"To Helen Levitt, photographing in the subway (even though it was in fact against the law) was not daunting. Evans' difficulties looked to her more like a case of his usual inertia. Prodding him along, she volunteered to ride the subway with him as the photographer's foil. During the colder months of 1938, the two would set out for several hours of subway travel on the Lexington Avenue local, as he later described, 'down among the torn gum wrappers into the fetid, chattering, squealing cars underground.'"
In order to work inconspicuously, Evans did not use flash equipment in the subway car's dim available light but slowed his shutter speed down to a risky one fiftieth of a second. He painted the bright chrome parts of his 35mm Contax camera matte black, tucked its body under his coat with the lens slyly protruding between two buttons, and rigged the shutter to a cable release on a slender cord that led up to his right shoulder, down his sleeve, and into the palm of his hand. Sitting beside him, Levitt would feel him stiffen his back, his camera aimed at his captive and unsuspecting subjects, and know that he was about to squeeze the trigger. Every so often, they dismbarked onto a station platform for a cagarette break." - Walker Evans by Belinda Rathbone
4/11/2006
Philip-Lorca diCorcia
"In 1999 Philip-Lorca diCorcia set up his camera on a tripod in Times Square, attached strobe lights to scaffolding across the street and, in the time-honored tradition of street photography, took a random series of pictures of strangers passing under his lights." - New York Times
My 83 year old dad cut the article out from the Times and sent it to me with a note, "thought you would find this interesting." At least ten people e-mailed me links to the article.
The gist of the article is that Philip-Lorca took a series of long-lens shots of people walking under his strobe lights and then had a show of the "heads."
An orthodox Jew saw his head shot in the show's catalog and sued the photographer on the grounds of invasion of privacy - and the fact that his religion forbad the worshop of graven images - or something like that.
The case went through the usual channels and wound up at - state supreme court - where it was thrown out.
That, anyway - is my understanding of the case.
The article in the Times (and maybe it has appeared in other venues) included a reproduction of the complainent - Erno Nussenzweig's head.
"Neale Albert, the lawyer who represented Pace/ MacGill, said the case surprised him: 'I have always believed that the so-called street photographers do not need releases for art purposes. In over 30 years of representing photographers, this is the first time a person has raised a complaint against one of my clients by reason of such a photograph.'"
The decision confirmed that street photography - being an art form - was protected by the constitution.
Link to article.
Several thoughts ran through my mind:
1) The reach of the New York Times is astounding.
2) Erno Nussenzweig complained that his religious rights had been violated in that his religion forbad the use of graven images.
- Does Mr. Nussenzweig have a driver's license with his photo on it? And if so - isn't this also a violation of his religion?
- I thought (silly me) that the worshop of graven images was forbidden, not the taking of photographs.
- Could the New York Times be sued for reproducing Mr. Nussenzweig's head shot?
3) So many people have written to me over the years asking whether I got model releases from strangers photographed on the street. This would be a good case to cite.
4) What would happen if a less-financially solvent photographer (myself as an example) were sued. Instant poverty?
5) Since "big brother" security cameras are now all over the place - citizens are being photographed all the time. Since these photographs are not for artistic reasons - wouldn't that make a better case?
6) There is no "time-honored tradition" of photographing strangers with a long lens and strobe lights. Where is the intimacy? Where is the time-honored tradition of fragments that coalesce at just the right moment?
7) How exactly did Erno Nussenzweig discover this shot of himself in a photographic catalog? I find it hard to believe that he's on the subscription list for the Pace gallery?
8) Mr Nussenzweig has substantially increased the price for Mr. diCorcia's work. I wish someone would sue me - but only if it got the same sort of publicity. Perhaps I should set up a long lens rig outside Mr. Nusenzweig's house.
At any rate - the idea that using a long lens and strobe lights to do street photography is a "time-honored tradition" is nonsense.
This photographic technique has more in common with the big-brother security cameras that are now omnipresent than with traditional street photography. And street photography is not time-honored. Walker Evans put off showing his series of subway close-ups for many years because he was afraid of being sued.
I noticed that Mr. Nussenzweig's image was not shown in the online New York Times version - but was in the print edition. I wonder how many New York Times lawyers it took to make that decision.
I think that when I have the time, I'll scan Mr. Nussenzweig's photograph from the print version and photoshop it into my picture with the monkey on the train. That would take this case to a whole nother level. Let me check first with my own battery of lawyers.
My 83 year old dad cut the article out from the Times and sent it to me with a note, "thought you would find this interesting." At least ten people e-mailed me links to the article.
