Group f.64: Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, and the Community of Artists Who Revolutionized American Photography

by Posted in Reading Leave a comment
Group f.64

Group f.64 image source Amazon.com

I just finished reading this book. There’s something about the tone of it that didn’t appeal to me: “Edward said this…”; “Ansel did that…” etc. and it’s a bit rambling – could use more structure. However, I really enjoyed it: as the New York Times said “…the first comprehensive history of the movement”, a movement about which I’d heard but knew little other than the bios and works of some of the individual members. I wasn’t even that familiar with a number of the members/associates e.g. Willard Van Dyke; Alma Lavenson, Sonya Noskowiak, Consuelo Kanaga. I also enjoyed learning more about the role and personality (apparently not very pleasant) of Alfred Stieglitz; the battles between the pictorialists and Group f.64 (proponents of ‘straight’ photography). One photographer that I didn’t know all that well and who caught my attention was Imogen Cunningham whose work I really like and will explore further.

Jonathan Blaustein reviewed the book in An In-Depth History of Group f.64 on the NY Times Lens blog (December 11, 2014)

Chess Pieces

by Posted in Black & White, Things Leave a comment
Chess Pieces-1

This one proved to be more difficult that I’d thought. I liked the shapes of the chess pieces and the contrast between the blacks and the whites. I wanted to arrange the composition so that there was a strong diagonal line. What could be simpler? Well…I hadn’t accounted for the fact that the chessboard was in a play area with lots of kids. I would be ready to take the picture when one (or more) children would come up and move the chess pieces. This happened over and over again. I’d be ready to click the shutter and they’s move the pieces. I’d wait until they left and then move them back and get ready again. Then another child would appear…and the process would repeat. Eventually a long enough gap between children appeared and I took the picture.

Nightscape

by Posted in Landscapes Leave a comment
nightscape-1

There was a blue moon the other day and my wife was complaining that I hadn’t documented this event photographically – so I decided to do so. Unfortunately, the moon picture (while eminently Facebook worthy) wasn’t really that successful. In any case I’d left it too late and the moon was rather high and I wasn’t able to the the photo of the moon over the lake that I’d wanted. I’d seen some long exposure shots where night was almost turned to day, but with a few almost surrealistic touch that made you think that there was something strange about the picture. Since I was up and had the tripod out I thought I’d give it a try. This is the result.

View from a Hotel Window

by Posted in Black & White, Buildings/Structures, Things Leave a comment
viewfromhotelwindow-1

View of the plaza from our hotel window. I usually take pictures at ground level so this higher view is a bit different for me. I liked the concentric circles made by the benches and the paving stones and the way that they’re broken by the gap in the benches; the family; and the object to the top right (it looks like a fallen sign, but is in fact a tilted platform with holes into which you throw bean bags).