Joe DiMaggio - In This Corner...

Bill Eppridge in a Class By Himself

2011-07-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

In my career I have been blessed with a few fortunate lucky right place, right time relationships. The first and foremost was attending the University of Missouri school of Journalism Workshop. It really doesn’t get better than that. The second would be assisting W. Eugene Smith who taught me more about communications then anyone. Actually, he taught me more about many things but for the purpose of this we won’t go there. When asked to deliver a keynote speech at the NPPA, one of the people I thanked was Bill Eppridge. I would love to tell you that I know Bill well but as the truth be known, that’s just is not so. But here’s what I do know. Bill Eppridge has very few peers. He stands alone with his great talent. He also has another quality that generally photographers don’t have. He’s an extremely humble about what he’s accomplished over the last few decades and he’s still a viable force to be dealt with. Bill invited me to his retrospective at the Fairfield Museum. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend. This past Sunday I had a little time off and decided to go to Fairfield, Connecticut to see the show. I thought I knew exactly what I was going to see. Boy, was I wrong. I had no idea the depth and scope of his work. Like many other photographers, we know about the positive RFK Photos, but the retrospective truly showed what an amazingly great talent he is. This is one of the few times I wish I was a great writer because there aren’t enough adjectives to express what an important body of work he has. Photographer Alfred Eisenstadt, once told me, he had maybe only a dozen fine photographs. When I had the audacity to tell him, “no you have thousands of great photographs,” he smiled, clicked his heels and said, “one day you will understand.”

Thanks Bill for continuing to teach me the importance and power of a great still image.

paPA ArtSpace

2011-07-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

About 10 years ago I had a amateur photographer ask me to accompany him to a framer's shop in a small town in PA. He had to pick up some large pieces. We pulled up to what appeared to be a huge Brooklyn New York Factory. Suffice to say it was overwhelming. We walked up a couple flights of stairs, I looked around and there was an awful lot of space. He returned home, I went back to the studio and figured I'd never see that space again and you know what I was right. I will never see that space again.

Yesterday my partner JoAnne and I took a ride to see paPA. As it turns out it's the same factory, whoops, no not the same! Both Ron & Yvonne Parker have taken a turn-of-the-century Silk Mill and made it into an absolutely magnificent gallery space. Oops not a gallery space but an ArtSpace. From ceiling to floor it's drop dead fabulous! It's drenched in beautiful available light and when the available light starts to diminish their spotlights take over. If it was empty and did not have one piece of artwork it would be amazing. But once you add the eclectic artwork, you as the visitor take a voyage to a different time and place.

Both Ron & Yvonne are thinking way outside the box. They've subdivided their 33,000 square feet into three separate spaces and that's just the first floor. You can envision an artist's loft in the second space which could house at least a dozen different artists all working at the same time. Actually upwards of 20 if they wanted to.The third space you could envision as an art space for music, poetry readings etc. You could put anything in there. Then there's a space, let's call it the boiler room that would make a perfect theatre for multi-media shows and films. The acoustics are really great. All of this on the first floor. I will let Ron and Yvonne tell you about the rest. The outside area is large enough to put together anything from an outdoor concert to a open air art show similar to the shows in Greenwich Village. Granted it's not around the corner but it is more than well worth a visit. I can't wait to see what it will look like next year. They'll probably utilize More's Law... They have a special opening next Saturday "Yvonne Parker and Friends" July 16

Their website is http://www.papa18473.com

Dylan Michael Moore: A Great Beginning

2011-06-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

About 7 years ago, I walked into Gleason's gym on a very hot August day. The 3 rings were filled with boxers. 2 rings had 4 or 5 people in each one of them going through different protocols. There were 2 young men in a full-blown sparring session. I didn't know either one of them. I walked over towards the red corner and started to recalibrate my white balance. A gentleman came over, drank some water, looked at me, and said, "If I have one loss, my career will be over and I'll be back to being an electrician". He was sweating profusely, he had beautiful intense eyes, and under his 2-day beard, a great smile. Little did I know then that James Moore was going to be the focal point for my film In This Corner. Why, you may ask? Because I didn't go to Gleason's to shoot a feature documentary, but rather a 15-minute teaching vignette on JoAnne Kalish's action photography DVD. I'm pretty sure anyone who knows me has heard me say that the first rule of photojournalism/documentary films is never become friends with the protagonists. That is not your job. Your job is to record what they do in the most honest and sincere way with no prejudice and no rooting for a winner. I will share a quote with you from Cliff Edom. (Cliff Edom is the father of modern photojournalism and was, and in some ways, still is, the backbone of the University of Missouri School of Journalism photo workshop).

"Show truth with a camera. Ideally, truth is a matter of personal integrity. In no circumstances will a posed or a fake photograph be tolerated."
~Clifton C. Edom

Sunday June 26 2011, I will remember vividly. That's the day that I shut down the Lady Liberty ferry for approximately 55 minutes and later that day I attended James and Leanne Moore son's christening. And he was christened with a beautiful name. Dylan Michael Moore. You just have to love the name Dylan Michael. At this point, I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that I have all the respect in the world for event photographers. It's not something that I know how to do properly or particularly like doing. So please enjoy some of the snapshots of the christening party.

©Dylan Michael

I think I bent one of the rules.

Life After September 11th

2011-06-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

Recreation of X-Ray

Suffice to say as you travel through life, a myriad of things are going to change. In the 60's, they changed radically but not that quickly. In the 70's, they skipped along, but again there wasn't that much urgency. In the 80's, I think we fell asleep - I'm not sure. Most of it was a blur. Hmm... could have something to do with - oh, never mind. Then along came the 90's and I don't know who it was, maybe it was 3, 4, or 5 people from silicon valley that decided to inject our eyes, ears, and noses with the most advanced super-amphetamines that were available. We all took off on a light speed adventure with no brakes. Well, here we are in 2011 and every once in a while I feel like I'm on the world's largest Mercedes Grand Touring Bus, alone, sitting in the last large seat by the lavatory and the bus is made of paper mache. I can't see the driver, but we're on the Monte Carlo Formula One Street Circuit. I'm not wearing a seatbelt, and am being bounced up, down, left, and right like a cue ball in a maze with zero control. Right about now many of you are wondering, where the hell is he going? Hey guys, I ask myself that at least 20 or 30 times a day.