The gist of the article is that Philip-Lorca took a series of long-lens shots of people walking under his strobe lights and then had a show of the "heads."
An orthodox Jew saw his head shot in the show's catalog and sued the photographer on the grounds of invasion of privacy - and the fact that his religion forbad the worshop of graven images - or something like that.
The case went through the usual channels and wound up at - state supreme court - where it was thrown out.
That, anyway - is my understanding of the case.
The article in the Times (and maybe it has appeared in other venues) included a reproduction of the complainent - Erno Nussenzweig's head.
"Neale Albert, the lawyer who represented Pace/ MacGill, said the case surprised him: 'I have always believed that the so-called street photographers do not need releases for art purposes. In over 30 years of representing photographers, this is the first time a person has raised a complaint against one of my clients by reason of such a photograph.'"
The decision confirmed that street photography - being an art form - was protected by the constitution.
Link to article.
Several thoughts ran through my mind:
1) The reach of the New York Times is astounding.
2) Erno Nussenzweig complained that his religious rights had been violated in that his religion forbad the use of graven images.
- Does Mr. Nussenzweig have a driver's license with his photo on it? And if so - isn't this also a violation of his religion?
- I thought (silly me) that the worshop of graven images was forbidden, not the taking of photographs.
- Could the New York Times be sued for reproducing Mr. Nussenzweig's head shot?
3) So many people have written to me over the years asking whether I got model releases from strangers photographed on the street. This would be a good case to cite.
4) What would happen if a less-financially solvent photographer (myself as an example) were sued. Instant poverty?
5) Since "big brother" security cameras are now all over the place - citizens are being photographed all the time. Since these photographs are not for artistic reasons - wouldn't that make a better case?
6) There is no "time-honored tradition" of photographing strangers with a long lens and strobe lights. Where is the intimacy? Where is the time-honored tradition of fragments that coalesce at just the right moment?
7) How exactly did Erno Nussenzweig discover this shot of himself in a photographic catalog? I find it hard to believe that he's on the subscription list for the Pace gallery?
8) Mr Nussenzweig has substantially increased the price for Mr. diCorcia's work. I wish someone would sue me - but only if it got the same sort of publicity. Perhaps I should set up a long lens rig outside Mr. Nusenzweig's house.
At any rate - the idea that using a long lens and strobe lights to do street photography is a "time-honored tradition" is nonsense.
This photographic technique has more in common with the big-brother security cameras that are now omnipresent than with traditional street photography. And street photography is not time-honored. Walker Evans put off showing his series of subway close-ups for many years because he was afraid of being sued.
I noticed that Mr. Nussenzweig's image was not shown in the online New York Times version - but was in the print edition. I wonder how many New York Times lawyers it took to make that decision.
I think that when I have the time, I'll scan Mr. Nussenzweig's photograph from the print version and photoshop it into my picture with the monkey on the train. That would take this case to a whole nother level. Let me check first with my own battery of lawyers.
4/10/2006
Central Park, 59th Street
Central Park, 59th Street
I haven't done any color printing at all with the 4800. Don't really like color photographs. So I whipped this up as a test. If I could paint - I'd probably do this sort of thing. I used to do a little with watercolors that were along these lines.
I got my taxes done so now - it's time to soup the cow pictures.
Oh - and my God - are you following the Mets? How great are they? I pray to the baseball God that no one gets hurt.
Metropolitan Atomic
Hard at work on the newest atomic energy plant. Located on 59th street and Lexington next to Bloomingdales. Now that the price of gas has gone up so much - people are ready for atomic energy in the heart of the metropolis. As you can see in this photograph, security is top-notch.
4/09/2006
Back from the Sticks
I spent a day in the country, Dutchess County (Rhinebeck). There were a lot of cows around and I spent time photographing the critters. Actually, the light was great and I think I may have something that Bill Emory could use on his site.
Being in the country was just what I needed. I've got to get my taxes taken care of first, but then I'll soup the two rolls of film and see how the cows and one big black bull turned out. The bull was sort of scary close-up for a city guy.
Being in the country was just what I needed. I've got to get my taxes taken care of first, but then I'll soup the two rolls of film and see how the cows and one big black bull turned out. The bull was sort of scary close-up for a city guy.
4/07/2006
Snow Monkey on Subway
I was on my way down to B&Walmart to pick up some film when the train was halted and we were told to evacuate because a snow monkey had escaped from the Central Park Zoo and was on the train somewhere.
