Fire! At the Leesburg Car Show

Yesterday, I posted some images I took after dark at the car show in Leesburg, Virginia. Just as we were leaving, one of the business buildings in town caught fire. More emergency vehicles than I knew existed in the area converged for the fun. Here are some images I made of the event, using my Nikon Df and Nikkor 50mm f1.2 AIS lens.

 

This is my favorite shot of the event. I love how sharp the firefighter's face is, the police car and fire truck in the foreground, and the burning building and ladder crew in the background. This one deserves a nice print.

 

Here are some other images I made in the few minutes we hung around.

 

 

My understanding is that luckily no one was injured in this fire. I feel fortunate to have had the Df and f1.2 lens with me; there wasn't much light to work with. I hope these images tell the story well!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

 

The I.C.P. is Moving, Physically and Conceptually

The International Center for Photography (I.C.P.) in NYC, started by Robert Cornell Capa, is moving.

Museum Queue (not I.C.P.), by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2

iso 400, f2.8, 1/8 sec.

 

The I.C.P. is one of those places I love to visit when I'm in NYC. Admittedly, I have not been there in a couple of years, but it strongly holds my interest. Started by Cornell Capa, brother of photographer Robert Capa*, the I.C.P. is a home for photographers, and hosts multiple simultaneous exhibits, typically focused on some aspect of photojournalism and reportage. I saw the fabled "Mexican Suitcase" exhibit there.

 

(Click Here) to read about the Mexican Suitcase and the work by Chim, Capa, and Taro that comprises it. A real look into the lives of these three masters, see it if you get the chance.

 

The I.C.P. also has a great store filled with all kinds of fun photographic paraphernalia and books.

 

Well, the I.C.P. is moving. A post in the New York Times' blog Lens describes what this means to Mark Lubell, Executive Director, and where he sees the I.C.P. going in the future.

 

(Click Here) to read the full article on Lens.

 

There are a couple of obvious conclusions that I can draw from the article. First, the I.C.P. plans to continue operations. Second, in the longer term, it plans to consolidate all activities, including the exhibition center and education program into a single location. Third, they plan to stay in Manhattan.

 

Beyond that, it's a little hard for me to really get where they're going conceptually. The interview focuses a lot on recent technological aspects of photojournalism, the use of smart phone cameras and immediate upload to communicate what's going on the world. I can almost detect the hint of virtual displays, with less focus on the physical output and display of prints. On the other hand, Mr. Lubell says that photography should be somewhat independent of technology, and that the Center should be a place for discourse on photography itself. I suppose these ideas can go together.

 

I was interested to find that Mr. Lubell thinks that Robert Capa would have been an enthusiastic user of Instagram. I'm sure the speed to market of photographic information would have impressed him.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

*Thanks to James McKearney for correcting my mistaken assertion that Robert Capa started ICP.

 

What if we put Robert Capa in Afghanistan with an iPhone?

 

Instant Print Composite, by Joshua Yospyn

Image Source: http://yospyn.com/#/portraits/instant-film/vaki17

 

Two ideas came together for me this morning. The first is that I read an article about Ray Metzker on the New York Times' blog "Lens." This piece makes the point that Metzker has stuck with the development and evolution of his style over the course of decades. He was firmly in the class of modernist photographers during his relative youth, and eventually developed a completely new style in making single-image composites, sometimes from whole rolls of film. He refuses to go backwards, shoot in his previous styles, just to sell prints.

 

For an example of his composite photography, (Click Here) and scroll down to the third image.

 

Now, the Lens piece contrasts Metzker's focused concentration with today's whipping boy, the iPhone and instant gratification. I do understand the point that in many ways "serious" photography is giving way to amateurs pointing their phones at something and instantly uploading the results. For example, (Click Here) to read about the Chicago Sun-Times firing all of their photographer staff. Not cool.

 

The second idea came from attending a photo critique at the Washington, DC Leica Store yesterday. Our main speaker was Joshua Yospyn, who among other things, is making very interesting unique pieces of art like the one above from instant photographs (Polaroids in this case).

 

Joshua is a Washington, DC-based photographer. (Click Here) to go to his website.

 

I've been playing with an old pack film Polaroid myself. (Click Here) to see a few of my own Polaroid images.