Sunday was a normal workshop day. I went to sleep the night before at 10PM, got up at 4AM, was on the road by 6AM, got to Battery Park at 7:30AM, met with the group at 8AM, tickets by 8:30AM. I remember one of the last things I said was "Let's try and stay together until we get to Liberty Island." I was 6 people behind John and there were 3 or 4 people of age between him and I. So, I made an executive decision not to be a bull in the china shop and wait my turn. As I approached the security line, I darted right to get behind John. A security gentleman, approximately 5 feet tall, said to me "GO ON THIS LINE!" I said, "Sir, my class...". He said "I'm not going to tell you again, go on this line." I went on the line. Approximately 7 of the 8 lines were moving rapidly. My line didn't move a millimeter in 15 to 20 minutes. At this point, I should mention to you that I had no jewelry shoes or belt on, no wallet, no cellphone, no camera, & no keys on me. For all intensive purposes, I was naked but clothed. My wallet was open to a laminated card to inform security that I had 2 titanium hips. The card was issued by the New York Hospital for Special Surgery. When I finally arrived to go through my screening, I asked the young lady to look at the card she said "No, we don't have to." I also carry a letter with large type from the Doctor for security checks concerning my hips and offered it to her and she said "No, we don't need to look at that either. Just go through the screening." I said that the machine was going to go crazy. She insisted I move to the duct-tape mark on the floor, which I did.

At this point, I should say something - I don't deal well with indiscriminate power authority but, I do have the utmost respect for my fellow human being - man or woman, especially in this type of work. I made a decision at this point to keep my big mouth shut and just say yes to everything. My class had now disappeared, somewhere on the 9 o'clock ferry, and I'm still in security. A gentleman called me forward, the machine went crazy, he asked me to go back and I did. The machine went crazy again and he asked me to repeat this a third time. I said I had a card to explain things. He said, "No, we don't need to see that." The machine went mashugana! He told me he was going to pat me down, I said fine. He patted me down approximately twice on the back and sides, and 3 times in the front and sides. At this point, he didn't understand why the left and the right side was going crazy on his meter. So I simply opened my pants and dropped them down to above my knees to show him I had nothing to hide. In retrospect, this probably wasn't the best idea I had on a Sunday morning. By the way, there's an expression- TMI. When I'm on a shoot, or location, I always wear my running shorts under my normal pants. And it's not uncommon for me, especially on a hot day, to take my trousers off and proceed the rest of the day with my running shorts on. I did not moon anyone. Now I'm thinking "Okay, another 10 seconds and I'm out of here." Boy, was I wrong! There were 4, 5, or 6 people huddled around the x-ray machine. The 4, 5, or 6 people then called 3 or 4 more people with different uniforms. They looked at the screen, got on the walkie-talkies oops! I guess they're radios. Several other people came in, also with different uniforms, all looking at the screen. The first 5 peeled off, the next 3 moved away, the new 3 looking at the screen and then 2 gentlemen came over to me and wanted to know what was in the tray. I said "A camera, my beret, a small black bag, an extra battery, a Power Bar, lens cleaning cloths, several wire ties, an electronic cable release, business cards, a 6-inch homemade monopod, a small Sartek video light, lifesavers, a film can with some potassium pills in it, and 4 Aleves. Last but not least, one red and one blue bandana." The police officer asked me "what else," and I told him that was it. He said "there had to be something else in there." I said "Not that I can remember- oh maybe some business cards and some small photo postcards". "What else?" he demanded. I said "Sir, that's it." I asked to make a suggestion and he said no. I mentioned that I would take everything out of my bag for visual inspection. He said, "No, don't tell me how to do my job." I said that I was sorry and didn't mean to tell him how to do his job, I was just trying to help. "I don't need any help from you. Stand in the corner and don't say another word." Well, I stood in the corner and didn't say another word while 3 or 4 more people came in, now a total of about 30 plus. They cleared out everybody from the staging area, both left and right side. I was then asked to move to a holding spot about 50 yards away, which I did, accompanied by 2 police officers. Then, in came Rin-Tin-Tin. Rin-Tin-Tin is a bomb-sniffing German Shepherd. A beautiful dog, but unfortunately my guess is that he was over 11 years old. He could not jump up on the belt to smell my bag. They tried 4 or 5 times calling him up and then finally picked him up and put him on the belt. He went over to the X-Ray machine and smelled my bag. He turned and appeared to be perplexed. They put his nose back on the bag, and again he turned, as if to say, "Why am I here? There are no explosives". To be honest, I think 40 or 50 people were disappointed that I did not bring a b--- into the holding station for Liberty Island. I'm still 50 yards away from my wallet, accessories, and camera, and they decide to do a visual inspection. I asked the police officers if it would be okay, if I could go over to watch the inspection. They grudgingly said yes. They took everything out of everything! My potassium pills mixed in some some kind of lint - not good. They then questioned me on 4 items and wanted to know what they were. I held it up, showed them the name, and told them. "It's a Canon electronic cable release.""What's this?""That's a replacement battery for the camera and what is this? "It's a homemade mini-monopod that I use to insert into the base of the 1/4 twenty, which, I then showed him how I did it. They wanted to know what the pills were for and whether I had a prescription for them. I said no, they were over the counter stuff and it was potassium for cramping and Aleve if I got a headache. I said, "Are we done?" and they said "Not exactly." They said I had to go over to the X-Ray machine and show them what something was. They pointed to me where the b--- was. I asked if I could take a picture of the screen to show him how never to pack a bag, trying to be funny now being over 50 minutes into the ordeal. I threw everything together back into my bag, and he goes, "We need to fill out a report in main office." I asked if it was really necessary, and he said he needed to see my identification. I showed him my press card and he said that he needed something better than that, so I gave him my driver's license and went to his office.We filled out the forms and he asked me if he could he photocopy the inside of my bag. So, not thinking, I said "Sure" So, he laid everything on the photocopy machine - duh! You can't photocopy 3-D stuff. I suggested to photograph it. I took his iPhone and took a picture for him to send to his boss. Now, the ordeal is now over - but not exactly! The police officer said, "Have you ever done any TV shows?" I said yes, and he said "are you a photographer?" At that point he asked if I would give his daughter some private lessons. I gave him one of my instructional DVD's and my phone number. He gave me his card and a free ticket to the top of Lady Liberty for my inconvenience. He put his hand out, I shook it, and he said that he was only doing his job. I said, "Yes, I understand". As I climbed to the second deck there were approximately, stretching around Castle Clinton.

I guess this is the price we pay for September 11. (See below a recreation of the so called bomb in my bag)

TIME Magazine Assignment

2011-06-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

I had a half hour off the other day. Decided to just look through some of my old TIME magazine and Sports Illustrated assignments and I stumbled across this photo that I did for them to celebrate the opening of Giant Stadium. I was totally blown away when I heard they were going to build a new stadium. It seems like yesterday they just built a new stadium. Of course, a businessman friend of mine explained that it's all about the super boxes and the Fortune 500. Well, considering my only interest is between the goal line and the goal line, a super box just doesn't do it for me. If TIME asks me to go and shoot the new one, it's gonna take me a little longer to get to the birds' eye perch. See you at the game!

