I’ve given talks or have been part of panels on a number of occasions where I spoke about my photographs … what I was thinking and feeling when I made them, what I was hoping to express and convey, and the experience surrounding their making. Lately I’ve been thinking about one of my favorite books, Ansel Adams’ Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs. What is so important about this book is that you look at each photograph and then read what the master was thinking about when he made it, why he decided to make it and why it was meaningful to him. So I thought the stories of some of my photographs here. And so, this will be the first in a series of periodic reminiscences. I hope you will enjoy this and those to come!
I could go on in detail about what camera, what lens, what f stop and what shutter speed was used, etc. but is it really that important? Nevertheless here’s a summary of information for those that are interested:
- Cameras: Unless noted otherwise, either 35mm or medium format rangefinder and SLRs.
- Lenses: The vast majority of my pictures have been made with a 50mm lens or near equivalent for 35mm and medium format (e.g., 80mm, 90mm, or 100mm for 6×7); the remainder having been made using a 35mm lens for the 35mm format.
- Film: Tri-X, Plus-X, HP5, FP4, Delta 100 and Across 100.
- Paper: Mitsubishi graded, Kodak graded and variable contrast, Oriental graded, Zone VI graded and variable contrast, Forte variable contrast, Berger variable contrast, Agfa variable contrast, Foma variable contrast.
- Enlargers: Beseler, Omega, Zone VI, Devere and Leitz,
Well, all right! Since this is my first entry, it’s only fitting that I talk about the first photograph I made where everything finally came together. In short what I consider to be my first good photograph. Funny, I can see it on the wall while I’m writing this and it still makes me happy! Buffalo Evening News was made when I was seventeen if I remember, where I grew up and went to college … in Buffalo. Go Bills! Sorry, but I couldn’t help myself.
I was walking around downtown with my camera per usual near the Marine Midland Bank Center … it’s called something else now as the Marine was bought out years ago by a mega bank. As is often the case when I am out and about, I’m not looking to make a specific picture or type of picture. Rather I am walking around, usually in an urban environment or similar where there are people doing what they like or don’t like to do. If something strikes my fancy I make a picture. If not, I enjoyed myself in any case.
So I was walking around and there it was. When I saw the scene of an outdoor news stand before me I got excited. It came complete with an American flag attached to it and a most interesting person selling papers, magazines and betting opportunities. Not only was the man visually interesting, but so were the magazines and signs attached or next to the news stand. They were pictures within my picture! Jackson Brown on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, the latest issue of Playboy and a sign encouraging you to gamble, to name a few items. Even a cigar box to hold money! This picture, though I didn’t think of it then would be my first “environmental portrait”, something I would come back to and look for time and time again.
I remember coming up to the man and starting to talk to him. I’m sure we talked about sports, as Buffalo had four professional teams back then if you count the Triple A baseball club. I hung out with him for a while. He was nice enough, so I finally asked if I could make a picture. I had never done that before but happily he obliged. The light was all right and I made the picture. To be honest, I really didn’t think that much about the light and I still don’t when it come to making photographs of people. If I was overly worried about it I wouldn’t have very many of the pictures I like to make!
Looking at my proof sheet, I see that I made four exposures. Two as I was milling around and two after we spoke. One was a keeper! Shortly afterwards, I got back into my old beat up car … I think it was my ’63 Saab, the one with the three speed stick on the column and two stroke engine and drove home, thinking about that wonderful afternoon and the great picture I made.
I was off and running!
Stay well,
Michael