on the photographs for my show in may I am reminded of Minor Whites concept of getting out of the way of so that the flow of creativity is not impeded by an imposing intellect or poor craftsmanship. It helps when editing to see and acknowledge those which seem to Be..on their own and me as second fiddle.

transitory shadows

2011-02-23T20:52:00.003-05:00

Near what surely must be the geographical center of Manhattan there are clusters of exposed rock outcroppings, remnants of what the last glaciers left behind. How little they have changed since then, unlike the rest of what is thought of as Manhattan, these unchanging, unmoving rocks are a testament to the deep history of this land.

The tree shadow-play along the veins and crevices of this rock created a mysterious backdrop for me to take it all in...and mark that I was here, 2.23.2011..a nanosecond in rock time.

warm beach days ahead

2011-02-18T12:47:00.007-05:00

This is the most pristine sandy beach in Westchester County, there are no beer cans, cigarette butts, trash cans, ugly signs listing all things you aren't allowed, or even footprints..and this is why it remains pristine, because this beach, on public land, is not for you.. unless you are a seagull or just as likely, a mermaid. This is the secluded and very off limits beach at Playland Park, not to be confused with the larger semi-open Playland beach. This one has no entrance gate and it is for the eyes only.. well you do have to get by the visually challenging green, iron-crossed fence. It is comforting to know that the beach is there..being well protected from the collective unwashed of the county..like me. Maybe one day it will open up, as it was when the park was created..a few less fences and gates would be a welcome change. Am I missing something?.. an endangered beach slug, some almost extinct sand fly?..is the beach a no-dip zone for some reason other than the county not wanting to get sued because some drunken fool thought he was Michael Phelps?

Whatever the reason, on the first warm clear day of spring there is nothing stopping you from kayaking right up and setting out your Gadsden beach-towel flag..how nice to have it all to yourself for a bit,...can you trespass on public land? I am sure at least a few laws are down to prohibit such uncivil behavior. Maybe those crazy Egyptians have stirred the civil disobedience in me.

2011-02-12T16:04:00.001-05:00

Thank you Craig's List

2011-02-10T18:50:00.002-05:00

I burnt out my old manual pull La Pavoni espresso machine this week. So I took the opportunity to find a "old" new machine to keep me caffienated.. luckily I found a 35 year old Bezzera Mini Bar on Craig's List and drove to southern NJ to snag it. The price was very good at about 1/6th of a new machine..if it worked.. I fired it up today and with fingers crossed, it will keep on pumping for awhile. I need to fine tune the grounds but I am very pleased that I have a better machine and for less money than repairing my old one.

Water: metaphors threading parts into wholeness

2011-02-09T21:11:00.010-05:00

Mind, cluttered with thoughts, past and present, obscuring its true nature. How easy it is to become absorbed with its shimmering surface or obsessing with buried lost treasure, all the while losing the vision of the whole.

I am having a one-man show this coming May and have decided to use water photographs for the show. It is such an obvious metaphor, being an element and the very cornerstone to our existence, yet it is because of this we all have our own personal relationship with water, it is truly part of our being. It has also been a recurring subject of mine from the beginning. The photographs I showed to Mr. Adams, my first good photographs, were of water details. It will be a challenge to edit and sequence to convey a coherent thread..hopefully they will live up to what I will call them, water sutras.

Look up and yea shall find salvation!

2011-02-06T14:39:00.013-05:00

On occasion I miss my boyhood Sunday church mornings with the practice of looking at the large hanging pendent lights in the sanctuary...I often did this when the service did not hold my limited attention and the eyes began to wander. Being less than full grown and at least 6 pews from the front, the only vista was up..beams, arches, stained glass and suspended from chain, those wonderful heavy lights, softly lighting the interior... it was only natural for me to do the same while out "shopping" last week in Greenwich, CT. This store did not have men's and so it was only natural that I began to let the eyes wander upward once again and was rewarded by this cluster of lighting fixtures and the familiar experience of sanctuary.

The down side to the story is I learned that if you used the iphone's "front" facing camera as opposed to the normal rear camera the resolution is way less, so I was disappointed that I could not enlarge this shot any more than shown here.. and even here it is starting to break up.

and if I were to print it it would have to be about 1.5x2".