Joe D.

Monochromatic? I don't think so!

2011-06-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

Whatever level you are as a photographer, we all should have one thing in common. We should constantly be looking and looking. And after we look, we should be able to see. As I was rushing to the D-Train in Brooklyn, I saw something you don't see very often- a pay phone! I stopped, I picked the camera up, and I make 3 quick frames. 2 vertical, one horizontal. 135 f/2 Singh-Ray High-Intensity. Half a stop overexposed. It may not be an antique, but it'll probably be a buggy whip by the time I go to the dark room in the sky. Oops! I mean the light room in the sky! To all the ships at sea, keep your eyes wide open. Start to see the photograph and then record it.

Frame Grab

2011-06-26T01:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not quite sure that the Lumiere brothers are not rolling around in their graves right now. Rapidly followed by W. Gene Smith and Gordon Parks. The more I know about this medium the less I know. If I'm running at 100 MPH forward, I'm probably in reverse. But, I promise myself I'll try to keep up. This photograph is pretty amazing. Enjoy!

Following blog post by Vincent LaForet.

http://blog.vincentlaforet.com/2011/06/07/what-camera-did-i-use-to-make-this-still-picture/#more-5772

______________________________

What camera did I use to make this still picture?

Skip to comments (245) ↓

Go ahead and guess what camera was used to make this photograph in the comments above. It was made with a new camera that many photographers have not yet heard of… I suggest you click on the image above to see it at full resolution (and make sure you zoom in to 100%) Some of you will guess right away and already know about it… Others will be astonished when I reveal what camera shot this photograph. It’s a camera that has the potential to change things – radically.__________________________________________________________________________________________

ANSWER: This image is actually a FRAME GRAB. It was not shot with a STILL camera but with the RED EPIC M digital cinema camera at 96 frames per second. For the techies: The image was made with a Zeiss Compact Prime 25mm f 2.9 , natural light, at T 2.9 , 1/200th of a second at 800 ASA in RED’s RAW R3D format – a RAW format similar to aCR2 or NEF (for Canon and Nikon users respectively.)

The camera’s "cinema" resolution is 5K – more than five times the resolution of your HD Television (see chart below)… Other than a quick color correction – no enhancement whatsoever has been made to this image. Perhaps just as importantly : there were 95 other frames that were shot EACH SECOND that I rolled on the camera… 95 other shots to choose from… shot handheld on a moving subject – not posed.

2011-06-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

"In a world that seems to be moving at light speed, the new technologies should be embraced. We as visual communicators should always remember the photograph comes first. The content is more important than the pixels or the manipulation after the fact.

My love affair for this medium has only grown ten-fold. With the advent of digital it’s like starting all over again. Our future generations will look back at this time the way we looked back to the Lumiere brothers. What a great time to be involved in photography and filmmaking."

~Joe DiMaggio

Mermaid Parade

2011-06-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

I remember my mother and father taking me to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Sitting on top of my dad's shoulders and looking at the giant floats, the beautiful colors, the great music, and here we are a couple of years later spending the day at Coney Island at the Mermaid Parade. My new policy is one camera, one lens, two batteries, two cards. This time, I chose to test a new lens, a 135 f/2. Last year's parade, I used a 10-22mm. Obviously, a huge change! But, changing it up is a good thing. What I'm about to say is not a scientific fact. It appeared to me for every person in the parade, there were 3 photographers. I could be off, but I'm not that far off.

Photos © Joe Dimaggio

2011-06-21T11:08:00.001-07:00

As a photographer, one of the first things you learn is eye-hand coordination. Your ability to look at 300 people or 7 people - front-lit, back-lit, and see the photo that you want to make. Before you even think about it, you've made 3 or 4 different photos, each one a variation of a theme, not just a motor sequence. Making back lit adjustments on the fly, always thing about where the next photograph is going to come. That's the good news. The bad news can be all of those things that work against you - and you miss the obvious. It's happened to me before, and I'm pretty sure it'll happen to me again. You never want to have blinders on. You want to be open to new lighting, new composition, new stories, and new direction. Invariably, you will grow and your work will improve accordingly. While looking at this very beautiful young lady and preparing to do a very shallow, depth of field simple photograph, I look down and to my right and saw one eye and one sideburn and a little bit of a mustache. I said "Oh my god, could that be Melchior DiGiacomo?" I took the photograph, looked down, I tapped him on the shoulder, and he said "Joe D., just a minute". I guess it's like two chubby Italians meeting in the daylight, or is that two ships in the night? I can never get it right. The funny thing about it is I haven't seen Melchoir in 30 years. And my God, nothing's changed! It's good that there is some consistency in this universe.

Pete Hamill: Perfection

2011-06-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

As a working photographer for my whole life, I've always had a love-hate relationship with writers. And I think most writers would not only agree, but they would agree with much finer pros. When we teach photography, invariably one word comes up, and that's "perfection". In reality, nothing is perfect.

When you think you've seen everything, all of a sudden Pete Hamill, with all of his great editing skills and a history of journalism that transcends 6 decades, you would figure he would go out to pasture. Or, do old writers put the cover on their Remington typewriters? Well, he didn't do either. Tabloid City is one of the most amazing books I've ever read. I read it once and I'm now re-reading it for a second time. He's taken everything he's learned in all those years and crammed it into a few pages. You can't put it down! Pete, thank you so much. What a wonderful book. You've proved the old adage- you get better with age. It's perfect!

Queue the Rapids!

2011-06-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

I was contracted by the Canadian Olympic Association to photograph basketball, boxing, soccer, track and field, and kayaking. I fell in love with kayaking and proceeded to kayak for the next 20 years and moved to ocean kayaking. One of the things that I used kayaking for was eye-hand coordination and remote photography. Will try to dig out some of the film- Yes, Alice, there was film in those days! I'll see if I can show you a few examples. But, in the interim, every once and a while I like to take the rust off and go photograph kayaking. Here are a few frames. Hope you enjoy them. Shutter speed ranged between a 500 and 1000, ISO 200. 80 to 200 mm lens. Pick a number- f4.5.

You Are The Future and The Future Is Now

2011-06-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

©Joe DiMaggio

There is an old adage when all else fails tell the truth. It's something I genuinely believe in. The new word today is "transparency" - tough to stay up with the brave new world! About 20 years ago I had a conversation with one of the most powerful women in the world of photography. She took a $50,000 corporation and turned it into the second largest agency in the world and sold it for upwards of thirty-million dollars. I said to Sally, I guess I'm 20 years behind the time and she said that it was the exact opposite and that I was way ahead of my time. It was a wonderful compliment but I'm not sure if I actually believed it. When the technology came for the motor drives, I did not embrace it. The next big leap was auto programming and I did not embrace this. Shortly afterwards, autofocusing came out and I did an interview and was quoted as saying my clients want me to focus the camera - I'm not a grandfather yet! Need I say, I did not embrace that technology either? I've been making photographs on film for 5 decades. When digital came out I did not embrace it. Is it possible that one man could be wrong about so many things? I'm afraid the answer is yes.