 

So, maybe we're kind of missing the point. It's not the technology that's causing the problems. Instant gratification has been around a long time. It's the fact that we need photographers to step up and use the technologies to make even better photographs. This is not all about reporting on riots or demonstrations. As Joshua shows, in addition to being instant, Polaroids provide a tangible artifact, a real print. He assembles them and displays them under a sheet of acrylic. They are real works of art. You could do similar things with quick prints from iPhone images as well. I'm sure the Polaroid camera optics are much better, though.

 

But the real point is not prints versus electronic images. It's that if iPhones and Smartphones put instant photography at the hands of amateurs, just think what a truly skilled photographer can do with them. We can keep our Leicas, Nikons, or Canons, too. But I think we should challenge ourselves to put the benefits of our concentrated effort into new situations, including different, even instant, technologies.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Frankie Torres Shows Us NYC After Sandy

 

Photograph by Frankie Torres

Image Source: http://elizabethavedon.blogspot.com/2012/10/frankie-torres-hurricane-sandy-aftermath.html

 
Hurricane / superstorm Sandy seems like a distant memory here in Virginia. We were extremely lucky, and suffered very little damage, at least as far inland as I am. I'm a little embarrassed to say that we didn't even lose power here. So, it's very easy to forget that others were not so fortunate.
 
In a post on Elizabeth Avedon's blog, Frankie Torres, Marine Corps soldier turned photographer, shows us what Sandy did to Manhattan.
 
(Click Here) to see more pictures from Frankie.
 
I was on public transportation in Washington, DC yesterday when I heard a lady talking about what it's like in NYC right now. She said there are National Guardsmen at the gas stations, and the whole city feels like it's some place else.
 
In addition to how easy it is to forget when you are not directly affected, I find it interesting that each of us turns any catastrophe into something we can understand on an individual basis. A death makes us think about what we could have done to be closer to a person, or to help extend their life. In more distant situations, our brains struggle to connect in some way or another. For example, on the photography blogs, the tsunami in Japan turned into the damage to the camera companies' factories and operations (after much heartfelt expression for the people). One of the things I'll remember about Sandy is how Adorama announced their recovery, step-by-step, on the web. Insignificant in the grand scale, these things must somehow help us to accommodate the bigger impact in our minds.
 
Best wishes to New York and New Jersey, and other places affected by this storm.
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 
 

The Whisperers - Kuba Kaminiski's Documentary Project on NY Times' Lens Blog

 

Image Source: http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/31/at-a-crossroads-of-faith-and-folklore/#/1/
 
As I write this, today is Halloween. I think I found a suitably creepy yet interesting story to relate. Strangely enough, it's true.
 
In a remote village in Northeast Poland, there lives a group of people known as "Whisperers." They associate themselves with the Catholic Church - the Church does not reciprocate. The Whisperers cast spells and take spiritual "patients" who need their prayers and incantations.
 
Kuba Kaminski, a young photographer from Warsaw, decided to document the Whisperers in pictures.
 
(Click Here) to read the whole story on the New York Times' photography blog, Lens.
 
Having no language in common with the Whisperers, Kaminski was able to get close enough to capture some wonderful images of them.
 
The Whisperers receive people from far away, and typically pray to help them. However, there is a dark side; they can also pray to hurt or even kill others. There is a story of a woman asking for a prayer for her neighbor to die. The Whisperer made the necessary prayer, telling the woman that if her neighbor turned out to be a good person, the woman herself would die. Well, you guessed it. The requestor slid under a tractor sooon after and perished.
 
Isolation does interesting things to populations. Just like a group of fish, separated from the main population by large lakes drying up and turning into a series of small ponds, evolves in unpredictably different ways from its neighbors in other ponds, so do people who live insular lives, disconnected from the rest of the world.
 
Cool story. I long for a photo project like that.
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 
 

Mike Johnston of The Online Photographer Shares Some Lumix DMC-GF1 Shots of the Abandoned Pabst Brewery

 

Abandoned Pabst Brewery in Milwaukee, by Mike Johnston of the Online Photographer

Image Source: http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2012/05/the-abandoned-pabst-brewery.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+typepad%2FZSjz+%28The+Online+Photographer%29

Mike Johnston of the Online Photographer has posted some great images from an abandoned Pabst beer brewery in Milwaukee, WI, USA.