Well despite this being a physically challenged shot and it not matching the size of my experience, it does brings some balance and calmness on this cold Sunday.

stalking the light

2011-02-04T12:14:00.003-05:00

the still waters of the Sound echo the soft colors of this late afternoon eastern horizon, just another cold day, just another stalk out to the water..Scout, impervious to the cold waters, she in hunting mode, as was I.

psa for sustainable playland org

2011-02-03T12:56:00.003-05:00

30 sec psa I did for sustainableplayland.org

Using the impressive historical tower and pulling back to see the not so great new additions to the park right on the waters edge.

hd720 can be viewed here

Keep Off..or else!

2011-02-01T16:21:00.005-05:00

The snow capped rocks on Rye beach just after snow and at low tide. I am surprised that the sign is not duplicated in other languages, or in some sort of international pictographs .. and why have they not just fenced it? .. that would truly keep you off them. I hope I am not giving the powers at hand any ideas.

A fellow Rye resident told me a story about his father who during a particularly cold winter drove a car from Port Chester to Great Captain Island, about a mile out into Long Island Sound. Now that would have been exciting.. I am not sure if any laws would have been broken at that time either.

Same but different

2011-01-28T18:46:00.003-05:00

I have been pondering the news from the Hubble telescope, they think they have found the furthest galaxy from us.

All physical matter is finite, bounded by time and space. Our best instruments enable us to experience the vast range of our material existence, yet we continue to look for what is beyond that threshold. Somehow we know we are not just another assembly of particles, but are connected to that which isn't, that which can't be measured or described.

Aesthetics and Common Sense

2011-01-27T18:11:00.006-05:00

With my attention still on Playland I took my daily walk into the park and then down to the beach were I was again affronted by the big divide, that which separates "Oakland" & "Rye" beach from the "Playland" Beach..one stretch of beach, all in Rye, but lots of names..

Chain-link, cyclone, it also goes by many names but they're usually all as ugly as this one. I am sure they thought there was good cause many years back and I am sure there are those who like the division..but fences do not belong in the middle of one of the only public beaches in Westchester county. Come on.. is it public or not?.. if public, then take this ugly thing down and open the beachfront to the public. The idea that the beach is locked off to the public because no lifeguard is on duty, it is just beyond silly. With thinking like this, it is a wonder they don't put up a fence around all roads.. the idea of a side walk so close to dangerous cars must drive those "lets-control-everyone" lawmakers crazy with anxiety, I am positive that NY would fence them if they could extract enough money from the taxpayers, "it's for the safety of the children"

...on a similar note, a town in NY has decided that the flexible-flyer sled is too dangerous for the children to use..and so it goes, we are being legislated into a nice safe padded cell.

Evolution of Playland - Beginnings

2011-01-25T10:01:00.011-05:00

I just made this historical video about how Playland Park came into being as told by Rye Historical Society's President, Laura Brett. The Historical Society kindly let me use their old photos to create this in-the-style-of Ken Burns video for Sustainable Playland Inc., laying some ground work for why Playland needs to become a sustainable community park.

Here is their mission statement:

SPI is a non-profit established to submit a community-based, public parkland solution to respond to the County's request for proposals to "re-invent Playland for the 21st century". If our plan is accepted, SPI seeks to partner the skills of the private sector with Westchester County to implement the plan with governance and operations similar to the Central Park Conservancy.

I am not a paid vendor/consultant for SBI just a fellow citizen trying to help Westchester County make the most of the Playland Park asset. It is in my backyard so I have a vested interest in what happens to the park and how it is developed. I am concerned the plans formulated by commercial developers and or theme park enterprises will not be in the best interest of residents, local, or from the whole of the county. This is why I offered to lend a visual hand, to evolve Playland into a park I would want to enjoy, not avoid.

The HD720 version can be seen here

Sustainable Playland

2011-01-22T16:09:00.002-05:00

My son Jake clearly enjoying riding one of the historic rides at Playland, Rye NY. The Whip is one of several original rides installed for the summer of 1928 when Westchester County opened the public park. It is a noisy, jittery old thing that runs on simple mechanics, jerking the rider around it's irregular course. But it still brings a smile, as does other aspects of Playland, if you have your blinders and rose tinted glasses on.