Of course, in 2011, I utilize all this new technology. There is no doubt that when you use these tools properly you'll be rewarded. Wiebetech has given me an opportunity to not be 20 years behind the times but actually to be 20 years ahead of the time. The combination of the big three - The Double Barreled Derringer (ToughTech Duo), The Little Gun (RTX220-QR) and the Big Gun (RTX800-IR) give me a tremendous advantage in filing, storing and retrieving all of my photographs and films. It is definitively the best technology today and to be honest, probably for a long time to come. Wiebetech has allowed me for the first time in a long time, to be ahead of the curve. I strongly recommend that every advanced photographer and filmmaker incorporates this technology to protect their life's work. We all travel different roads and have different motivations and needs but with your solutions we will have choices. Thanks so much. Keep up the great work.

Joe DiMaggio

Blog on Blog

2011-06-13T14:55:00.000-07:00

I was in a pre-production meeting last week with an old client, a new creative director, and a young lady who was in charge of social media. You know what? They didn't teach us this stuff in school. It's downright amazing how fast things are moving. Trying to keep up is a full-time job. Actually, that's not a bad idea. We need to get 2 or 3 interns- one for blogging, one for tweeting, and one for starting the car in case somebody puts a bomb in it. On that note, to all the ships at sea, we've got another blog! Here's the link.

http://www.blogjoedimaggio.wordpress.com

Adorama Inaugural Street Fair

2011-06-13T12:48:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Monica Cipnic asked me if I would come and do a few programs for the Adorama Inaugural Street Fair. My answer was, "Of course!" She put me in contact with Brian Green, who is Vice President of Marketing. Two phone calls, one email, and we were ready to go. To say the program was successful is really an understatement. They had over 9,000 attendees and it was a great cross-section of photographers, beginners to well-seasoned pros. And the bottom line is: It was a lot of fun. I managed to squeeze in 3 separate programs, and from the response on Facebook, that was pretty successful. (Notice how I'm throwing around all those high-tech, modern things like "Facebook"? You didn't think I knew what that was, did you? If it's good enough for Lady Gaga and President Obama, who am I to say it's not cool?) Hopefully, this will be just the first of many. Thank the powers that be for the opportunity.

Joe DiMaggio

Joellen VanOuwerkerk: Artist Extraordinaire

2011-06-11T01:00:00.000-07:00

©Joellen VanOuwerkerk

"My wife, Joellen VanOuwerkerk has been training at Gleason's Gym for the past 18 years. She switched to boxing after getting her Black Belt in karate. She spars for two hours every Saturday morning. This keeps her in great physical and mental condition to go home to her real love and job since graduating from The University of Wisconsin with an MFA Degree and a BFA Degree.

She is represented by The Woodward Gallery, located in New York City at 133 Eldridge Street. Their website is: www.woodwardgallery.net. They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 to 6 PM and Sunday from 12 to 5 PM.

Joellen's most recent Opening was January 29 through March 19, 2011. The show was magnificent and very successful.

You can see her work on www.artnet.com or www.woodwardgallery.net.

Click Here On This Link To Read Review.

American Arts Quarterly reviewed Joellen's January show in their Spring 2011 issue."

~ Bruce Silverglade, owner of Gleason's Gym.

Wheeler at MOMA

2011-06-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

I know everyone who attended the photo retreat on Memorial Day weekend- Every person, to a man and a woman all said the same thing. They absolutely loved Dennis Wheeler. The idea of sharing my 30 plus years relationship with Dennis with the students worked out better than I expected. To say Dennis is a master of the arts would be an understatement. He's a Renaissance man on steroids. Every time I feel a visual block getting ready to bite me on the butt I call Dennis and invite myself to his farm, where he proceeds to motivate me to get off my duff and start producing work. I sat listening to every word that Dennis spoke and watching the faces of the participants and guests at the party. It was a beautiful thing. Here are a couple of comments.

"Thank you for inviting me to the Retreat/Party. It was an enjoyable experience, in which I learned a great deal about photography, creativity and myself. Meeting Dennis Wheeler gave me new insight into questions that remained unanswered until his down to earth, realism in his lecture.

"The Retreat was a great success on all levels. Hope to see you on June 12, 2011 in Lower Manhattan. All the best."

~Ralph Mocciola

"A special thank you to Dennis Wheeler for demonstrating that creativity does not stop at 60 - whatever - years old!"

~Linda Pedersen

"It is hard to put into words what this past visit with you has meant. I find the below a step in the process of putting into words what occurred at your home and Learning Center. That said, I look forward to further workshops that explore what the below author suggests, and what Dennis Wheeler demonstrated."

~David Kenny

"I had a wonderful time, learned a lot, got to exchange ideas with a great group of photographers, had an opportunity to listen and learn from an accomplished artist (Dennis Wheeler)..."

~Ann Raine

"Thank you for a most wonderful day, I think it was better than any of us could have imagined. It was a great experience to sit around and talk about the arts and meet and spend time with Dennis, and to be topped off with some great music with Bobby and the boys. But the best was the hospitality you, Joe and Dylan exhibited by opening your home to us and ensuring that we all had a marvelous day. Thanks again, and look forward to seeing everyone again, real soon."
~Jeffery Thomas

Wet Willy

2011-06-09T01:33:00.000-07:00

John Iacono from Sports Illustrated and I have been friends for as long as I can remember, and my former next door neighbor and fishing partner. There is no doubt in my mind that he's one of the greatest sports photographers of our time. And yes, he's a drop-dead sweet guy. I have never heard one bad word about Johnny Eye. Having said that, I think he should keep his tongue out of my ear. I'm not going to tell you where his right hand is. By the way, his right hand was on his high-speed Nikon camera. And I know that because I could hear the mirror box in my left ear. Let's be honest- if nothing else, we always have a lot of fun! You can tell by the look on my face. I'm just so giddy!

The Student Becomes the Instructor

2011-06-08T12:35:00.001-07:00

Joe,

Well, next year it'll have been 30 years since I loaded film into your Nikons at the 1982 Indy 500. It was a complete thrill to finally be able to work the other side of the fence after growing up at the track each May tagging along with my Dad. Of course things have changed a bit since then. In addition to the digital revolution, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has undergone a major facelift and is a World-class facility. I started shooting the 500 for Reuters in 1990 and have been back ever since. Last year, I had the honor of having my college-aged daughter, Ainslie, join the family "business" and become the 4th generation of Millers to pick up a camera at the 500. Back at the 1982 you captured the memorable image of the Johncock/Mears finish, and who knew that 24 years later in 2006 I'd repeat the feat by capturing the Hornish/Andretti finish that would appear double-trucked in SI as well as the NY Times.