(Click Here) to see Mike's post on the Online Photographer blog.

Mike's images were shot with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 at iso1600 - a real stretch in terms of image quality for that camera. Of course, at the resolution of small online images, they sure look great. Mike reports that the noise would make printing of them pretty tough.

Mike toured the building with photographer Jack MacDonough, and includes a shot of Jack working with his Leica S2 on a tripod in his post. That's Mike's favorite of the bunch; it's my favorite, too.

We have all made the mistake of going to a great location without a tripod. Mike made that mistake (admittedly), but pulled through pretty well with his GF1, if you ask me.

I've written in the past about the photographic allure of abandoned places and things.

(Click Here) to see my last post on the subject.

The subject still intrigues me.

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Memorial Day Tribute - Manassas National Battlefield

On Monday, May 28, 2012, I attended a Memorial Day tribute at the Manassas National Battlefield. The event began at the Groveton Cemetery, established in 1866 to permanently contain the remains of numerous soldiers killed in both battles at Manassas, and buried in shallow graves on the battlefield in the haste of war.
 

Groveton Cemetery, Manassas, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 95mm

iso 160, f5.8, 1/640 sec

 
Of the 266 confederate soldiers buried at Groveton, only two are identified.
 

Groveton Cemetery, Manassas, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 41mm

iso 160, f5.3, 1/600 sec

 
 

James Jerman Palmer, South Carolina

Groveton Cemetery, Manassas, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 54mm

iso 160, f5.3, 1/1250 sec

 
The 42nd Virginia reenactors were present to fire salute to their confederate comrades, and a wreath was presented at the memorial.
 

42nd Virginia, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 140mm

iso 160, f5.8, 1/320 sec

42nd Virginia, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 140mm

iso 160, f8, 1/250 sec
 

Wreath Laying, by Reed A George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 75mm

iso 400, f5.8, 1/1600 sec

Wreath at Groveton, by Reed A George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 32mm

iso 400, f5.6, 1/2000 sec

42nd Virginia, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 70mm

iso 400, f8, 1/800 sec
 

After the ceremony at the cemetery, Manassas' own resident reenactor group performed a cannon demonstration:

 

Cannon Fire, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 32mm

iso 400, f6.3, 1/500 sec

I love the way the camera captured the fuse line still hanging mid-air, and the cannon fire at full extension from the barrel. Lucky shot.


The rest of the event commemorated Union soldiers, who were represented by the reenactors of the 14th Brooklyn, the only outfit named after a city, rather than a state. They were also referred to as those "red-legged devils" by Stonewall Jackson and his troops.

14th Brooklyn (Composite of Two Images), by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Pana-Leica Summilux 25mm f1.4

iso 160, f4.5, 1/160 sec

 
At this point, the activities moved across the road to the 14th's monument on the battlefield.
 

14th Monument, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 140mm

iso 200, f6.3, 1/1000 sec

14th Brooklyn Soldier, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Pana-Leica Summilux 25mm f1.4

iso 160, f5.6, 1/160 sec

 
 

14th Brooklyn Soldier, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Pana-Leica Summilux 25mm f1.4

iso 160, f5.6, 1/160 sec

14th Brooklyn Soldier, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 140mm

iso 200, f6.3, 1/200 sec

A final volley was fired by the 14th to commemorate all of the fallen veterans.

14th Brooklyn Salute, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 140mm

iso 200, f6.3, 1/200 sec

Marching to Destiny, the 14th Brooklyn, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8 at 78mm

iso 200, f6.3, 1/800 sec

 

As this event was held in 90 degree weather at noon, it is hard to imagine worse lighting conditions. Okay, I can imagine worse, but the contrast was pretty high, and the shadows were not very complementary to my subjects.