Playland is not what it once was, the park has been taken off course..it is no longer the gem of Westchester and not the family park it was designed to be. The County at least recognizes the problem and is searching for an entity to help guide the government on what to do..

Sustainable Playland is a non-profit group of Westchester citizens formulating an evolutionary plan for a new Playland, one which will better serve the public of 2011 and on. It is inspiring to witness successful people coming together in such an altruistic way, putting aside politics and self-interest to save what is good and vastly improve what was once a great park, this is the formula for positive social change..it brings a smile.

interrupta silentio

2011-01-13T13:11:00.005-05:00

A carefully composed shot, exposure confirmed, focus set..enter stage right, my dog Scout tearing through ten inches of fresh snow. I think I like it better with her in it anyway.

abstraction

2011-01-13T10:44:00.006-05:00

Words are directly proportional to images, as an image approaches complete abstraction, words become verbal baggage to the experience of viewing..'nuf said.

paul's keen vision

2011-01-12T18:20:00.003-05:00

sometimes I stumble upon wonderous things underfoot while out with camera in my Keen shoes..I think I will call this bit of pavement "road to Damascus"..

quiet woods of Putnam County

2011-01-10T13:57:00.004-05:00

Going from the Harry Callahan walls of Brooklyn to the Paul Caponigro woods of Putnam County is only 50- 60 miles via NY state parkways. In my viewfinder however it was only the next exposure and seamlessly connected via the camera as seen here in colored square pixels. So what is being displayed, walls and trees or is it something else? "It" has nothing to do with politics, social mores, economics or gender..making it unremarkable in its lack of intellectual interest, it is this lack that interests me most.

destinction between mind and sprit, matter and transcendence

2011-01-06T12:29:00.004-05:00

I worked some on a jigsaw puzzle this past holiday and now looking at these two shots I think they are jigsaws-in-waiting, but this was not my intention or vision when photographing these and other wall details I found in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn. I go through phases of really not wanting to look at another wall detail..but I have been shooting motion the past couple of months and not much still personal shooting, coming back to it I find the wall an easy entry/departure point to once again let "Camera" reconnect and align with some inner wanderings. The two posted seem very akin to my current brain activity, with or without the eyes open. Too many disassociated thoughts floating up from the depths of nothingness, unrestrained mental clutter captured and frozen in 2d. I am trying in vain to slip past to the other side..but the sleeping elephants hear the tip-toed attempts.

In large size it is easy to get lost in the minutia. If they were jigsawed I would not wish anyone the task of trying to assemble them.

me and my zone 2 shadow

2010-11-11T12:59:00.003-05:00

a dog at your feet and sunshine..shadows and companionship..who is walking who?

Broadway Bomb 2010 - Find Yourself

2010-11-08T05:42:00.001-05:00

My son Max edited this footage I shot of the 2010 broadway bomb longboard race. He was among 600 long-boarders who started at 116th St/ Broadway on the upper west side and made their way downtown to the bottom of manhattan. This was an unsanctioned and unofficial race so it was every boarder for themselves. This was shot on a panasonic gh1 hacked camera using both a 280mm apo leica R lens and the panasonic 14-140mm. Shot at 720p cranked to 60.

