Photo ABCs

Nick Drake

I just finished watching a documentary on Nick Drake's life, A Skin Too Few, which screened last night on the Sundance Channel.

Nick Drake (1948-1974) was a singer, songwriter and guitarist who wrote songs of unparalleled beauty, fragility, wistfulness, and sensitivity. Like Vermeer, who left us only a few paintings, Nick Drake left us only three albums. Like Vermeer, and perhaps like James Dean, Nick Drake has attained a steadily growing mystique, afforded a soul who left us too early, with too few works of genius.

A Skin Too Few was made in 1999, but unknown to me until last night. The documentary features breathtakingly beautiful, haunting, dark and moody images of England which match the persona of the artist. 

The film features an interview with Keith Morris, the photographer who provided the images for his albums. Nick was so depressed during the taping of his third album, that Morris describes the portrait session as like "shooting a still-life."

Nick Drake took an overdose of anti-depressants and passed away in 1974. His music touches something deep within. This documentary, like his music, is haunting and special.

The documentary is not scheduled again soon for the Sundance Channel, but can be seen on You Tube in five parts.

Akira Kurosawa

If there is an artist who influenced me to further explore the visual arts, it is Akira Kurosawa. I spent many hours in high school and college watching his movies on television, and at the Ken and Unicorn theaters in San Diego.

The Japanese film director is best known for his classic, The Seven Samurai, but, almost all of his films are masterpieces. 

Among my favorites:

The High and Low, a gripping, multi-dimensional film about a kidnapping. 

Red Beard, about a gruff, idealistic doctor. I saw this movie while in medical school. If I remember correctly, there is a scene where a small girl, emulating her hero, tries to study his books late into the night. You don't know how I was touched watching her try not to fall asleep over his textbooks.

Yojimbo. This, my first Kurosawa movie, will always be my favorite. A very, very black comedy starring Toshiro Mifune, as a samurai who is merciless to both warring families in a Japanese village.

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of his birth, Turner Classic Movies is showing, as far as I can tell, all of his movies this month! (sorry it's the middle of the month already, I just found out.)

Run, don't walk, to TCM and record these movies. Or grab the popcorn and have a Kurosawa marathon! If you don't have TCM, this is a good example of why you should. TCM's programmers consistently come up with gems.

(image from Wikimedia commons, in public domain). 

U is for Underwater

Damion Berger uses the skills of a street photographer and takes them, of all places, underwater! His series, In The Deep End, is the most amazing portfolio I have seen in a very long time! Just click on "slide show" after the website opens.

And read the series statement. After two paragraphs which sound like the prose of a museum curator, he gets down to the details of how the photos were made and reveals some fascinating story-telling secrets.©Damion Berger, used with permission

His other portfolio, RSVP, shows a master at work in what I think of as three-dimensional composition. He places his candid (and mostly very wealthy) subjects in their environment with the skill of a landscape photographer. His timing and often ironic and witty backgrounds and juxtapositions recall Cartier-Bresson and Doisneau.©Damion Berger, used with permission

These two portfolios display consummate mastery of photography.

You won't be disappointed.

The showcase of his photos on display in galleries and homes will also give new ideas and inspiration to those involved in the presentation and selling of fine-art photography.

 

Thanks to Mike at The Online Photographer blog for this recommendation.

A is for Art

"Though a living cannot be made at art, art makes living worth while... it brings life to life."

John Sloan

John Sloan was an original member of The Eight, a.k.a. the Ashcan School of Art in the early 1900s. He was a friend and student of Robert Henri. He is remembered for his atmospheric studies of daily life in New York City. Although a renowned artist throughout his life, his first big sale was during his late 50s, and he was never able to make a living through the sale of his art. His paintings now hang in museums aroung the country. Recent auction prices for his lesser-known paintings range from $2,000 to $100,000 or more.

Sixth Avenue Elevated at Third Street, John Sloan, 1928.

V is for Vermeer!

Four days remain to see A Lady Writing, by Vermeer, at the Norton Simon Museum of Art in Pasadena. Don't miss it!

 

H is for Harry Benson!

It was my pleasure to attend a slide show by Harry Benson recently at San Diego's  Museum of Photographic Arts. Harry Benson, born in Scotland, "arrived with the Beatles" to the United States in 1964. He photographed for LIFE Magazine from 1970 to 2000, and now shoots for Vanity Fair and others.

He photographed the Beatles, every president from Eisenhower to George W. Bush, photographed to scene at Robert Kennedy's assassination, photographed the construction of the Berlin Wall and its demolition.

Just a few highlights of slide show include:

His favorite image: the Beatles having a pillowfight.

His most difficult portrait subject: Bobby Fischer. He got Fisher to open up to him by taking a walk with him and discussing Fischer's admiration for Joe Namath. He gave Fischer a picture he had taken of Namath.

Most dangerous assignments: (among many): race riots in Watts and in the South.

Tips on photographing the famous: "these people don't want to pass this way unnoticed and unrecorded," so they will cooperate to a large extent. However, he says "never give the details of tomorrow's shoot" because it's likely that an uncooperative spouse will nix the idea! 

Photographing Ronald Reagan: he was very gracious and easy to photograph. And his "funny stories were actually really funny!" 

How he photographed Robert Kennedy's assassination scene: as much as he was stunned, he told himself to "keep shooting" because "that's what I'm there to do."

The state of photojournalism today: "It should be better but it's worse." He decried all of the "fake photographs" prevalent in magazines-- like a Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum!

What a good photograph should be: "A glimpse in time, then it's gone!"

If you ever get the chance to see Harry Benson speak, don't miss it! His incredible images can be seen at his simple and elegant website: Herry Benson.