 
You will see that I attempted to use fill flash on the shots taken with the Summilux 25mm f1.4. I did this with my Nissin Di466 flash set on manual, which allowed me to control the flash level better than TTL would have. I have found that even at minimum power, the Di466 can overpower the ambient light. In order to help out in this situation, I used a 3-stop Lumix neutral density filter on the Summilux. This allowed me to find an f-stop where the flash at minimum power was not overpowering, then select a shutter speed to balance the ambient light as well as possible. These are all manual settings, and since the flash power varies as a square to the distance from the subject, it is very hard to find one setting that works for multiple shots. In both of the Summilux portraits shown here, I think I underexposed the ambient, and allowed too much flash power to come through. This is a learning process for me, but at least I'm making some progress.
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 
 
 

National Geographic Photographer Ed Kashi Shares His Experience of 30 Years in Global Photography

 
Photographer Ed Kashi
Image Source:
http://events.nationalgeographic.com/events/speakers/2012/04/17/changing-face-marseille/
 
On Tuesday, April 17, I once again took advantage of living reasonably close to the National Geographic headquarters in Washington, DC, and attended a talk by photographer Ed Kashi. The topic of the talk was his recent Nat Geo project, on the life of Muslims in Marseille, France. Ed also shared a lot of insight from his years of experience on long-term assignments overseas and away from his family.
 
 
(Click Here) to go to the National Geographic Live description of the event.
 
 
Marseille is the oldest city in France. Approximately 20% of the one million inhabitants are Muslim. The government there is very secular, which may be part of the reason that the city integrates so many cultures so effectively. Other cultures with major populations in Marseille include Jewish, Tunisian, and Roma.
 
 
Ed shared the difficulties he encountered on this assignment, even though he's used to working in less-developed places, like North Africa. In Marseille, his first "handler," which is a local contact to help you work in a foreign place, was a nightmare. Ed said that your handler basically has to be a magician - someone who's comfortable escorting you to the Prime Minister's residence, or getting you into the poorest person's home. After an altercation with his first handler, Ed found a perfect substitute, and the project took root.
 
 
Ed now regularly makes a multimedia piece to accompany his still photography projects. At this talk, he showed two - Eye Contact and Photojournalisms.
 
 
Eye Contact is a collection of images that were edited out, throughout his career, because someone in the frame was looking at the camera. While his normal style is to achieve scenes where he is basically "invisible," those with eye contact made for a very interesting set of images.
 
 
Photojournalisms is a more personal piece, and is based on journal entries that Ed writes to his wife and family while he is away for his work. It is a very heartfelt documentary, and shows the tradeoffs that a traveling photographer makes in pursuit of his or her work.
 
 
(Click Here) to go to Ed's website.
 
 
I thoroughly enjoyed Ed's work and commentary. He spent a lot of time answering questions from the crowd, and didn't shy away from any subject.
 
 
I must say, after attending two of these events, that National Geographic photographers really do concede a lot of their personal lives for their work. Ed was clearly sad about the amount of his children's childhood he missed on assignment. Ed now only takes on shorter trips, and is very focused on his family.
 
 
In the first event I attended, by Jodi Cobb, she related some level of regret for the sacrifices she made in her personal life, as well.
 
 
(Click Here) to see my review of the Jodi Cobb event.
 
 
It is great to have the opportunity to listen to the world's best photographers on a regular weekday evening. It takes me about an hour to get into the city, but the trip is always worth it.
 
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 
 
 

This Would Have Been the Day I Forgot My Camera

Image Source: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1041&message=41214002

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2, Lumix 20mm f1.7 Lens

Poster Nome_Alaska on dpreview posted this shot of the morning traffic in his homeland. I can't remember the last time a moose held me up on my way to work here in Virginia.

(Click Here) to read the original post.

Sometimes, you just want to be sure to have a camera, any camera, on hand to document your day. These couple of images could have been made with a point and shoot, or an iPhone. The important thing is to have a camera with you.

On those days when you see something creatively intriguing, something you would like to develop artistically, rather than just documentation, it's nice to have a better camera. The Micro 4/3 kit presents a nice compromise in size and capability in that case. Nome_Alaska's GF2 is a very small camera, and the 20mm f1.7 an excellent, bright, sharp, fast lens. Easy to carry, highly capable kit.

It's fun to see how our days differ from those we're connected to by the internet.

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Panasonic Lumix and National Geographic Collaboration Report - Counting Species in India

As I've reported in the past, Panasonic and National Geographic have formed a collaboration, which is super exciting to me. They have just issued a brief report about working with a researcher who studies biodiversity in India's Pakke Tiger Reserve.
 

Image Source: http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/nationalgeographic/earthswitnesses/india/report.html
Hornbills Are One of the Most Important Seed Dispersers in the Indian Rainforest
 

(Click Here) to see the first episode, which includes a link to a four page pdf document.


