I finally went through my proof sheets for 2018 and spent some serious time in the darkroom during Christmas week. It was a great time to do this as pretty much anyone I deal with in my working life takes off just before Christmas and doesn’t return to their offices until after the New Year.

All of this activity got me thinking about the number of photographs I make, the amount that I select for printing, and the final number that survive. It turns out to be somewhat of a process. The truth is that I don’t go through a lot of film because I am pretty selective in what I want to photograph. If I’m not really attracted to what I am seeing I simply don’t push the shutter release. I am even more selective when it comes to looking at my proof sheets when determining those images I wish to print. I study them under the magnifier, and if I see something I like I take a red Sharpie and draw a frame around the image. If necessary I indicate where cropping is required.  Sometimes after further inspection I may decide that some of the frames I previously selected aren’t that exciting after all.  And even if printed, there is a chance that after further evaluation the print will have to be modified for some reason, or it may just get tossed because in the end the picture really wasn’t that good.

In earlier postings I pointed out that Ansel Adams said, “Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.”  And John Sexton said, “I find the single most valuable tool in the darkroom is my trash can – that’s where most of my prints end up.”

Think about these two statements for a while. I have.

Maybe my approach is not what works for others, but I really believe that the key to stronger work is setting a high standard and maintaining it. That means being highly selective in what we see and print, and finally in what we chose to preserve.

I identified a number of pictures from 2018 that I had not printed during the year.  My hit rate was below 10% and who knows what the final number of survivors will be once they all make it out of the darkroom. But I am satisfied with those numbers, because I have some meaningful images I am excited about.  I have also gone back through my older proof sheets again and identified many pictures I will be printing for the first time.  I made a good start on the 2018s this past week, but I will be pretty busy this coming year and beyond!

Have a great 2019, photographically and may your hit rate be good.

Best wishes,

Michael

Recently I was offered an opportunity to be interviewed for Radius Magazine. Radius focuses on art, music and life here in Bucks County and Hunterdon County, just across the Delaware River in New Jersey.  This was the first time I’ve been interviewed for my photography and I have to say it was a delightful experience! I met Lela Casey at my favorite coffee shop here in Doylestown and discussed the magic of black and white film photography and the darkroom over some really great hot chocolate. We also talked about my approach to photography and why photography has been such an important part of my life for over fifty years.

Lela did a wonderful job capturing the essence of our conversation, and the magazine chose some of my favorite photographs for inclusion with the story.

All and all a great way to close out what has been a truly rewarding photographic year for me. Well almost.  Actually, I plan to be pretty much locked in my darkroom between Christmas and New Years.  Now that’s a good way to finish the year!

If you happen to be out and about in Bucks or Hunterdon Counties you should be able to find a copy of Radius, and the best part is that it’s free!  You can also find it on the Radius Magazine website at http://www.radiusmag.com Look for Issue #46.

I am not familiar with the range of Foma’s black and white papers; I only use one type – Variant III VC FB … and only one size – 8×10. I have also used what most believe is its rebranded sibling, Arista EDU Ultra, and I’ve been hard pressed to see any significant differences in the two papers. But now I needed to order more paper for what I hope will be a good amount of time spent in the darkroom time between Christmas and New Year’s Day. I noticed that Freestyle Photographic, Foma’s US importer, has lowered the price of a 100 sheet 8×10 box of Variant III VC FB from $126.95 to $99.95. Many of you may be aware of this – if not this is a sizeable savings! The person I spoke to on the phone said that this has been the price since the beginning of 2018. That happens to be the same price as Arista EDU Ultra, both at Freestyle and B&H!  Note, however that Freestyle charges for shipping and B&H does not.

I know this isn’t in the same category as world peace but it is interesting, and who knows how long this price will last – Freestyle would not say. As readers know, I love this paper.  Suffice to say, I just order 300 sheets of the Foma!

I am not familiar with the range of Foma’s black and white papers; I only use one – Variant III VC FB … and only one size – 8×10. I have also used what most believe is its rebranded sibling, Arista EDU Ultra and I have been hard pressed to see any significant differences in the two papers. That having been said, it was time to order more paper for what I hope will be a good amount of time spent in the darkroom time between Christmas and New Year’s Day.  I noticed that Freestyle Photographic, Foma’s US importer, has lowered the price of a 100 sheet 8×10 box of Variant III VC FB from $126.95 to $99.95. Many of you may be aware of this, if not this is a sizeable savings! The person I spoke to on the phone said that this has been the price since the beginning of 2018. That is the same price as Arista EDU Ultra, both at Freestyle and B&H! Note, however that Freestyle does charge for shipping and B&H does not.