Rye Park - late October

2010-10-29T10:00:00.002-04:00

flush with color - iphone4

Leica S2 120mm macro test - smoohkah

2010-10-27T16:58:00.007-04:00

dec 2011 addition

I am not a tester.. I do not do charts and graphs. This blog is not about the tools which make images with but about the aesthetics involved in creating images. Having said that, I find the process of making images and the gear part of the whole..I enjoy shooting with certain cameras, lenses and lights. So when invited to attend a midday test shoot put on by Leica and friends I willing accepted. It was exactly last year that I first shot the S2 and found it a wonderful plus-size dslr. Today they were showing off their expanded lens line, new firmware and the vertical grip/battery. The 120mm macro is the lens I was most interested in seeing in action. Last year I shot the 70mm with a small briese parabolic reflector.. f11 very sharp and crisp.. and the 120mm has even better mtf charts..so redoing the "pretty model with 3/4 lighting" just did not interest me as I knew the results would be very sharp indeed and seeing her less than perfect makeup not that important to me. I wanted to see how this lens performed wide open, f2.5, and at high ISO, 640, in a mixed light situation.. I unplugged the remote flash synch and shot with the ubiquitous large parabolic's modeling lamp.. I did not check if the modeling lamp was on full and at 3200K.. The studio had large south facing windows one floor up from 34th street but it was overcast so the light coming in was cool but not intense making a pretty even mix with the tungsten light, I guestimated the color temp set the camera's color balance manually on 4200K and shot. The lower of the 2 shots was the first exposure and looking at the lcd I thought I had overexposed by a stop.. I asked David Farkas (who was letting me use one of Dale Photo's cameras/lenses) to show me the histogram and I was pleased to see that it was in fact just shy of overexposure. I processed both of the images in Lightroom 3 and exported to Photoshop to give it a once over and resizing and saving for the web here. I did this on an uncorrected imac 23".

My conclusions from this quick 10 minutes with the camera is that besides it being a amazingly sharp and technical lens, it can be used in less scientific conditions, such as shooting wide open at 1/45th of a second to achieve something that most discontinued Leica R lens have.. I hereby coin the term smoohkah,

the coexistence of defined sharpness and butter smooth tonal transitions in the out of focus areas.

So if you were hoping for a closeup of caked on mascara on eyelashes.. just do an image search and I am sure you will be amazed... but for those of you that want reassurance that Leica makes not only sharp but beautiful glass I can attest that it looks smoohkah to me. I am sure it would make a great lens for this food and product guy..even with out the central leaf shutter and sans tilt/shift.

Smoohkah revisited.. dec 2011

I was going through some raw files and came across this series.. I noticed in the metadata that the above shots were at 1/30 and 1/25th of a second and thus giving the overall softness to the bottom two shots. The new top shot was processed with a more natural color balance and shot at 1/60th, it is cropped from the original vertical shot, again at 640.

Another fall

2010-10-27T09:42:00.002-04:00

Seems the trees are raining leaves today.

Now that we have Scout the black lab mix in out lives I find myself at the park everymorning, an added benefit to having her. I have been shooting a shot everymorning with the iphone of the park.. hope to put a series together and see how it looks over the course of a year.

night visions

2010-10-03T14:31:00.000-04:00

sometimes I see lilly pads in the night sky

the morning pumpkin

2010-09-21T10:51:00.005-04:00

Another indication of fall: pumpkin pie.

What I like about pumpkin pie is that it is simple food..sugar, butter and some minor other stuff..once made it just sits on the counter ready when you are.

It is great after dinner..or afternoon, or in this case at 10 am with my second espresso.

I don't take in milk or cream in my espresso or coffee..but on pumpkin pie? a squirt of Redi-whip it is a must if you are going to go to the bother and plate it. The boys around here prefer the more direct easy route and eat out of the pie pan with only a knife..a true communal offering as we enter the harvest season. It isn't pretty but a quick tasty snack.

Through screen

2010-09-20T07:49:00.003-04:00

This started as a quick test for setting my diopter on my Leica..but when I went to check for focus accuracy I realized that there was something going on that I should look closer at.. so I recomposed a bit and shot. I see this scene many times a day as I leave my back screen door.

Focusing first on the side rail and knob as I head out, I rarely focus on the screen itself.. and even more rare is the ladder left leaning up against my garage, without it adding it stepped highlights the shot just would have been flat. Looking through the camera turns on the eyes, I wish I could say the eyes are always open but they are not.

The screen will cause havoc with moire on your computer screen so either the small size or the larger size will have a bad case of it, it can't be avoided if viewed in this manner.

Seems everything is about screens..my camera has a screen, there are computer screens, iphone screens, tv screens, movie screens, we have screens now out in stores, on vending machines, pay for your parking via screens, all day long, screens.. enough with the screens.

The beauty of Pedigree

2010-09-17T14:03:00.003-04:00

Well here is my food shot today.. just looking at it brings the smell right back to my nose.

This is what I see and smell twice a day so I thought I would "share".

With a new mouth to feed in the family I am so happy Scout likes the 50 pound bag of Pedigree dog food I bought at Costco...it is quite a commitment in both money and space.