Peace,

Geoff Miller

_________________________________________

Geoff,

I am so proud of you not only as a photographer but as one hell of a fine human being. There are very few young people that would give up their bed back in the day so we could get to the Indy 500 at 5 A.M. to beat the traffic. And like many of my assistants, you did so much more than just load film into my Nikons. Without your help, that photograph would not have been done. It's something that I've been aware of my whole life. We tend to think we work in isolation. We tend to think how important we are. But the same way that Rick Mears would say "It's a team effort", I say the same thing. We worked as a team. Your work is amazing. You deserve everything that you get and some more. And who knows- maybe in the next couple of years, we'll have an opportunity to work together again. Keep on shooting and remember the first rule of photographing racecars: Never turn your back on one.

Thanks,

Joe D.

All photos ©Geoff Miller

10 Greatest Indy 500 Moments

2011-06-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

DiMaggio's photo selected as one of the 10 Greatest Indianapolis 500 Moments. His photo was selected number three. With a little bit of practice, maybe number one!

Cisco

2011-06-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

June 6, 1944

2011-06-06T12:54:00.000-07:00

Joyce and Jess

67 years ago, one of my closest friends and one of the bravest men I've ever met in my life, Jess Weiss, hit the beaches at Normandy along with 10,000 of his brothers. Many of those men never made it off the beach. During the invasion, Jess lost many dear friends and in 1961, his friend, Private J. Mello, body was finally retrieved and sent to Boston. Memorial Day may have just come and gone, but we should never ever forget the sacrifice that these men made for their country. Their sacrifice allows me and you to live in the greatest country in the world. Free. To do what we want to do and when we want to do it. For the record, Jess won 7 or 8 medals, purple hearts, and the silver star. Thank you, Jess.

___________________________________________________

Posted on Fri, Jun. 03, 2011 02:13 PM

A new World War II documentary honors a long day's dying at Omaha Beach

By GLENN GARVIN

McClatchy Newspapers

They remember because the young medic was just a kid, a 15-year-old who used his brother's driver's license to fake his way into the Army. And they remember because how could you ever forget seeing a human being instantly reduced to a cloud of red mist when a Nazi shell explodes and releases a 7,000-mile-an-hour tornado of red-hot shrapnel?

Sixty-seven years later, the memory of the boy's death on a Normandy beach - he was crouched over a wounded man when the shell hit, administering bandages and sulfa drugs, just as he'd been taught - still reduces the old soldiers to tears.

"That's a rough thing to talk about," apologizes one.

There are so many deaths to talk about in "Surviving D-Day," the Discovery Channel's captivating, infuriating, terrifying and heartbreaking documentary on the 1944 Allied invasion of France that opened the final chapter of World War II. Men were ripped in half by German machine guns that fired 25 bullets a second, and they were blown to bits by 17,000 German landmines buried on the beach.

They drowned when they parachuted into open fields that American intelligence didn't know were flooded, and they were shot point-blank in the face in a suicide attack up a sheer cliff to destroy artillery that American intelligence didn't know had moved.

They died in little pieces, like the boy on the beach, and they died without a mark on their bodies, their internal organs mangled by concussion waves of super-compressed air pushed outward at thousands of feet a second by the explosion of artillery rounds. They died in such incomprehensible numbers that survival was even more incomprehensible.

"I had severe guilt for surviving," recalls one Normandy vet who recounts crawling through stacks of corpses and mounds of severed limbs. "I kept saying, 'Why me?'"

The answer, as "Surviving D-Day" shows over and over again, is almost certainly mere chance.

Airing two days before the invasion's anniversary, the documentary does not purport to be a comprehensive account of the Normandy operation. It concentrates almost exclusively on the bloodiest and most snafu-ridden of the invasion's five beachheads, the one code named Omaha. And it dwells on the quirky, random nature of mortality in war.

A horrifying number of men died because of what they ate for breakfast that morning on the ships carrying them to France. Navy cooks, hoping to build morale, laid out a sumptuous spread of steak, eggs and ice cream, which morphed into crippling seasickness on the landing craft lurching toward the beach through rough seas at H-Hour.

Crouched on their knees, puking their guts out, the soldiers were easy prey for German machine guns when the landing ramps dropped. Others tried to escape the lethal hail of lead by jumping over the sides of the landing craft, only to drown when their 100-pound loads of equipment dragged them to the bottom in 10 feet of water.

(The men who somehow managed to shed their packs and flak jackets in the water stood a much better chance of making it to the beach. In one of several fascinating forensic tests staged for "Surviving D-Day," even bullets traveling several thousand feet a second slow to a halt after traveling through less than a yard of water.)

The heavy shipboard meal, a well-intentioned gesture that turned into a murderous screw-up, was the rule rather than the exception at D-Day. The orderly way in which battles unfold in war movies has so warped our perception that when we're confronted with the chaos of real-life combat - the friendly-fire death of Pat Tillman in Afghanistan, for example - we suspect conspiracy. "Surviving D-Day" demonstrates that the expression "fog of war" is not merely some butt-covering euphemism but a palpable reality.

The mortar-fired grappling hooks that Army Rangers tried to use to storm a Normandy cliff mostly didn't work because they'd only been tested with dry ropes, not heavy ones soaked in seawater that slopped over the sides of the landing craft. Parachutes turned into burial shrouds for soldiers unexpectedly dropped into water because their buckles were not designed for quick release. The 29 amphibious tanks that were to lead the Army's charge up the beach against heavily fortified German pillboxes never arrived; 27 sank in the unexpectedly choppy sea.

What ultimately worked on Omaha Beach were the men. Their courage in the face of indescribable horror is practically beyond human conception, perhaps even their own. But when Norman Cota, a tubby, cigar-chewing general who at 51 could have been the grandfather of some of his men, shouted to them, "Gentlemen, we are being killed on the beaches! Let us go inland and be killed!" they followed him up the beach into the withering German fire.

Almost seven decades later, most of those who lived through the attack are no longer with us. And "Surviving D-Day" is part of a goodbye that hasn't been near long enough.

SURVIVING D-DAY

9-11 p.m. EDT Saturday

Discovery Channel.

A Good Day- No, a Great Day!

