What do you think about spiders? Specifically, very large ones that could be found in 1960s Japanese sci-fi movies and happen to be roaming in your darkroom when the lights are turned off?  When I find the critters in my basement I usually don’t bother and let them carry on with their business. Occasionally if my wife is nearby I will capture them in a small paper cup and gently escort them outside.

After getting back from my visit to Coney Island I had enough 35mm film to develop in one shot, so I finally got around to doing it. The most I will do at one time with my thirty year old Jobo CPE-2 processor is 5 rolls and that’s what I had. Everything was going smoothly. Developing film is pretty mechanical … as it should be … especially with the Jobo. Sort of like watching paint dry. I had finished with the water pre-soak, emptied it out, poured in the Kodak HC 110, hit the foot switch for my Zone VI Compensating Development Timer and stepped back as the tank began to slowly rotate back and forth.

Now just wait 6 minutes … unless you feel something strange crawling down your leg and going under your sock. It’s summer after all. Can’t I wear shorts?

#$@%^&*IO(*&^%!

It’s a gargantuan spider #@$%Y^&$%^.!

Ok, it wasn’t Mothra size, but it definitely was as large as the rubber ones my son used to put in his older sister’s bed!  Now I’m trying to get it out before it starts to eat me and I accidently step on the foot switch that stops the timer! I’m not really thinking about this as I’m dealing with large multi-legged monster. And then I do think about it, look of at the timer’s display and see it says 00.00 on it.

#$%^&*^%$!

Ok, don’t panic! I mean what’s the worst thing that can happen? Oh … five rolls of film shot get ruined.

This is definitely uncharted waters. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. Collect yourself and start the timer again! Now I had to make what we used to call during my government service a wild ass guess and hope for the best. My wild ass guess was that approximately 2 minutes had gone by … I really had no idea since it was too early for me to think about checking. So I decided to go 4 more minutes and keep all my body parts crossed. Turns out that 4 minutes is a lot of time to think about all that can go wrong. And then you have to wait to get through, the stop bath, fixer, first rinse, hypo clear and then final wash.  That’s a lot of time to think about the worst case!

As I removed the film from their reels all seemed to look ok. That’s a relief! I mean it didn’t look under developed. But wet film always looks ok when you first look at it.  I guess I’ll have to wait until I make my proof sheets. After my trauma I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to make them. When I do I’ll know for sure.

So now I wait some more.

I never found the spider and have no idea where he is. But I know he’s around … waiting.

Stay well,

Michael

A couple of Saturday’s ago I went to the annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade. But I almost missed it!  Two days before, I thought, um, maybe I should go on the web and see when it’s happening. I thought late summer. $#%^&*()**&^%  … damn! Thankfully I was able to clear the decks and I was on my way to the Hamilton, New Jersey train station bright and early that Saturday morning.

Everything worked out perfectly and I arrived at the staging area a little after 10am. More than enough time to hang out with the mermaids before the parade started at 1:00.  I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating … if you’re going to photograph events like this … parades, etc. … get there early before things start getting crazy.

As the morning went on more people showed up with their cameras. And as usual, they were very pushy and obnoxious. Nevertheless I think I got a number of keepers, but the later it got the more you had for fight to get them. On thing that was pretty amazing was how many Leicas I saw. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many other than at one of the fancy Leica stores that have been popping up in places like New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC. Most were the latest digital models, buy there were a lot film cameras  too … all M6s.  Not sure if they were originals or the new reissue. No older models like my M2 or M3, but who cares! I also saw a few Rollei TLRs, a Hasselblad, a Minolta and even a view camera!

But here is the really good news. The film users were not just geezers like me, but young people too!

Yes, film and is alive and doing just fine!

Stay well,

Michael

At the last minute I decided to pull out Frank, my heavily modified Leica SL. For long time readers, you may remember I wrote about my FrankenLeica, made possible by my madness and Don Allen Goldberg, the great Leica repair guru. And yes, like the original creature, it lived, and I loved it. But during the last few years Frank hadn’t seen very much action as I focused on using my 35mm and medium format rangefinders. That meant my wonderful last generation Leica R lenses had been gathering dust as well.

One of the great debates that has raged on the Internet since its inception has been over the superiority of rangefinder cameras … meaning Leicas … over single lens reflexes and by extension, the lenses they use.  Well, I own both Leica rangefinder and SLR systems, with vintage and modern glass so why not see what happens!

So off I went to photograph the D-Day Rally, packed with Frank and his sidekicks, the 35mm f1.4 Summilux E67, 50mm f1.4 Summilux E60 and 90mm f2.0 Summicron E60 ASPH lenses. For those into Leica, yes I know, that’s a lot of firepower. In the end I used only the 50mm. I’ve yet to develop the film or make proof sheets so there’s nothing to say regarding look and feel of pictures compared to those made with my beloved 50mm f2.0 Summicron (rigid) and 35mm f2.8 Summaron lenses.

But that’s not the point … at least for now. The point is that in dusting Frank’s cobwebs off and taking him out for a spin … drumrolls please … I found little if any difference in the making of pictures. Didn’t miss any shots, no one was scared by the sound of the shutter, or offended by its Frank’s size. Yes my camera bag was heavier, and if the light was weak the M2 or M3 might have been better for handholding at low shutter speeds. But during my outing none of this mattered or interfered with my enjoyment and presumably the results.

I remembered reading something years ago about the great documentary and street photographer Jill Freedman so I went and found it. “She uses 35mm cameras, SLRs or Leicas according to her mood or the subject, and Tri-X film”.

There … go ahead … have at it!