The Lumix team worked with Dr. Aparajita Datta, who has spent over a decade studying and working to conserve the tropical forests in Northeastern India. Her research focuses on the "phenology" of the forest, which is the flowering and fruit bearing behavior of trees, to understand the baseline patterns of the forest, and detect any changes. The phenology includes study of trees whose seeds are spread by mammals, birds, and wind. Following is a quote from the report:"“Understanding connections and interaction between animals and plants is the part of my work I find most exciting,” Dr. Datta says. The area is home to five different species of hornbills, and Dr. Datta studies their role as seed dispersers. In tropical forests, 80 percent to 90 percent of tree species bear fruits that animals disperse so these birds are critical to the ecosystem. In addition to her scientific work, Dr. Datta has a passion for educating the next generation of engaged citizens. She has co-written two books for children on hornbills and rain forests and produced other educational material to foster a greater awareness and appreciation of Indian wildlife among urban and rural children." In addition to a short video with Dr. Datta, and eleven still photos, the site includes a second gallery of images from India.

I very much look forward to the coming episodes two and three, which promise to include many more exciting images from the collaboration.
 
Working in Science and being an avid photographer (and Lumix fan), I can't imagine a better match-up of my interests.
 
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Carl Weese - Documenting America's Drive-In Theaters

 

Image Source:

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/.a/6a00df351e888f88340167644a0890970b-popup

 

I enjoy documentary photography. That includes everything from the straightforward imaging of scientific specimens for future reference (see my post on the Calvert Marine Museum), to war photography, a very dangerous proposition for the photographer (you won't see any war pictures taken by me).

 

Today's post is about Carl Weese, who lives in Connecticut, and travels the country documenting America's vanishing drive-in theaters. Drive-ins have been on the decline for a very long time, but are being dealt the death blow by digital technology. Sounds familiar (camera stores, bookstores, ...).

 

(Click Here) to read a piece about Carl's project on The Online Photographer.

 

(Click Here) to see a post on the NY Times blog.

 

Carl's big sweep across the western part of the country was funded within three weeks on kickstarter

(www.kickstarter.com). This is a great site where you can support projects that you believe in.

 

(Click Here) to see more of Carl's pictures on kickstarter.

 

Apparently, Carl has plans to sell exhibition-quality prints and maybe a calendar of his work.

 

Nice job, Carl! I hope the kickstarter funds will cover some coffee for those late night drives between theaters.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

By the way, if you like the kickstarter idea, consider funding one of my favorite Virginia Bluegrass band (and photography subject)'s effort to fund their new album:

 

(Click Here) to fund Furnace Mountain's album.

 

To see the band, (Click Here) to see my previous post on their recording session.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Burnouts Down Under

 

Image Source: http://www.mu-43.com/gallery/data/500/1060776.jpg
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1, Lumix 45-200mm lens


Member DownUnderDog on mu-43.com posted a series of shots with his telephoto zoom and G1 from a burnout event in Australia.
 
(Click Here) to see the full post.
 
It's amusing to me that the Ford Cortina was a popular "motorsports" car in Australia. My brother's first car, given to him by a neighbor in the early 1970s, was a Cortina.
 
DownUnderDog did a nice job of covering this event in journalistic style, capturing not only the main attraction, smoking tires, but also the drivers and others involved in the event. The collapsed tires after burnout, the team pushing a blown engine car away, and the drivers celebrating were all interesting additions. The only thing I would have tried to add would be the spectators, and maybe a wide angle shot or two (tough to do when the only lens you bring is a 55-200).
 
Thanks for bringing a little Australian smoke to me here in the USA!
 
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Jared Soares - Virginia Photographer Documents Local Music Scene

Rapper Poe Mack in His Hotel Room, by Jared Soares

Image Source: http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/02/beats-rhymes-and-hard-work/#/1/

 

As you probably know by now, I have a few ongoing photography projects that I am putting a lot of effort into. One of the most exciting for me is photographing the local DC/Virginia/West Virginia Bluegrass, Roots, and Gypsy Jazz scene. There are several really great bands, covering experience levels from young people barely out of high school (and maybe some still in school) to seasoned professionals, many with significant studio experience.

Because of my own music project, I was happy to find a story on the New York Time's Lens blog about Jared Soares (www.jaredsoares.com), a young photographer who decided to document his own local music, in this case Rap performers around Roanoke, Virginia.