2011-06-03T11:49:00.000-07:00

Somebody once said, bad things happen in Threes. Yesterday was the exact opposite. It started out very good, went to great, and became fantastic. Both JoAnne and I had a shoot at the Paul Taylor Dance Company with two world class modern dancers. The shoot was primarily JoAnne's but I tagged along to help with logistics, security, and shot a short video of her technique. The dancers Cisco Graciano and Michelle Fleet were two wonderfully easy going and talented people.The space was awesome. It doesn't get better then that. At the end of the shoot, we followed up with a short but great meeting with our publisher Paul Laddin. Our dear friend Monica Cipnic was kind enough to invite us to the Grand Opening Party at Adorama Professional. I've been to a lot of parties and this one was over the top. The inspiration and execution fell on the shoulders of Anne Cahill and suffice to say, she did a magnificent job and a good time was had by all. Last but not least, I had an opportunity to catch up with some old friends and made some new ones. It was great to see Bill Eppridge along with his wife Adrienne, there is no doubt Bill is definitively one of the finest photographers in our day and also happens to be a world class gentlemen. As I mentioned to Anne, they don't make them like this anymore. After all these years, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Mendlowitz. There's an old Italian word to describe him - Mensch.

2011-05-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

Approximately 10 years ago, a bright, creative young lady was kind enough to drive Jazz great, musician Hugh Brodie to our studio for a Photo Shoot. She then assisted me on a very intense shoot of Mr. Brodie. The young lady was Marisa Scheinfeld & she had a voracious appetite for photography. Over the years, she's come back to me many times for advice, asking my opinion on what direction to go in, where photography is going in the future, what equipment to procure and so on. Like all other interns and assistants both JoAnne and I have an open door policy because we truly enjoy seeing them succeed. It now appears Marisa is well on her way to not only a productive career but a rewarding one as well. Please see the following link. There is an old Italian word we use for this - Mazel tov Marisa!

http://www.signonsandiego.com/weblogs/will-parson/2011/may/19/marisa-scheinfeld-leftover-borscht/

Tabloid City: a New Crime Novel by Pete Hamill

2011-05-19T01:42:00.000-07:00

"Hamill (North River) forays into Dominic Dunne society crime territory before veering uncomfortably into a far-fetched terrorist plot. Just as the last ever edition of the New York World is getting put to bed, veteran editor Sam Briscoe stops the presses for a sensational murder: socialite Cynthia Harding and her personal secretary are found stabbed to death in Harding’s Manhattan town house. The story unfolds in time-stamped, you-are-there bursts that follow a large cast, including several journalists; Cynthia’s adopted daughter; a disgraced Madoff-like financier; a media blogger; the murdered secretary’s husband, a police officer assigned to a counterterrorism task force, as well as their son, a convert to radical Islam; and best of all by the weary and worldly Briscoe himself.

Hamill is at his best in the Briscoe portions, rich in print anecdotes and mournful for a passing age, but as both the initial murders and the closing of the paper play into a larger plot and the young extremist becomes the driving force of the novel, the quality slides precipitously, and, as if sensing defeat, the book is brought to a too abrupt conclusion with most of the principals gathered for a group of scenes that strain credulity. Hamill nails the dying newsroom, but gets lost on the terrorism beat." – Publishers Weekly

Most photographers will tell you they have a love-hate relationship with writers. Most writers will tell you they have a hate-hate relationship with photographers. Just joking! Pete Hamill is not only a great editor and writer, but he has the utmost respect for the photograph and for photographers. I had an opportunity to have a short visit with Pete at B.B King's and there may have been one or two drinks, but I can't recall. He is a brilliant writer, a great guy, and "Tabloid City", his new book, is a great read.

Sources:

http://frogenyozurt.com/2011/05/tabloid-city-a-new-york-city-crime-novel-by-pete-hamill

http://subs.publishersweekly.com/

Milford Theatre

2011-05-18T02:30:00.000-07:00

Photo ©JoAnne Kalish

The first time I saw the Milford theater, I thought to myself, "wow, what a great place for summer stock, music, poetry readings, an author talking about their new book, or a place to show other new avant garde short films!" That was 15 years ago. Now that Jerry Beaver has purchased the Milford theater, all of these things are going to come to pass. This is probably one of the most exciting things that has happened in our little town in a long time and I'm looking forward to it. Thanks, Jerry! Can't wait for the official opening.

PaPA Opening May 28

2011-05-17T07:15:00.000-07:00

Ron and Yvonne Parker will be hosting their new gallery, art space, at PaPA, which stands for Parker and Parker Art on Saturday, May 28. With the decades of experience that Ron Parker brings and the beauty and talent of Yvonne Parker, this should be quite an event!

"Ronald Parker has enjoyed a varied career as a psychologist, professor, entrepreneur and artist.Throughout his adult life he enjoyed drawing and sculpting. Over the last 15 years he created an interesting series called “Parker People”, which many have called “off center and on target”. Additionally, he found time to be a nationally syndicated columnist, author of one book and fifteen monographs and a performance artist (“Love Lessons” and “Lies”). As a psychologist and academician he practiced and taught at The Graduate Center of the City University of NY and Florida State University. His entrepreneurial interests included business in America, Europe and Africa. As past President of two NASDAQ companies, he managed dozens of art galleries and was the CEO of several major art publishing companies. Parker’s art includes drawing, painting and assemblages, which he creates from auto parts and found objects. The most enduring theme of his work has been the American flag, which he has included in his work for over 20 years. Over 200 flags have been created on almost every imaginable surface. A collection of his flags were exhibited during the summer of 2010 in a show entitled 'Old Glory, New Story' at The Columns Museum in Milford, PA. Other exhibitions include shows at Merrill Chase Gallery in Chicago, Galerie Damien in Paris, The Armory Art Center in Palm Beach and numerous other venues. He is happily married to Yvonne, an artist, with whom he resides in a converted nunnery in PA and maintains a winter residence in FL.

His current major project is developing Parker and Parker Art, 'PaPA', housed in a 33,000 sq foot historic building in White Mills, PA. 'Come to PaPA, since you no doubt have been to MoMA'."

"Yvonne’s art ranges from individual works to creating total environments for homes. The words artful living express who she is and how she lives her life. Through her art she creates a world of beauty, romance and peace. Her calling is to beautify everything she interacts with. Her work has been exhibited widely, including a recent one-woman show at The Armory Art Center in Palm Beach, Florida and her solo show “Then and Now” at The Columns Museum in Milford, PA.The studio she is working in reflects the art she is creating. In Florida, she focuses on her “Fragmented Beauty” series and in Pennsylvania on her mixed-media two dimensional works and site-specific installations. Born in Europe, where she received her art education, she later studied at the NY School of Interior Design. Antonio Gaudi and Niki de Saint Phalle have served as sources of inspiration for her art and design. Yvonne lives with her husband, Ron, (an artist) in a converted nunnery in Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania and maintains a studio/winter residence in West Palm Beach, FL.

