Imogen Cunningham

I stumbled upon what looks like a photographic print mounted on archival mat, with printing below: 9 American Masters of Photography...San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. l980-1981. I thought it was just a poster of some sort, but it actually may be a print. Two Callas. I'm reluctant to take it apart, but peeking inside I see it is actually a mat. It is a beautiful quality of print, and Imogen Cunningham is an influence of me personally. I found these great recordings of her on YouTube. You can find just about anything and anyone on YouTube these days, even old boyfriends. Who knew?

I love to search old junk stores and garage sales. I worked for a photographic art dealer for years, and that training helped me with what to look for in old photographs. I'm not always right, but sometimes I'm just lucky.

Photographer versus technology

In my days of training for photography, it was clear that the machine was dependent on the trained photographer. Aperture, shutter, film speed, depth of field, all terms critical to getting the image you want in just the way you want it. That was then. With digital imagery, the photographer is dependent of the ability of the camera (much like the ones in the old day), it's software, and the way it is programmed. Any fool can take a photograph. It can most often be a good photograph. Not really a challenge...I am in constant debate with my friend who just bought a good digital Nikon. We fight about what a 'real' photograph is, and he insists that he can mimic anything I can do with a black and white SLR film camera. I disagree.

I teach photography with film cameras, and those abilities are what is most missing with the digital field. If you know nothing about photography or art, it will show in your images. But it does bug me, greatly, that a digital camera can render so clearly, crisply and show you that image immediately. That is the advantage. It's making me a lazy image-maker.

Digital can't do shallow depth of field, at least without the photographer knowing what that is. If your battery dies, you are stuck. I went to Paris, and both digital cameras died on me, but my trusty manual SLR film camera worked just fine.

Image: Imaginary Stonehenge, Chester County, Pennsylvania

Making little movies

Been awhile since I posted here. You'll see me in the film The Happening in June (just an extra), yeah that's me with a faux husband walking behind Mark Wahlberg at 30th St Station. Seems I keep ending up in movies with Mark Walhberg (was looking forward to Ryan Gosling in The Lovely Bones, but he was replaced by, guess who...). Have been shooting little movies myself, and finished 2nd draft of my first feature screenplay. I submitted to Sandance for the screenwriter lab, so I have been busy. I also have work in upcoming The Artful Nude exhibition at The Center for Fine Art Photography in Colorado, opens this summer. I'll be traveling out for the opening and some time to wander in the mountains.

I'm teaching myself Final Cut on my new mac laptop. I miss the days I could hold the celluloid and cut it, join it and add the soundtrack. Digital editing may be easier once you figure it out, but so far it is daunting. I am putting together a piece I'd like to submit to Ira Glass, whose This American Life I look forward to each week. I've shot the footage; this still image of a corn crib is part of the footage which will tell the story...