With a couple of boys in the house who can be picky eaters I did not want anymore noses being turned up when I plate something. Well no worries there, she gobbles it up and licks the bowl, pushing it around the kitchen floor to make sure not one grain of that special seasoning is left and then looks up at me for more. I find it funny that Pedigree goes to some trouble making the product visually appealing to those that pour it out, but I am certain my dog's mouth is so quick to it that it never really sees what she is eating.

My only wish is that it would look this fresh and appetizing when she is done with it.. I will not share those details.

Contrast - the relationship of co-existing opposites facilitating vision

2010-09-16T07:54:00.006-04:00

One of the most important elements in photography is contrast; the range / relationship of the light values on the macro and micro scale, the balance / relationships of color hues and contrast in the composed visual content. Each on their own would require a chapter in a book but I am one of few words. I have been looking at this photo for a couple of months and had not really worked on it because when viewed first on the computer a few days after I shot it the image was flat compared to my memory of the scene. Adjusting the color and tonal contrasts brought the image back to life for me and reaffirmed my justification for shooting it.

The success of a photograph rides on all its inherent levels contrast being in balance, content as well as color/tone. You have to employ learned skill in the craft of photography to allow your vision to be fully applied to the medium. I was having framed an Ansel Adam's vintage lithograph yesterday, Moonrise over Hernandez, his signature piece that we all know and it brought home the fact that the beauty of this landscape lies in the balance of contrasts, both content and tonal.

A lot of "art" people get hung-up on Ansel's work due to the subject matter and his impeccable technique but it is his mastery of the craft and ability to put down on paper the exact tone as desired that enabled him to fully express his vision. Moonrise has a balance to it that is special and on many levels. His negative image was not easy to print, he really worked it to produce what we all see today. He had a very large print in his home of moonrise and seeing it made a strong impression that has stayed with me all this years and echoed on each viewing after...something to strive for, the balance of craft and vision.

Primordial pool

2010-09-14T16:16:00.003-04:00

light, water, earth

all that is needed for life

Salt marsh refugee

2010-09-11T22:50:00.005-04:00

Speaking of gold..

As Summer green fades to yellow gold, the rye marshlands follow suit. Early fall here in the northeast is my favorite time to just look around. This photo is not from this year but it captures his youth and the subtle richness of where we live. When void of technology and given some time to acclimate, he laps up what nature simply offers. Seeing this photo again reminds me that it has already been to long since visiting.

More gold

2010-09-10T15:34:00.003-04:00

The sidewalks or Rye, NY are not paved with gold..but there is plenty of gold hitting the pavement here. While most the country faced 30-50% reductions in home prices, Rye has taken far less of a hit. When a home here is "underwater" it means that we had a big storm and the last remodel did not include a battery backup for that sump-pump and the finished basement is under many inches of water. Not fun, but not forcing you to sell and downscale into a trailer park. I imagine that there will be far less gold on our fair streets come January's higher taxes, Rye will feel the pain and it is aimed directly at its affluent midsection..but of course the financial industry that many here work in may just up the bonuses to compensate and we will once again dodge the economic avalanche. I am just lucky to be here and will enjoy the ride as long as possible.

Being Glenn Beck

2010-09-09T13:39:00.003-04:00

I was searching my images today for a shot of carrots.. no not diamonds.. (but I am looking for that shot as well).. the shot I was looking for was a beautiful bunch of fresh carrots with greens attached, dark rich lighting..and moody.. but in my quest I found all this gold..stacks of wonderful gold bars...I always try to tell my clients that the photograph is not the real thing,

it is a 2d representation of the real thing..Well, I lost myself and was once again seduced by a photograph..I forgot my objectivity and began daydreaming I had these bars of gold, kind of exciting for a moment imagining I was Glenn Beck..but now I am back to reality and looking again for the carrots. Maybe Goldline needs some stock images.

Finding my spot in port chester - wholeness centered and contained

2010-09-07T19:34:00.003-04:00

The Port Chester shopping mall is a throw-back to late sixties or early seventies shopping center architecture..for better or worse. I have parked here countless times and have been both annoyed and amazed at its backside looming presence. So today, while on a restocking run to Staples, I took the time to find a spot where it all came together and felt right. Photography is compressing multi-dimensional experience into a framed 2d existence.. whether that existence contains some level of self-referral substance is determined by the the arrangement and sum of the black, grey and white dots which the image is made of..the wholeness of the parts. How satisfying it is to capture this centered balance and have it contained in both latent and physical forms.