Her current major project is developing Parker and Parker Art 'PaPA',

http://www.barryvilleareaarts.org/

http://www.parkerandparkerart.com (website to be completed shortly)

Character Project

2011-05-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

Sunday I had the pleasure of leading a photo workshop in the West Village. Before we started, I decided to take the class to the Character Project, presented by Sir Ridley Scott and Tony Scott, to see 2 short films. From the reaction of the class, they thought it was a great idea and I was extremely happy that I had an opportunity to experience the short films "Fish" and "The Fickle". "The Fickle" is a seamless 7 - 8 minute film, done in one shot. Drop-dead great! I take my beret off to the director, Bryan Poyser.

"Character Project is an ongoing artistic initiative committed to celebrating America's characters – the interesting, dazzling, and distinctive people, from all walks of life, who make this country extraordinary.

Inspired by USA's 'Characters Welcome' brand, Character Project launched in 2009 with a focus on photography. For its second act, USA has partnered with RSA Films and Ridley and Tony Scott, to once again turn a lens on America's characters, this time through the medium of the moving image. Together, they commissioned eight talented filmmakers to each explore the theme of character from their own unique perspective. From lost loves to loyal friends, private heroes to public personalities, the subjects of these short films – some real, some fictional – show the courage, connection, humor, and hope that give shape to the American character. After all, characters are what make us USA."

Visit USA's "Character Project" webpage by following the link below:

http://characterproject.usanetwork.com/

A Day When Everything Went Right

2011-05-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

It seems like nowadays, when you pick up a newspaper, turn on the news, or even meet a friend for a drink there are so many negative stories out there and it kind of drives you crazy. However, every once in a while, you have a totally blown out great day where everything goes right - no negative stuff.That was this past Wednesday. I had the privilege of taking 22 international journalists on a photographic tour in lower Manhattan for Manfrotto. I imparted some of my photographic knowledge and they were gracious enough to bring me up to speed on world issues from many of their respective countries from Italy to China and back again. A great time was had by all. To all of my new friends I met on the walk you have a open invitation anytime to come visit us at the DiMaggio/Kalish Learning Center. Afterwards JoAnne and I were attending Manfrotto's special event by invitation only - An Evening to Imagine More and what a exciting and motivating evening that was.

My best friend and life partner, JoAnne Kalish, had a day that was equally special. Let me bring you up to speed, JoAnne did one of the finest portraits I've ever seen of a world famous artist Will Barnet. I love the portrait so much that I asked her to make me a copy for over my desk so I could always admire it. JoAnne happened to be in Will's neighborhood on Wednesday and gave him a call to say hello. The two of them spent the afternoon sitting in beautiful Gramercy Park catching up on life, the artworld, his last few shows, recent reviews, her photography and his future retrospective in September at National Academy of Art in NYC. I will end this blog with a quote from Will Barnet - as Will was telling JoAnne that everyone loves the portraits she did of him so much (including him) and that they are being used everywhere from Farnsworth to Naples to the Montclair Museum to the National Academy of Art and for all his catalogs. He told her he had numerous photos taken of him over the years (he will be 100 years old on May 25th) by many great photographers including Arnold Newman but her photograph of him is by far better than even Arnold Newman's portraits of him. It took JoAnne very much by surprise to hear that, and certainly made her day even more special.

All Photos © Joe DiMaggio (or JoAnne Kalish)

DiMaggio & Violante Placido

JoAnne Kalish with Marcus Samuelsson

JoAnne Kalish with Mia Moretti

No Duct Tape or Crazy Glue!

2011-05-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, I put together a focusing ring that would allow me to turn a Singh-Ray Vari-ND and the Blue-N-Gold to change the value of light and color, without touching the filter or the camera. I used some of my favorite tools, duct tape and crazy glue.

In a casual conversation with Carl Saieva from Sartek Industries Inc., - a world class designer and engineer. He said to send him a picture and he'd see what he could do. Well, this is what he did. He machined the parts. They're super slick, smooth, easy to assemble, and did I mention that they work really well? This is the difference between a consumate professional and a hack. My intentions are good and sometimes the end result actually works, but most of the time it looks like shit. Thank God for great friends!

http://www.sarind.com/

Tripods When You Need Them You Love Them

2011-05-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

Ralph Morse behind camera with Ron Thompson looking on © Joe DiMaggio

A few days ago, I did a blog on tripods. On April 30, my blog was "Tripods: Love them or Hate them". I started to think about it a little more. I looked over in the corner of the studio, saw that old Gitzo, and started to run the numbers. That tripod is 37 years old. It doesn't look new, but it's always worked perfectly. Pretty impressive. I looked around for a few photos and came up with a photo of the great LIFE magazine photographer Ralph Morse, an amazingly great Nikon tech-rep and good friend of mine Ron Thompson, and a very fine photographer by the name of Al Satterwhite. Ralph is alive and well and lives in Florida, Ron sadly, went to the great dark room in the sky about 15 years ago. This photo was taken in July of 1975 at the launch of Apollo-Soyuz. For the record, I take this big bad boy out today when I want to mount 2 or 3 cameras at a time and it's still viable. But please keep in mind I adore my new Manfrotto's. They're super light, easy to pack, and work very well with the new DSLRs. Talking about that, imagine if you had a DSLR and was able to shoot HD video in July of 1975! How cool would that be? Ralph was kind enough to take a young photographer by the name of DiMaggio and teach him the ins and outs of how to photograph rocket launches. He came from the old school, and while I'm at it, he went to DeWitt Clinton High School, which coincidentally was the same school my dad went to! Sometimes it's just a small world.

"Be as beneficent as the sun or the sea, but if your rights as a rational being are trenched on, die on the first inch of your territory." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

2011-05-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, APA issued a statement responding to Getty Images’ proposed changes to its standard contributor agreements. The response to our statement was overwhelming and, as expected, our members uniformly agreed that Getty Images’ proposed changes were unacceptable.

Through our counsel, Nelson & McCulloch LLP, APA contacted Getty Images to make clear our position and to request that Getty Images stay or extend its self-imposed deadline for forcing contributors to sign these agreements. We explained to Getty Images that APA strongly disapproved of Getty Images’ efforts to leverage its market dominance to force contributors to agree to these changes under duress.

We also advised Getty Images that we were concerned that Getty Images may be misleading contributors into believing that their failing or refusing to sign these new agreements will result in the immediate termination of their prior agreements.

We requested that Getty Images extend its self-imposed deadline for signing these new agreements, and make clear to all contributors that their decision not to sign a new agreement will not result in the automatic termination of their prior agreement and their imagery will not be taken off-line. APA’s request was intended to allow a proper dialogue regarding the serious concerns that contributors have expressed regarding these changes.

