On one of my walks this week I started to think … Hey, there were a lot of Leica’s at the Mermaid Parade, and they stood out from the masses of black plastic digitalia surrounding me, mostly all equipped with bazooka sized lenses. Trouble was that every time I saw one hanging around someone’s neck it made me feel good, and every time I said hello, smiled or gave an acknowledging nod to a fellow traveler I got bupkis!

That’s right.  Every time I attempted to display my comradery I got the cold shoulder! What the $%#%^&* Could it be because around my neck there hung such a camera?

It didn’t bother me the first time or two, but after being blown off four or five times I began to wonder what was going on here. Was it a competitive thing between aging white men … M2 and M3 vs M6 or MP or MA? And then there was the guy with a Rollei. Forget it … he didn’t even make eye contact!

Am I reading too much into this or was there something sinister at play here? And what does this portend for our democracy and world peace?  After way too much thinking about this I think I came to the answer … it was my old tiny chrome lenses with equally ancient metal shades attached to them. They weren’t the overly large modern black lenses with the name Sumilux and/or the letters ASPH or APO in bright white adorning their barrels.

And what if I had an even older Leica IIIG, or God forbid a IIIF or IIIC with some kind of collapsable lens?  Perhaps they might have thought of me as quaint … but probably not.

So where’s this little diatribe going anyway? Is this a case of White geezers with excess disposable income looking down at mere mortals possessing ancient tools? Little do they know how stupendous the 50mm Rigid Summicron and diminutive 35mm f/2.8 Summaron are. Bozos! These oldies but goodies are my favorite M lenses.  And yes, I’ve owned all the modern glass in these focal lengths, except the 50mm Noctilux and Summicron ASPH that are so ridiculously expensive and/or are designed for unique applications (little if no light) that only the wealthy or those resigned to eating dogfood can afford them. The older lenses are what Cartier Bresson, Frank, Eisenstaedt, Smith et al. used. So come on! Enough said!

I sincerely hope those fellow Leica users made some wonderful pictures … if they were able to get beyond the awe of what they were fondling.

Just remember, you can make a great picture with whatever you have; it’s the picture that matters after all, isn’t it?

Ok … rant completed. Actually, that was a lot of fun and I feel a lot better now!

Stay well,

Michael

Speaking of curiosity (see last week’s entry), I had been trying to get to the annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade for the last five years or so, but something always seemed to get in the way. This year I was determined to get there no matter what and last Saturday I did!

The Mermaid Parade is billed as the nation’s largest art parade and I have no reason to doubt that. There were a ton of participants and the parade route was packed! It turned out to be everything I had hoped for! Following my recent success on Memorial Day I got up bright and early so I could drive to Hamilton station, take the NJ transit train to Penn Station and then walk to the 34^th Street/Herald Square Station to hop on the subway to Coney Island. The gameplan was to get there by 10am … long before the parade started at 1pm. Considering I’d never done this before things worked out quite nicely.

By the time I walked about ten or fifteen minutes to where the staging area was, marchers and floats were starting to arrive and the police had just about finished placing metal barriers along both sides of Surf Avenue to keep the crowds a safe distance from the action.  This gave me more than enough time to meet some very interesting people, schmooze and even make some pictures before things got totally crazy. And while I got kicked out of the staging area several times because I didn’t have press credentials I was happy with the pictures I made. I knew I didn’t get everything, but I felt more than satisfied.

But there was one thing that was really annoying. I told a particularly obnoxious person that the rule in photography when being out there is not to step in front of someone else who is trying to make a picture. And the worst thing is when someone does that so they can take YOUR picture %%#$^&*??  The press photographer next to me agreed and said so! Ok, I get it; I was in New York, but come on!  Anyway, while that happened several times I still had a blast at the Mermaid Parade and maybe even made some serious keepers!

By the time I had gone through two rolls of Tri-X using my Leica M2 and M3 the parade was just about to start and I felt I got everything I needed.  I walked back down Surf Avenue alongside those marching in the parade, passed Nathan’s, then reached Stillwell Avenue and turned into the subway station. As I left the 34^th Street/Herald Square Station to walk back to Penn Station it began to rain. A beautiful and cooling sun shower that made me forget about the approaching gathering storm we could be soon facing. While I hung out for three hours during the worst heat in the East this year, it was well worth the sweat, and this was a wonderful way to end what was truly a great day in New York!

This weekend, on National Camera Day I developed my negatives, along with eight other rolls that were beginning to form a line on my enlarging bench. I can’t wait to see the proof sheets!

Stay well,

Michael

Are you curious? I am, and I think that’s a good thing. It makes me want to photograph events I think might be interesting.  While I don’t know if they will be a bust, usually there are some pleasant surprises, even if most of them are snooze city. Why? Because I’m curious and open to whatever comes along … and I look a lot.

Same thing goes with photographing when I’m just out and about. I think too many people go out looking for things in particular and that’s the problem. If they don’t find any of those things then no pictures and the outing is a bust. I take the opposite approach when on a walkabout .. I have no plans at all!  I’m just looking for things I find interesting. Again, this can lead to some pleasant surprises. Why? Same reason as above. Because I’m curious and open to whatever comes along … and I look a lot.

