You saw the photos yesterday. You saw them last night. The paparazzi are everywhere. And why?
Because someone is looking at the photos. Actually millions are. It’s a business that would not exist if there were not customers.
Back in the day – the 70’s- it was different scene.
Oh sure, hedonistic and wild. maybe more spontaneous. just maybe. A bit less paranoid to be sure. And somehow safer.
Brad Elterman was a young teen photographer, with a passion for his heroes and a drive to be part of the entertainment business. And a camera was his entree.
His photos of the musicians and celebrities of that time, have keep them preserved along with the era. It’s just a slice, but it’s tasty.
Well, we are always learning what you like. And what not so much.The Bag Pack and the Diane Arbus book were gone in 65 minutes. the Nose cups? never hit 20. Ah well.Winners listed at the end of this article.Plus the Material World book winners.
You know it’s not all hose downs, and dog packs (paparazzi terms).
The photos you see very day and night splashed all over the media are also representing a symbiotic relationship; The entertainment industry and the paparazzi.
They have also teamed up to gather classic and current paparazzi photos in an exhibit asking and answering the question:
Is this photography more than disposable news or a reflection of our culture? “Paparazzi As An Art Form” opens at the Seyhoun Gallery in West Hollywood, this weekend.
Brad Elterman was shooting the music and entertainment scene in the 70’s when the field was a bit smaller. His photos reflect a simpler time of access. The other day we spent some time speaking with him and going through some of the archives. You walk into a history of culture from a time when the news didn’t open up on helicopter shots of a singer spiraling downwards. Continue Reading »
Dr. Edwin Land gave us a huge gift: The Polaroid instant photo. Endemic of our societal needs for “I want it now!, this interactive, yes I said it, immediate photo sharing may have been at the forefront of social networking. By being able to replay the moment in a minute with a print, everyone was able to assess and examine what that moment was, and how to even adjust for the next captured moment.
From the pro being able to test lighting and tonal values, to the general user, to the artists like Chuck Close using the experimental room sized Polaroid cameras, Polaroid has been become a part of our culture. Even Andre 3000 sang about it. Of course the David Hockney created a whole new medium with the collaged and montaged SX-70 portraits.
The process of shaking a Polaroid picture to aid in drying the chemistry on the surface, stayed in line with the pro products, but the consumer version, starting with the SX-70 did away with all that. You can still get some instant cameras though. But for how long?
I still have a Polaroid 110A from the 60’s converted to use current pack film. Originally purchased to test strobe lighting, it’s become a fun relic. Works perfect and still does the job. However when you can shot and have the image appear immediately on a computer screen and send it all over the world..um…I think that takes the win.
And soon even the film will be gone. Along with the little black plastic tubes with the white caps, keeping the sponge wipers moist with the noxious preservation chemistry you would spread onto the B&W prints.
Oh well. I’ll slowly work through the last case with fondness.
Order what you need now. It won’t be around forever.
So in our continuing search for the best geotagging systems, we spoke with some folks from Geotate in Las Vegas, who have developed technology which will now be in the next gen of point and shoot cameras. They are working with a company called Altek, one of the major manufacturers of digital cameras that a bunch of brands put their name on. Oh, don’t worry..that’s how most of it happens. One company develops and makes a product that can be branded by a specific company. Like Kodak. Or Sony.
Take a look and listen to some of Geotate’s technology:
Now this technology requires you to download the GPS data to the computer and it matches up to your digital photo file. This is one to watch and we’ll report back once it gets to market.
There are a few options out right now for geotagging including a GPS unit that has a camera built in, from Magellan, the Triton 2000. Ricoh has a camera available with built in GPS, Wi-Fi, and bluetooth. 8 megapixel, SD. About $1150.USD.
The best solution we’ve found that is available today and uses our existing gear is Continue Reading »
Published on February 13th, 2008
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