This article is being reprinted from a posting last year. Today, as it’s Mother day, I felt it was a fitting post in her honor. And remember to honor your mother, in what ever way you see fit.
Continue Reading »

Back in the 70’s, the hot culture in Los Angeles was full of music, celebrities, parties, and wannabe’s.
Wait….whats different?
OK, not much. However, photographers get to archive and represent for their time. If they are good, they can tell a story of what it was like “back then”.
He calls himself a paparazzo, but was he instead, a celebrity photographer ? The connotation today for the paps, is pretty bad, although we all look at their work.
Or was he a chronicler of his time ?

Brad Elterman reminisced with us awhile back and here is some of that video:

And some of his photographs:

© Brad Elterman

The Ramones on Sunset Boulevard 1978:

“The Ramones were staying at the Sunset Marquis, near the current House of Blues. Their manager Danny Fields let me grab the band from their rooms for this quick shot. I think I promised him a photo for Rock Scene magazine, but the photos were published all over the world. I still see bootleggers trying to sell this image. They look a bit out of place with all the California sunshine, albeit standing in their classic poses.”

© Brad Elterman

Leif Garrett And Nicolette Sheridan 1980:

“I had been photographing Leif Garrett for years at sessions and concerts all over the place, including Japan. I was home one weekend afternoon when he called me to get to his house. The call was short: “Get over here and bring your camera. I have a new girlfriend.” Boy, did he have a new girlfriend! I do not think I ever saw such a beautiful girl. She was Nicolette Adams, who now goes by Nicolette Sheridan. They had just gotten out of the pool and wanted to get dressed for the photos. Get dressed??!! Naw, let’s just take the photos. Well, the photos made the cover of magazines all over Europe and were published in “People.” The photo still sells today. Nicolette is so hot and enjoyable on “Desperate Housewives.” I have not seen Leif in years, but I see Nicolette all the time at my local Starbucks.”

The stories behind the photographs are pretty cool, and they are included in his book, available here.

Now here is a funny back story:
Continue Reading »

We are on a hunt.
Oh, sure, we love the DSLR and the glass. Huge files, big zoom, lotta sensor, and technology that can shoot an assignment using algorithms used to make mathematicians weep, in the firm grip of your hands.
mmmmmmmm……
But life won’t always let you bring that tool into play. Circumstances may not allow it.
Like in an evening event that you have not been hired to cover.
C’mon, you are just there having fun, right?
However, like most of us, leaving the house without a camera, is like going commando; you feel a little naked.
So you bring the point and shoot. Does it create an unsightly lump in your pants or jacket ? (do NOT go there). Make you appear to have overstuffed your pockets? Give you a slight limp?
The ladies have an advantage with the purse, but dudes? SOL.
And when you pull it out from it’s hiding place, have you dragged all of the contents of your pocket with it?
Been there, don’t want to go back.
Like we said: small , discreet and worthy.

In the next few weeks , we’ll be checking out the field and seeing what sleek advances, the top manufacturers have come up with.
Starting with Canon and the SD 780 IS in this video.

Yeah, we know you saw another awesome point and shoot in there. Waterproof, cold proof, kinda drop proof. More on that one another time.

The question is how much DO you have to give up in the tiny package ? Well, we’ll be getting some hands on experience in the next while and reporting back in to let you know what we found.
Using the cameras like we said. In real world reviews.
Any suggestions on cameras for us to check out ?
We’ll contact the manufacturers and get units to test.

Wish us luck. The money you save, may be your own.
Party on.

Oh, by the way, Wyatt Neumann (featured in the article below) uses a point and shoot that he keeps in his back pocket. However since he also rides a motorcycle, he has gone though almost 12 in the coupla years.

We met this guy over cocktails in the south of France and knew from his incredible energy, he had a definite point of view of the world. A very intense one.
In the night heat of the June coast of the Riviera, you could easily sense that this photographer/director, was just about to burst out of his skin, in a good way. He was going to tell you things you may not have heard. Or wanted to hear. Some random, Hunter Thompson moment was probably not that far off in the future.

© Wyatt Neumann
And now, he’s told us about his intense love of life, and that perspective, through his first time exhibit of photographs called “Elephants and Boa Constrictors”.
Some of you may know the reference to “The Little Prince” from the first page of that classic childrens book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

© Wyatt Neumann

Now here is the thing about this show: it consisted of 427 photos printed 3.5″x3.5″ and hung linearly in random order. It was up for one night, only.
We missed it.
But now it lives on Flickr

We watched it in a slide show version from Flickr, which is what we recommend .