I just managed to get this shot before the police arrived. They were going to write out a ticket for photographing on the subway when the monkey suddenly took off and they all raced after him. You should hear something on the news about it tomorrow. I heard that his name was Hal.
Camera: Leica digi-mahn. Lens: nocturnalux - f0.01
Grand Central, Catacomb
Gum Bichromate Catacomb
This is more of a painting than a photograph. Most of the figures of people were touched up with quick darkening brush strokes; and the entire lighting effect with the textured walls and various accents was added. Oh, here's the original shot. I have reached the point finally of being very comfortable with the tablet / pen. I wish it wasn't quite so smooth. I wonder if anyone has a tablet addition that gives you the feel of working on rough paper.
Anyway - when I first looked at this underexposed image of Grand Central - I immediately got the idea of trying to make it feel like a dark fungus-filled catacomb.
4/06/2006
Leaky Toilet
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Vice President Dick Cheney's former top aide told prosecutors President Bush authorized the leak of sensitive intelligence information about Iraq, according to court papers filed by prosecutors in the CIA leak case. - New York Times
OR
President Bush authorized White House official I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby to disclose highly sensitive intelligence information to the news media in an attempt to discredit a CIA adviser whose views undermined the rationale for the invasion of Iraq, according to a federal prosecutor's account of Libby's testimony to a grand jury. - Washington Post
In other words - if you remember President Bush being asked about all this and saying he would get to the bottom of it - I wondered whether the president would have plausible deniability or not. Apparantly not.
"The White House did not challenge the prosecutor's account of Bush's and Cheney's role in orchestrating the effort to discredit Wilson yesterday." - Washington Post
No - it's not so amazing that the President authorized the leak; what is amazing is that he has been caught doing it.
All along the campaign trail - the Bush administration has been able to maintain plausible deniability with things like the Swift Boat ads; and the attacks against Max Cleland.
And they've been able to have plausible (somewhat plausible) deniability about their own beliefs and reasons for the Iraq invasion. But if you pull one card out - such as this authorized leak - then the house of cards tumbles.
They've just made too many enemies in the establishment: CIA, FBI, ARMY, AIR-FORCE etc. And my theory is that the real powers are fed up.
busy
things have really picked up during the last week. today i matted and packaged about 30 small prints for three orders. two orders going to - europe. i am surprised that the small 5 x 7's are selling as well as they are. what surprises me is that i personally like this small size, and usually if i like it - then it doesn't sell. this is the exception.
i've actually got a nice little template setup in photoshop so that i can print four 5 x 7's at a time. pretty neat.
the only thing that i've really got to keep an eye on is cat hair getting on the paper while it's still wet. at that point it's just about impossible to get the hair off the print without leaving a mark.
buddy, oh buddy - how'd you like to be a skinhead for a while?
i've actually got a nice little template setup in photoshop so that i can print four 5 x 7's at a time. pretty neat.
the only thing that i've really got to keep an eye on is cat hair getting on the paper while it's still wet. at that point it's just about impossible to get the hair off the print without leaving a mark.
buddy, oh buddy - how'd you like to be a skinhead for a while?
4/05/2006
Times Square, Night Montage
Times Square, Night Montage
liner notes for this image:
Camera: Leica M3, Film Tri-x. 2006
o.k. possibly i was trying to be funny saying this was taken with the M3 and Tri-x. four different cameras were used to make this picture. two different film stocks. the pictures were taken over a period of about ten years. the skyline is from Sedona.
none of that matters. what does matter is that i felt from the beginning that times square needed to be like a big garbage bin filled to the brim with shiny things to keep the natives happy.
it should feel like a giant headache.
it was too big to fit in one frame. it really needed to be faceted. three different perspectives of the marine recruiting station.
times square is now: MULTI-NATIONAL CORPORATION AMUSEMENT PARK.
this is simply a big showcase for the biggest corporations. and it feels like Las Vegas - which is how the tree skyline made it's way into the shot.
I think I'm going to hang out there more often and do some more Times Square montages.
Another Stop
Another Stop
In my never ending quest to photograph every subway stop in New York - here's another station. This was on the way out to Coney Island, and I actually got off at about six stations because they looked interesting. I suppose this is a harmless sort of fanaticism.
Come to think about it - I always liked movies about trains. Did you ever see The Train with Burt Lancaster? That's what this shot reminds me of. Another great one, maybe the best film ever made where the New York City Subway was the star: The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3. Final frame for you trivia buffs was what?
In case you care about such things: HP5 with the Hexar Classic.
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