I am a Winner in the "Masters Cup"

2010-09-01T17:01:00.003-04:00

Photography contests, do we want them or need them? Who are they serving and why?

I have been "honored"(selected) with "winning"( honorable mention, one of 10 in a particular category) an international color photography contest..I had forgotten that I entered but I was in the mood last year, and the creators promote like crazy with multiple emails and deadline extensions, making it pretty easy to enter via the internet. They sport a great list of judges, some prize money for the few that win first place in each of a slew of categories. But it doesn't come cheap to be "honored", there is no free lunch here. I am guessing the average entrant / photographer who does bother to submit will drop 100 bucks to play. Now multiply that by about 10 thousand that do enter..this is some serious money at work here.

With the fall of the photo-directories and the rise of the web this was a natural evolution for commercial photographers to be looking for cheap promotion and another line on the awards list ..and for the amateur a venue to show off the work and get some notoriety.

I am not sure why all of this leaves me feeling a little queasy.. I do feel some satisfaction that I got called out on a couple of shots but I can't help but feel there is some degree of hucksterism to the whole thing. A clandestine way for some entity to extract another hundred bucks from my pocket to his. I had entered a black and white contest last year as well as this color one and am surprised that the color got in and the black and white was off the radar. Maybe I am just jaded and tired of the effort and no recognition, you know sour grapes.. " if I can't win then I will keep my images to myself" but also I hear my tradition of photo-masters in my head asking me why participate in contests..photography is not a baking contest at the state fair..

or maybe it is. There is such a small handful of photographers that are recognized and shown in galleries and so many wannabees wishing for a slice of that pie. If you can package a contest into something that appears desirable then it is a promoters paradise. Success just breeds more and I will get another email this week about another contest that shouldn't be missed.

blindbrook.tree

nominated in nature

"winner" of honorable mention

in abstract

Fields of blue

2010-08-29T12:31:00.005-04:00

Water park in Saco, Maine. The blue fields of astro-turf and sky provide flat background fields to the round steel, concrete and fiberglass of the park...the sun giving dimension to the forms on this cloudless day.

Sometimes you find yourself in places that you do not wish to be..but because of the desires of others, there you are with camera in hand, with bad piped-in music and screaming 7year olds closing in all around.. my viewfinder in such situations is my cave, a retreat to go inward and find solace, then view out out of.... my armor against the sensual onslaught.

Burning fog

2010-08-23T10:00:00.002-04:00

Early morning fog beginning to thin and lift off of Scarborough dunes and beachfront; the ball of fire burning a perfect warm hued hole through the soft blanket of grayness.

Water ways

2010-08-22T09:45:00.004-04:00

Water finds it's way and the sun exposes its path. Scarborough beach, Maine.

relaxing at the ranch

2010-08-13T21:28:00.006-04:00

I had ample time at the ranch to put my feet up and enjoy the patter of a good summer's rain.

seeing between the leaves

2010-08-11T10:05:00.002-04:00

blind brook and playland, rye ny

Pursuing the American Dream

2010-08-06T08:02:00.007-04:00

For the past 350 years my ancestors have looked west, and moved westward..it took my family that long to go from Europe to California. West to Virgina in the New World, west to the wilds of Kentucky, west to the newly opened Missouri and Kansas territories and for my immediate family, west to California. The road trip I just drove covered the same country and migration path so many of my kin took in their westward expansion. Driving it at 75 mph you get a glimpse, a very tiny slice of what it was like to travel to that new homestead with fresh soil in open land. I covered in one day what must have taken 2 weeks by wagon, not in an air-conditioned 4wd station wagon on almost perfect asphalt, but a slow ox pulling a buckboard with a few possessions, hunting small game along the way. I tried to look out into the passing land and imagine what a wagon trail 200 years ago would look and feel like, what contours must be followed and streams crossed. No restaurants, no motels with wifi and worse, no cell coverage..oh dear!

I shot this tanker in Kentucky while cruising at the limit not far from where many of my great grandparents had migrated to and from.