I know this isn’t in the same category as world peace but it is interesting, and who knows how long this price will last – Freestyle would not say. As readers know, I love this paper.  Suffice to say, I just order 300 sheets of the Foma!

About ten years ago I decided to take a weekend workshop with Michael A. Smith and his wife Paula Chamlee. But first we communicated via email due to the fact that I was a kosher vegetarian. That is because both he and Paula were very interested my somewhat interesting food regimen and wanted to make sure that anything they served me would meet my dietary requirements.  This discourse went on for a number of emails and I finally did make it to their workshop. It was a great weekend and I really ate well!

I owe a number of things to Michael and Paula. It was while driving through Doylestown on route that I discovered completely by accident exactly where I would like to live! And then there was the action packed weekend I spent assisting him print some 100 photographs for a book and show on the city of Chicago.  I’ve worked for three Undersecretaries of State, held a senior position in the Executive Office of the President, and negotiated with the Soviets, but this was intense! Have you ever got up and started printing shortly after the crack of dawn and pretty much gone straight through the day until late at night?  I did … once. I learned a lot from a Master printing for several days in a row, while barely coming up for air.

We stayed in contact over the years. I visited them a number of times and attended events related to exhibits of their work at the Michener Museum. I couldn’t afford Michael’s prints but I was lucky enough to own several wonderful books of his and Paula’s work, as well as others they printed and published through their Lodima Press.

Earlier this year Michael suffered a stroke. I visited him and Paula while he was at recuperating at Doylestown Hospital and kept in contact with Paula afterwards. A couple of months ago I saw them at a lecture at the Michener Museum for View Finders: Four Photographic Voices, a wonderful show that included their photographs. Shortly after that I met for coffee with Paula and gratefully accepted hand delivery of their two new books, Iceland: A Personal View, Vol. 1 and 2.  Michael was doing better and there were a number plans in the offing. But a little over two weeks ago I learned of Michael’s passing and subsequently received the following email that I want to share:

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of a true visionary, Michael A. Smith, Founder of Lodima Press.Michael’s passion for making, promoting, and teaching photography remained sincere and strong throughout his more than 50-year career as a leading figure in fine-art photography. As a result, Michael was known internationally as a brilliant photographer and as an extraordinary teacher, theorist, critic, and publisher. No matter which hat he wore at any given time, Michael never tired of giving his time, knowledge, and passion to the visual arts.

Moreover, Michael always dreamed big. His greatest dream (indeed, his ultimate dream) was to continue giving back to the world of photography—a world that had given him so much success, sense of purpose, and simple joy. In particular, Michael wanted to give back by fostering scholarship, organizing exhibitions, and advocating appreciation, not only in photography but also to allied areas of the visual arts.

Before his passing and, most movingly, since then, many people around the world who knew Michael, his work, and his mission have asked what they can do to make the dream come true. If you feel motivated to contribute to that essential effort, please make a donation to Arts of Our Time, the not-for-profit organization that Michael founded in 2003. By contributing, you will enable Paula Chamlee, his wife, partner in the arts, and AOT co-founder, to honor Michael’s memory, ensure his legacy, and keep his dream alive for the benefit of future generations of visual artists as well as for the many people who care deeply about the arts.

A memorial service is being planned at the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown to celebrate his life and work. The date is yet to be determined, but will take place sometime after the holidays.”

At the View Finders: Four Photographic Voices lecture both he and Paula presented a wonderful distillation of their approach to photography and what is important to them for making great images. From a previous posting, here are the highlights of what Michael said:

• An important point of photography is to have an experience; it’s much more than just clicking the shutter. Their way of working is quite the opposite of the digital capture routine.
• Neither he nor Paula worries about what time of the day they make photographs. Photographs are made whenever they present themselves.
• Always be aware of the spaces in the photograph using the edges and the corners to define the boundaries.
• Everything in the photograph is important and must be in the right place.
• When photographing people with the view camera everything and everyone has to be in the right place at the right time; you have to wait for the right moment when everything relates to one and other as you only have one shot.
• When photographing he has no preconceptions and never has any idea of what he will photograph.

