Bill Cunningham on the streets of NYC. Click for a larger version.
Bill Cunningham is one of my photographic heroes so it was a sad moment when I learned of his passing. My wife and I were driving across the U.S. early this week when she found an article on her iPhone that Bill Cunningham had died. I made a mental note to write a tribute to Bill when we got back home.
Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams was born February 20, 1902. He is “the” icon of American landscape photography. Trained as a concert pianist, his love of photography and time spent in Yosemite National Park led him to a career change.
CWR Website The Film from Shervin Communications on Vimeo.
Life (and great photography) is about inspiration as much as it is about information. Whatever it is that moves you to do things is just as important as knowing how to do it. If you aren’t inspired, all the information in the world won’t help you very much. But if you are sufficiently inspired, you will move heaven and earth to find the information you need. It is about vision! This 22 minute video is about finding the kind of vision that inspires your life and your photography.
Leonard Nimoy
We all knew Leonard Nimoy as an actor, but in the art world he was also known as an accomplished photographer. He will be missed.
His best known photography exhibition, “Shekhina”, has been highly praised (links below). The exhibit has also been controversial due to the nude imagery so be advised before you click the link to read further down the page.
Book Search at Amazon.com
I walked into Half Price Books and found Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs. The book itself is a real treasure. 400 hundred photos, one per page, with reproduction values as good as you are likely to find anywhere. The hardcover book, new, was selling for $19.95. That sounded like a great price to me.
Dandelion Puffball
I was walking my dog in a dandelion filled park this week and I saw a few puffballs. My mind jumped immediately to a scene in a movie featuring Dewitt Jones, so I grabbed my iPhone and went to work creating the above image. Who is Dewitt Jones? I am glad you asked.
“What are your favorite memorable photos?” That’s the question I was asked by one of my friends yesterday. This is one of the images that moves me deeply (click on the photo to see a larger version). The expression of love and tenderness on the mother’s face as she bathes her 16 year old daughter. The daughter’s face and body showing the ravages of Minamata Disease. The play of light and shadow. To my eyes this is a stunning image, even if you know nothing about the story behind this photo. It is clear why many photographers consider W. Eugene Smith to be one of the best photojournalists of the 20th century.