(Click Here) to read Jared's story on the New York Time's Lens blog.

Jared's story sounds similar to mine. He describes how the musicians were skeptical at first, wondering about his true motives. As they found that he was a true music lover, and wanted to make his own form of art related to the local music scene, he was increasingly welcomed to photograph them. To use Jared's words, he says:

"We're both trying to say something."

Mr. Soares' photographs will be shown at an upcoming exhibit in Charlottesville, VA.

(Click Here) to get information on the exhibit.

I am still working on improving my own chops at photographing in small, poorly-lit clubs and coffee shops, as well as the professionally-lit bigger venues. I am also enjoying the process of getting to know some of the musicians, who are without exception good people.

Jared has succeeded in documenting not just the performances, but behind the scenes life for the musicians. I aspire to add more of a personal connection with the musicians to my own work. This will come with time and trust between the musicians and I.

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Lumix DMC-GX1 in Trinidad (Carnival)

And now for something quite different...

Image Source: http://www.mu-43.com/f57/trinidad-carnival-2012-a-22573/

 

Lumix images from another place I've never been, Trinidad!

 

(Click Here) to see the original post on mu-43.com and a couple more images, and a link to cakkarudie's flickr set at the bottom of the post.

 

There are some pretty risque' shots there, so be careful if you are at work!

 

I find this image pretty interesting:

Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cakkarudie/6931344327/

 

Those security guards with sticks in the background don't look all that jovial.

 

Anyway, I can see that these shots were made with the PZ14-42mm lens, and overall look really good. Looks like a fun party, but I'm not sure everyone there was happy about being photographed. Clearly, some were happy no matter what!

 

Thanks for sharing, cakkarudie!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

Masao Horino Photography Exhibit in Tokyo

 

 

Gas Mask Parade, Tokyo, by Masao Horino

Image Source: http://www.55museum.com/?p=16105

 

Back on March 23, I wrote about a couple of exhibits at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, which I hoped to visit on my trip to Tokyo.

Well, it just so happened that I found the perfect day to go - typhoon rain and winds were headed for Tokyo, and people were warned to leave work early to avoid the weather. So, I took the Hibiya subway line to Ebisu Station, and viewed the Masao Horino exhibit.

Horino lived from 1907-1998, but stopped photographing and exhibiting after WWII. The exhibit gave a great feel for his whole career, which began in the mid 1920s, photographing actors and actresses in a small theater in Tsukiji, Tokyo. These are classic posed images, both head shots, and full body shots of performers. One characteristic that came to me right away is that the subjects were always looking outside the frame. It made for a somewhat impersonal style, but may have been due to cultural norms.

In the 1930s, Horino began experimenting with photography of mechanical structures, reportedly in order to find new applications for his cameras. I can identify with that. This is when his bridge images, including the one posted in my March 23 post, were done.

Also in the 1930s, Horino began experimenting with montages (multiple images on a single page, sometimes with a modest amount writing) and overlaying exposures from multiple negatives onto a single print. In this style, he did a series called "Flowing Through the Capital: Sumida River Album." In this series, he photographed people and their association to the river.

In 1932, Horino declared that his experimentation was concluded, and that he was taking his "first step as an artist," focusing largely on photojournalism. I get the distinct feeling that the war affected Horino deeply; some of his most striking pictures of that era included the gas mask parade in Tokyo, shown above, and a celebration parade in honor of kamikaze (suicide bomber) pilots. As mentioned before, after the war, Horino stopped exhibiting his work, claiming that it was lost in the war.

A few of his best works, in my opinion, are:

• "The Beggar," 1932 - in this case, the straggly-looking man is looking directly into the lens.
  
• "Coffee Break," 1933 - two boys and a dog at a table. The interplay between the three characters is really something to see.
• and the very best, in my opinion, is "Beach" ("Nagisa" in Japanese), taken somewhere between 1934-38. This image shows a girl sitting on a high bluff above the beach, waving to several people on horseback far down below.

I have got to see if I can find some of Horino's images online. Horino is not well-known, partially because he disappeared from the scene after the war. His work is certainly worth seeing.

(Click Here) for a few more of Horino's images.