As I have previously said, if you are unfamiliar with Michael and Paula’s work you need to check out their website ( http://www.michaelandpaula.com) or their many beautifully printed books. Of course it’s best to see the real prints. Their photographs are beautiful and the print quality is incredible! Both use large format cameras and primarily contact print from 8×20 (Michael) and 8×10 (Paula) black and white negatives using their own Lodima silver chloride contact paper.

Michael was an outstanding photographer, wonderful teacher, critical thinker and a true visionary. He did much to inspire others to take up large format photography, kept important photographic materials alive and published a wide range outstanding books of his and Paula’s work, as well as that of other important photographers. He was a genuine original with a true passion for art and life. I was lucky to know him and experience his vision.

I was in Pittsburgh this past Tuesday on business, but I made a point to stop by the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill. When I was in graduate school back in the late Seventies my wife and I had our first apartment around the corner and we attended High Holiday services there.  I had called ahead but all I got was a recorded message, and when I drove by there was a police car parked at the entrance. I was content to park my car, place a stone outside where some flowers had been laid and say a prayer.

We live in a time of senseless killing, hatred and unhinged political discourse in America that threatens our sense of decency and the foundations of our democracy.  So much so that it might easily cause one this wonder what we can be thankful for.

This Thanksgiving my wife and I, along with our one-year old dog Sparky hosted our two children, their spouses, three grandchildren, their two dogs and my wife’s mother.  A true recipe for chaos and anarchy!  It was wonderful to be with everyone, the food was great as usual, my wife’s mother enjoyed herself, and the dogs didn’t destroy anything.  I’m thankful for this.

When things are changing all around us and what was once recognizable now becomes unrecognizable, we must do whatever we can to make some kind of difference.  But we can’t lose sight of the small things; those moments in our personal lives that are really so important, like everything about this holiday and those we celebrate it with. I am thankful for all of that. I am also thankful that I can make photographs with film, and print them in my darkroom on silver gelatin paper. I am thankful that I have a choice of films, papers and chemicals I can easily obtain. I am thankful that my fifty year old cameras and lenses can still be repaired and maintained by skilled experts. I am thankful that I can find the time in my busy life to do this work that makes me so happy. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to teach and hopefully motivate others to find their own vision.  Finally I am thankful that I can find something I want to say here every week and that doing so has led me to others that share the same passion for this wonderful medium.

So all in all I have a lot to be thankful for. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family. Take a moment to think about all those small things you have to be thankful for; they probably add up to something much greater than you thought!

This past Friday evening I attended the opening reception for the 2018 Photo Review Photography Competition Exhibition at the University of the Arts in downtown Philadelphia.  It was a wonderful experience, short of one unfortunate misstep that was self-inflicted. After I left the event I entered the alternate universe one travels to when their car is towed away and impounded in unfamiliar surroundings after dark.  Strange places, a little disconcerting, some interesting helpful and not so helpful people and very expensive!  In short, I don’t recommend the experience.  I did make it home the same evening so I guess things could have been worse. This having been said the show was wonderful and I feel privileged to have been part of it.

If you happen to be in the area I encourage you to see what a nicely displayed show in a beautifully intimate gallery space looks like. The show was presented in the University’s Sol Mednick Gallery.  Just the right size to host the fifteen print show, with ample space between photographs.  And it was gratifying to see a show where the prints are hung at the proper viewing height!  There is nothing worse than having your work shoved close together with too many other prints in a pseudo salon presentation with poor lighting.  Here it was just the opposite.  Well lit, glass outer walls, clean white walls on the inside, very tall ceilings and a few places to sit in the middle. In other words … just about perfect!

I also got a chance to chat with Stephen Perloff, Editor of The Photo Review, and Anne Leighton Massoni the Director of the Photography Program and Associate Professor at the University of the Arts. All and all a splendid time!

So what about the photographs? If I remember correctly about eight or nine out of the fifteen were color and I think mine and one other were the only ones not digitally produced. As you might guess, my photograph was smaller than all but one.  The subjects and styles were diverse as one might expect from a show without a theme, but all were very fine images. Not all pictures I would have made, but that doesn’t matter to me. An key takeaway was that in a mostly digital and excessively photoshopped world, these prints were all tastefully executed … and I think that is important. While I can still usually spot a digital print from long range, it is gratifying to see a show where prints have been tastefully made despite the ease of going over the edge. This tendency can be seen all too often in shows and on the Internet.

So one can learn quite a bit by attending this exhibit, whether you resonate with all the subject matter or not … from what makes a well seen image, to tasteful printing, and finally to proper display and the environment in which to enjoy good work.