Darn it, got ahead of ourselves for a second. Where were we…..?

Oh right. The images.

© Wyatt Neumann

The imagery is of a world that Wyatt has traveled, seen, experienced, and shares with us, not in a Robert Frank way, but in what we imagine a Jack Keroac way would be. It’s a bit more personal, more poetic, and in your face, as the artist himself is.
There is no denying the intensity of the images, or the original. The people in his path across the US, and the constants in his life appear periodically through the random stream of images, which together, get you on a journey, very hand crafted by Mr. Neumann.

© Wyatt Neumann

The vignetting of each image, focuses your eye to the main story, and frames the subjects with a certain respect. Not a raw, harsh, reality yet still authentic and true.
And there are tender moments. The lighting belies those, as they become a respite, and help the viewer move through the series with a balanced life.
© Wyatt Neumann

Wyatt has brought his emotions to the surface here, and there is little between you and the image to buffer it.

Did the small print images get the viewer closer to review the images in person, to make it more intimate ?
Or does the slide show on Flickr give you time to breath in and experience each image on it’s own?
Your call, but it was a great use of our time to watch the random linear tales unfold on the screen.

It’s a rich trip you can take right from your desktop. Enjoy the ride.
And safe travels.

© Wyatt Neumann

NB: We just got off the phone with Wyatt and it seems the exhibit will be coming back in the fall on the east coast and the west coast in some prestigious galleries. We’ll let you know dates and galleries as we know.

Wyatt Neumann is represented by Gargantaun Films.

As a photography student at Ryerson in Toronto, one of our textbooks was John Szarkowski’s “Looking At Photographs”.
C’mon. I know what I see, and how I feel about it. Either I am affected or not. I look at photographs all the time. Right?
Au contrere, this arrogant, young, student found out.
Grasshopper needed a little bit of the old wax on, wax off, if you get my drift.

Sure, being raised as an photo assistant in NY advertising was one education. Even the book “The Photographers Eye”, a gift from the guy I was working for, Steve Nichols gave me another perspective.
But seeing a photograph on as many levels as possible, with no BS backstory, nor imagined symbolism, now THAT is something we all need.
And here is one of the best examples we’ve found in one volume.

Taking a selection of 100 photographs from the Museum of Modern Arts massive, fantastic, collection, the maestro himself, John Szarkowski, long time photo curator of the museum, gives you one page, bite size, insights into the photographs of the cornerstone masters of photography.
The images selected are not necessarily the iconic works from these people. But somehow that is one of the critical points in the book. If you were exposed to an image that exists somewhere in your subconscious, you are predisposed to a vision or perception.
Not a bad thing, but to get the most out of this book, you should free your mind a bit.
Even if the photographers names are familiar, the vehicles to encapsulate their work, may not be. That helps open up the old grey matter.
I cannot imagine how much thought went into each page. As concise a breakdown of the reasons for the photographs inclusion in this group of 100, is the gold here.
The insight, historical significance, technical info, and overall breathing in of the images deep qualities, gave this student a whole new set of eyes.
The enhancement of my photographic life was made a bit richer by this book, and thankfully it has been reprinted.
If you ever wanted to get a crash course in photography and a further appreciation of the masters, get this book.
My original copy had a lot more of the photographers still living at publication.
Sadly, we have lost a lot since then.

And you don’t need to read it all at once. Read about a few, then maybe explore the rest of their work online. It is a perfect hub, for the spokes to grow from.
There is a funny thing about books or researching online; there is always a reference to another part of the story, that can get you clicking or buying books, for the full deal.
This book can be that starter.
We’re just happy it’s been reprinted.

This book is one we love to give as a gift, to hopefully enhance one’s appreciation of photography, and deeper still, help you look at things a little bit differently.

OK, how about this: It’s this weeks giveaway!

You may know the deal by now. You must be signed up for the NEWSLETTER to be eligible. Details on how to be the person we send the book to absolutely free, are included only in that email.
So sign on by Tuesday at Midnight, and the email will arrive in your inbox at 9:00 AM PST.

And for everyone who checks this book out, or maybe already has, let us know what you think of it.