It turns out for me curiosity is really a good thing for everything I do. Unlike most people, I’ve never had a life plan. Nope. I’ve gone where things have taken me, careerwise and otherwise, and curiosity was an important contributor to all of it. I feel I’ve lived a very entertaining and charmed life and wouldn’t change a thing! And while I am not financially wealthy, I am in so many other ways that matter much more to me.

Curiosity … think of it as a powerful antidote to boredom and the mundane, and an essential contributor to fulfillment and happiness … in photography … and life.

Stay well,

Michael

I’m very excited.  Why? Because I have an action packed schedule for the next several months to visit some wonderful photography and painting exhibits! Here’s what’s on deck right now: (1) Russell Lee, National Archive, Washington, DC; (2) Paul McCartney (yes, that’s right!), Brooklyn Museum of Art; (3) Vivian Maier plus Bruce Gilden, Fotografiska Gallery, New York; (4) Robert Frank and Todd Webb, plus A Long Arc: Photography and the American South Since 1845, Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, MA; and (5) Mary Cassatt at Work (the great American Impressionist painter), plus Transformations: American Photographs from the 1970s, and In the Right Place: Photographs by Barbara Crane, Melissa Shook, and Carol Taback, Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Wow!

So why so many exhibits? You know I’ve discussed this before, but it’s essential to visit museums and galleries to see photography and paintings too.  You will be inspired by the works of the masters and may learn a thing or two. When it comes to photography at galleries, you might discover you’re as good or better than much of what’s being shown. This is important and should inspire you to press on! And why look at paintings? Also as previously discussed, you can learn a lot about composition and light, and use this new insight to develop new photographic ideas and visioin.

I also plan on making a lot of pictures this summer and catch up on my growing backlog of negatives to develop. And if the stars have aligned properly, maybe there will be some keepers to print!

If you live in the Northeast or plan to be nearby check out these wonderful opportunities. My guess is you won’t be disappointed.

Stay well,

Michael

As previously reported, I attended this year’s Doylestown Memorial Day Parade and remembrance ceremony per usual. It’s always a wonderful experience and sometimes I get a keeper or two. But this year I took a different approach. Instead of arriving at my normal spot at the crowded intersection in the middle of town at the appointed time, I decided to head to the staging area an hour early. This way I could hang out and maybe get a different take on things.

Turns out to have been a very good decision. Not only did I get what I think will a number of keepers, but I had a lot of fun talking to the participants. This gave me an entirely new perspective on the event and those who take part in it. And once the parade started, I was standin at the beginning of the route at a better position to make pictures.

So what’s the point?

I’m trying to think about new perspectives and better ways to make pictures, especially concerning an event like a parade. This is especially useful when you photograph the same event on a regular basis like I often do. It’s also more entertaining!  I gain a better understanding of the event and get to chat with some very interesting people.

So yah, I’m spending a lot more time at Doylestown Memorial Day Parades, Asbury Park Zombie Walks and Philly Naked Bike Rides, but it’s time well spent. Try it, but one thing … make sure you have enough film!

Stay well,

Michael

First to Memorial Day. Most people think of Memorial Day as the first day of summer, rather than what it was established to be … a day of remembrance for all those that gave their lives to protect and maintain our freedom and democracy.  In other words, what most of us take for granted as we hang out and grill hot dogs and hamburgers. So please take a moment to think about all those who served our country and made the ultimate sacrifice for what we have … and what could easily be taken away.

Ok, now onto Monalog’s show, The Monalog Collective, Expression Through Tradition that opens this Thursday, May 30th at the famous SoHo Photo Gallery in New York City. This is our first show in New York, and the first time my work has appeared in there. The Soho is a beautiful gallery and it will be a wonderful show. The opening reception on May 30th runs from 6 – 8pm and I would love to see you!

SoHo Photo is located in Tribeca on 15 White Street.  The show runs from May 30th – June 23^rd. The gallery is open Wednesday through Sunday 1-6pm.  For more information contact SoHo Photo Gallery at 212-226-8571.

Enjoy Memorial Day and stay well,

Michael

Last time around I talked about how to extract yourself from a creative rut and presented Bill Jay’s marvelous essay The Thing Itself.  I think Bill really nailed it and I encourage you to read my entry if you have not already done so. But after posting this I thought some more about out it, with respect to my own approach, especially as it relates to what I have called my Two Hour plan. I’ve written about this several times before and it has really been a tremendous way for me to focus my efforts and not get sidetracked by concentrating on potential opportunities with a strong probability for unobtainable outcomes. In his essay Bill discussed the importance of identifying what you are really interested in and what will sustain your enthusiasm for a long time, with subject matter that is practical and accessible.

I agree one hundred percent! It so happens that what Bill says fits in very nicely with my Two Hour plan, which is quite simple and easy to follow. You can check out what I have said previously about it, but in short, it goes like this … unless I’m traveling I look out for and discover things of obvious and potential photographic interest to me that are within two hours of where I live. That’s it! It works for projects, as well as planned and ad hoc one-off opportunities.

Since my epiphany I’ve felt much looser, less pressured, and yes, somewhat liberated. Bringing together Bill’s thinking with my approach further sharpens my focus and provides me with all I need to pursue what captivates me and what makes me happy. Combined with a lack of care about what galleries want, what the competition judges are looking for, what format is best, what film to use, what the developer du jour is, what the ultimate paper to print on is, etc., I am completely unfettered to do whatever I want, whenever I want, and in a way I want to do it.  The world is my oyster and it’s never far away!

Stay well,

Michael