Many speak of the "great generation" and while they faced hardships and achieved so much, it was on the shoulders of their grandparents that allowed them to reach so high. They were the ones who explored, cleared and lived off the land, building homes, villages and embracing the notion of self-government all the while shedding family blood to establish it. This provided the foundation which future generations would spring and prosper.

How disconnected I and my generation are from their toils of labor and the land itself which they needed to master to survive. How easy and convenient our lives are now with a Starbucks grande half-caf. soy latte never more than five minutes from our desire. How disrespectful of their memory are we to elect leaders who do not value our history and the sacrifices of all our relations, impeding our ingrained natural desire for personal responsibility and self-government as our constitution so clearly defines.

Hanging by a thread

2010-08-05T09:05:00.003-04:00

due east on main street

Just 5 miles south of the Santa Fe trail (aka us 50) in south-central Kansas is Arlington. Many of my family called this home for almost 100 years. Active in farming, education, government, retail and finance, they were the fabric of the active community which Arlington was..It seems that many others have moved on as well, I have never seen it with so few cars and people about, a ghost town in the making, sad to see. I am glad my grandfather can't see it now.

Buzzard Roost

2010-08-04T19:47:00.003-04:00

Day break in Arizona style.. enhancing the warm colors of the stony earth, the first light at the ranch illuminates the rim of Buzzard Roost Mesa in the heart of Tonto national forest. The white tail deer have had their fill of the spring-fed meadow disappearing into the surrounding trees that encircle Spring Creek Ranch. Perfect summer morning and all is well.

Brother David

2010-08-03T13:02:00.005-04:00

He is my brother not the church's brother..but I thought he fit right in as the padre of St. Francis at rancho de taos. It was his first visit.. and when we arrived without his knowledge he looked at it and said something like " is this what I think it is?"

When in Taos

2010-08-01T11:59:00.005-04:00

When I think of Taos and northern New Mexico in general, O'keefe, Strand and Adams naturally fill my mind with their images. So as I returned to Taos I wanted to view the 1776 built St.Francis Catholic church in Rancho de Taos. I am struck again by its weight; windowless in the rear, it appears as a massive form rising out of the earth. The monochrome quality of the adobe and cloudy skies amplify it's form and it radiates strength, in contrast to this is the delicate white cross above the entrance..the whole presence and nature of the church seems to be more akin to the pueblos than of the Romans. I suppose the Jesuits from Rome were thinking.. "when in Taos.."..I am glad for this, as it is one of America's finest structures and I will not tire of seeing it again and again.

Alternate realities

2010-08-01T10:50:00.006-04:00

Being off the grid and away from all things electronic for a few days.. oh, I forgot my camera is fully electronic..well, besides that, it was a nice break to be at our get-away spot in the Sierra Ancha mountains of Arizona. Boys here can play outside without moaning about being bored, swimming, making tree forts, shooting, canoeing..most of all just doing things that use the body and imagination together. I did not hear once the need for their precious xbox or tv programs. While we have a generator and could in fact have a big screen tv with dvd and xbox.. somehow we have keep them out to all of our benefit, nights are for games and sleeping there.

I wish they had more time there to get an extended dose of this lifestyle, but it is far from NY and some is better than none.. and I think the boys realize that it is real and a part of them, far from a dream or a resort we happened to check into and out of.

So as the cloth is dipped again and again into the colored dye, it retains more of the color each time...at least I hope so.

Translating nature

2010-07-14T18:01:00.007-04:00

Having a week in the Adirondack's forest was a perfect afterlude from listening to James Fenimore Cooper's "The Last of the Mohicans" while driving through New York state. I am certain that Cooper would be able to describe the above scene in words far better than this photo does in pixels. He writes like a high resolution camera captures..very detailed and crammed with information, all in 1820's prose.. but Cooper was a novelist and not an anthropologist and he used his artistic licence as he seed fit to define his literary pictures.

A shot like this requires the same high resolution to convey the amazing detail, showing the nuances of each different tree and ripple in the water of this scene. There is no way this can be translated to the computer screen in a faithful manner, but regardless here it is, in its somewhat diminished capacity.. and I, like Cooper have taken the raw data and tweaked it to my fiction.