Stay well,

Michael

Many of the great photographers were great musicians as well. Think Ansel Adams and Paul Caponigro. Their playing benefited their photography. I’d like to think I’m a good photographer. I listen to a lot of music, but I don’t play an instrument. After lunch on Saturday I attended a beautiful concert performed by a New York based violin, cello and oboe trio of classical music by American composers that for the most part I was unfamiliar with. Didn’t matter, it was wonderful and the three women that played it were even better! As I left I felt both inspired and energized, then went on to the next big thing of the day … to participate in and photograph the local D-Day Rally commemorating the 82^ndanniversary of D-Day and the ongoing struggle against fascism in our country.

The rally was great. Run by veterans that are activists fighting the onslaught on our democracy. I sang If I Had A Hammer and other protest songs from when I was young. Then I shed a few tears as the veterans spoke about their parents and grandparents who participated in D-Day, the sacrifices they made for our nation, and how those in power are trying to take away from us all that those brave men and women fought for.  One of the scheduled speakers, a former Army Ranger who had deployed six times to Afghanistan and Iraq couldn’t make the event because he was arrested and detained for the second time protesting out front of the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, New Jersey. I cried again as another veteran spoke on his behalf.

Between all of the speeches, singing and sobbing I made some pictures. Maybe even a few good ones.

Oh and by the way … one of the wonderful musicians I listened to was an immigrant. How fitting!

All in all, a pretty damn fine and meaningful day if you ask me!

Stay well,

Michael

It was pretty dreary outside, but I wasn’t deterred. After all, the marching bands and the cub scouts were out there, so why shouldn’t I be?  Every year I photograph the parade and the always moving memorial at the cemetery that follows its conclusion. Though it rained on and off I think I got some good pictures and maybe even a keeper or two.

So thinking about that meaningful day and what it stands for … remembrance of all those that fought and made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, as well as the many POWs and MIAs that never made it home … I was struck about these unselfish and brave men and women who stand in stark contrast to the steaming turd currently occupying the Oval Office and all the terrible things he has done in less that a year and a half since his return.

Here are just some of the current highlights out of the many that have made a mockery of our democracy and jeopardized our national security and standing in the world.

Where to begin?

How about the illegal war with Iran?

But wait there’s so much more!

His continued fawning over Putin while making NATO weaker.

His agreement to give China some of our most sensitive technology.

The now billion dollar ballroom.

The monstrous and obnoxious arch that just got jammed through the “packed” National Capital Planning Commission.

Paving over the beautiful and historic rose garden to make a patio that resembles the one at Mar-a-Lago.

Putting El Jefe’s face everywhere possible with the latest illegal idea of creating a new $250 dollar bill that includes his likeness.

Construction of a gargantuan Ultimate Fighting Championship arena on the South Lawn for cage matches to be held on His Highness’ 80th birthday.

His demand to red states to redraw Congressional districts and his promotion of the reimposition of Jim Crow to maintain Republican control of the House of Representatives.

His actions to turn our government into a kleptocracy.

His corruption of the Department of Justice in support of his ongoing “revenge tour”.  His actions to turn ICE into a paramilitary organization used to terrorize both immigrants and US citizens.

And last but not least, his attempt to create a $1.776 billion taxpayer dollar slush fund to pay off those that nearly destroyed the Capitol building on January 6th, coupled with getting the IRS to he and his family and the Trump Organization immune from any IRS enforcement actions or audits based on past filings.

There are also many pieces of good news, including this one … A federal judge has ruled this past week that Trump’s name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center and must be removed.

Which leads me to the following.

Research shows that Hitler and all autocrats were enabled by the many average citizens who buried their heads in the sand or just chose to look away while things got worse and worse.  If they had only stood up, things might have been far different.

Our democracy hangs in the balance.

Don’t make the same fatal mistake others did.

Oh … and keep making pictures that matter to you.

Stay well,

Michael

A couple of weeks ago I went to the opening of the Bruce Katsiff exhibit at the Michener Art Museum where I got the chance to meet Bruce himself. But because it was so crowded I really didn’t have a chance to seriously study things I would have liked. Katsiff is a photographic legend in Bucks County so I had to come back!

I enjoyed our conversation so much that I asked Bruce on the spot if he would like to get together for lunch! We scheduled the time to meet, but before that I needed to get over and see the exhibit again! Entitled Bruce Katsiff: Pieces of Life, it’s a wonderful sampling of key projects from a lifetime work, including Rivertown Portraits, 1970-1980, composed of large black and white portraits made of his neighbors in nearby Lumberville,  where he had lived; Nature Norte, 1981-2005, striking platinum prints of animal remains; Face Maps, large color distorted and rearranged portraits of friend and family; street scenes made in Europe and Latin America during the fifties and sixties, as well as photographs melded to together with paintings and drawings done in collaboration with other artists. The shows runs through August 2^nd. Highly recommended!

Next up, lunch with Bruce. What a wonderful time I had! Bruce is funny and a great guy!  I heard all sorts of stories from his great career including ones about the great legends he had met. What fun! Most interesting though was how he categorized photographs … either as “directed” or “windows to nature”.  The former were constructed or created; the later were what was found and seen in the world. Simple and it makes sense!

Finally, I attended Bruce’s lecture at the Michener on the history of photography up to the dawn of digital capture. Truly outstanding and entertaining!  So much so that I asked Bruce if he would be willing to give it again at CAMP!  He has agreed and we look forward to scheduling it later this year!

Bruce is a great photographer … and a terrific and supportive guy!  I wish there were more like him and look forward to staying in contact in the future!

Stay well,

Michael