The typhoon came in, as promised. It rained cats and dogs, and the wind was fierce all night long. In some parts of the country, buses and trucks were blown over, and buildings were destroyed. If my conversions from meters per second are correct, the maximum winds were about 80 mph. By morning, skies were clear and sunny.

Running For It, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Pana-Leica 45mm f2.8 Macro-Elmarit

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Dual Exhibit at Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography

 

Exploring Steel Bridge, by Masao Horino

Image Source: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fa20120322a1.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign

=Feed%3A+japantimes+%28The+Japan+Times%3A+All+Stories%29

 

As I have mentioned, I will be traveling to Japan in a little over a week from now. I love Tokyo, and am never without something new to explore, a new neighborhood to walk, or someone new to meet. I usually make it to the excellent gallery at Fujifilm's modern facility in Midtown. But, I have yet to make it to the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography. The last time I was there, I made the mistake of planning to go on a Monday, the only day of the week the museum is closed.

 

This time, while I'm there, there are two concurrent exhibits, one showing the work of Felice Beato (1832-1909), the other Masao Horino (1907-1998).

 

Beato was an early war photographer, active as Brady and his cohort were busy photographing the American Civil War. Beato photographed British military activities throughout Asia, but ended up spending 20 years in Japan. In addition to military subjects, he photographed local culture, and introduced hand coloring of photographs to the region. He also manually produced enormous panoramic images, ten of which are included in the exhibit. About 140 of his photographs in total are included.

 

Masao Horino was most active in the 1930s, and was very interested in advancing modern photography. He put his efforts into improving low, available light. He also showed female subjects in a new, casual way, unconventional in Japanese society. Horino stopped photographing, and showing his work, after World War 2, claiming his photographs had been lost in the war. This exhibit, including about 200 of his works, is his first show in 75 years.

 

(Click Here) for more information on the show, at Japan Times online.

 

I am planning to view both shows on my upcoming trip. Hopefully I'll have a good story to tell, or at least some of my own impressions to share.

 

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Civil War History - Stone Bridge at Manassas 150 Years After Destruction

(Click Here) to see the image larger.
 
Exactly 150 years ago yesterday, on March 9, 1862, the Stone Bridge at Manassas, Viriginia, was destroyed by Confederate forces. The bridge was the site of a failed diversionary demonstration by the Union, to take attention away from their main Forces, approaching from the north on July 21, 1861. This was the beginning of the First Battle of Bull Run, a resounding victory for the Confederates.
 
Leaving Manassas on March 9, 1862, Confederate Captain Edward Porter Alexander blew up the bridge to avoid future use by the Union army. The destruction was successful, as you can see in the image on the left. However, the Union reconstructed it long enough to use it once again in August, 1862, as a retreat route from Second Bull Run. Union forces again destroyed it after the battle.
 
The bridge was restored in the 1880s, and remains as a footbridge today. Automobile traffic is now carried across the river along the same roadway, now called Lee Highway, but on a modern concrete bridge.
 
In order to get a similar angle of view for the modern shot, I had to stand on the new highway bridge and shoot with a wide angle lens (Lumix 14mm f2.5).
 
It was meaningful to me to be there to photograph it 150 years to the day after the initial photograph by George Bernard. The original photograph is part of the collection at the Library of Congress:
 
(Click Here) for the link to the Library of Congress page.
 
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Interested in the civil war? Buy this great book and support the Civil War Trust, and this blog at the same time!
 
 
 
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Slain Photographer Hiroyuki Muramoto's Family Gets A Letter, But No Visit From Thai PM

Image Source: http://www.japantoday.com/images/size/x/2012/03/photo_1331022630798-1-0.jpg

 

The family of photographer Hiroyuki Muramoto, shot dead in 2010 in Bangkok by government forces while covering civil unrest in the capital, will receive a letter from Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Shinawatra is on an official trip to Japan, but will not meet with Muramoto's family "...due to tight schedules..."

 

Apparently, the Thai government is planning to compensate families of foreigners killed in the uprising.

 

(Click Here) for the story at the Japan Times webpage.

 

Covering armed conflict is risky business. Everyone involved, including Muramoto, knows that. That doesn't make his murder okay.

 

Coverage is also critical, to show what is really going on in the world. The advent of the camera phone is making it ever harder for the truth to remain under cover.

 

It's a shame that Shinawatra cannot find time to address the family.

 

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