Despite our efforts, Getty Images refused to respond to our inquiry and appears intent on maintaining this baseless, self-imposed deadline. APA, therefore, must recommend that our members decline Getty Images’ invitation to agree to these unacceptable changes.

While we recognize that this is an extremely difficult situation for many contributors given Getty Images’ dominant position in the stock photography market, APA firmly believes that these changes are unacceptable and that the “solutions” that Getty Images has offered are entirely inadequate and fail to resolve even the most basic concerns.

In fact, the various “solutions” offered by Getty Images in the contributors’ forum demonstrate that the fundamental problem with Getty Images’ proposed changes are that it presumes that all images should be licensed under the RF model and makes the photographer justify why particular images warrant special treatment.

APA fundamentally rejects this view of stock photography licensing.

As the creator and owner of the intellectual property, the photographer has the inherent right to determine how an image is to be licensed, including whether an image should be maintained as an RM or RF image. Getty Images’ effort to leverage its position in the industry to undermine that fundamental right and force its contributors to relinquish control over the manner in which their creative works are licensed is completely improper.

Perhaps more importantly, APA also is seriously concerned about the manner in which Getty Images has attempted to force these radical changes on its contributors. Adopting baseless, self-imposed deadlines and threatening to terminate contributors who do not accept changes to their existing contracts is not acceptable. As a community, we cannot continue to ignore Getty Images’ efforts to intimidate and strong-arm contributors, and we must not allow Getty Images to force contributors into signing these new contracts under duress.

While each of our members ultimately must decide for itself whether to accept the new contracts being imposed by Getty Images, APA recommends that, as a community, we resist and reject the direction in which Getty Images is trying to take this industry. Given Getty Images’ overwhelming stature in the licensing industry, it is clear that we can be heard only if we stand together and stand up for what we believe to be right and just.

While we cannot be certain as to how Getty Images will respond, we must make clear to Getty Images that its contributors do not agree with Getty Images’ vision of the future of this industry, and we will not tolerate its efforts to coerce and intimidate its contributors. If we send a clear message, we are hopeful that Getty Images will relent and engage in a more meaningful dialogue regarding this crucial issue.

As for those contributors who already have signed the contracts or decide to sign the contracts before tomorrow’s absurd deadline, we recognize the tremendous pressure you feel to maintain a relationship with Getty Images. APA will make every effort to address this concern with Getty Images and advocate for a solution on your behalf.

Again, we thank our members for their support and want to assure you that APA intends to stand up for the rights and interests of our members and all professional photographers. If we stand together, we are confident that our voice will be heard.

Deux Presidents

2011-05-06T14:12:00.000-07:00

Peter Poremba, a brilliant businessman and President of Dynalite, happens to be a good friend. In my opinion, Dynalite is the finest electronic flash manufacturer with the best value for your money and they make extremely durable units. By the way, Peter has a gorgeous wife Connie and a beautiful daughter Olivia - how great is that? Another good friend, Carl Saieva, is an amazing designer and engineer. Carl happens to be a master dive instructor who specializes in cave diving. Carl makes the finest, brightest, and best underwater lights money can buy. Carl also has a beautiful wife and three beautiful children - one set of twins. I've been trying to get both of them together for about 10 years, and it finally happened this week. My guess & hope is that you may be seeing a collaboration between the two of them. It could make the photographic/video family, especially the new DSLR shooters, and maybe some Hollywood shooters ecstatic. Who knows I think the combination of these two collaborating could really make some very fine products.

Author and Friend - Jess E. Weiss

2011-05-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

Jess Weiss with Russell Brand at Operation Warrior Wellness

I guess no one would be surprised to say you only have one mother and father but you can have numerous heroes and mentors. I’ve had a few over the years, including John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther Kind Jr.. The question for me is how many true heroes have you met? Author, Jess Weiss is a combination of my brother, father, Rabbi, Priest, and close friend. He is also a true hero. When my dad and mom passed away I went to Jess, when my brother passed away I went to Jess, and lastly when my son passed away who did I go to - Jess of course. To say jess, is a visionary or a prophet is an understatement. Jess is a man with so much love, warmth, and passion in his heart and soul and he shares it with everybody on a no charge basis. His latest book "Warrior to Spiritual Warrior: The Soldier's Journey" is an absolute must read for everyone.

http://www.warriortospiritualwarrior.com

The 25th Anniversary Edition of the Original Groundbreaking Chronicle of Near-Death Experiences.

THE VESTIBULE

Jess E. Weiss

In 1972, three years before Raymond Moody’s Life after Life and twenty years before Betty J. Eadie’s Embraced by the Light, Jess E. Weiss edited and wrote the groundbreaking book that answered the age-old question, “What happens when we die?” Now Pocket Books will publish the 25th Anniversary Edition of Weiss’s THE VESTIBULE (a Pocket Books Trade Paperback).

THE VESTIBULE was one of the first books to broach the subject of life after death and record experiences of those who died and then returned. It is a collection of remarkable stories told by men and women who were pronounced dead, only to return to their bodies and resume living. Their reports of journeying to death are so vivid, so full of joy and peace, and so startlingly alike that they give overwhelming evidence for the survival of the spirit after life. “The purpose and motive of THE VESTIBULE is to establish with more certainty that there is an afterlife,” wrote Jess Weiss, “thereby alleviating fully or to a degree the sting of death.”

Since publication, THE VESTIBULE has been used extensively in hospices for the terminally ill for its comforting and healing message. Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, The prominent physician and bestselling author of On Death and Dying, used Weiss’s book in her workshops to reassure dying patients and their families, and thousands of people around the world found solace in the accounts in Weiss’s book. “I cannot express on paper the feelings I felt while reading your book,” wrote one grateful reader. “Your book showed me that death is not frightening for the ill person. He welcomes it, after all that he has been through. For me, the subject of death no longer makes me tremble.”

Forever timely, THE VESTIBULE has been, is, and will continue to be a Spiritual guidepost for every person, leading to a greater understanding of life and Death … and the afterlife.

POCKET BOOKS-A division of Simon & Schuster Inc-1972, 1997

Liz Hartman, Director of Publicity,

Filters: Love them or Hate them

2011-05-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's pretty obvious that everything in my blog is my opinion, and my opinion is not necessarily fact. I may think I'm right, but if another photographer has a totally different way of getting to the same place, then I take my Beret off to them

So, here it goes - back in the day, when we had 52, 62, 72, 82, and 95mm threads, and shot 3 different types of black and white and color film, we had lots of filters. At the end of that era, my attitude was that any additional air glass surface that was put in-between the lens and the subject it could have a tendency of degrading the image. So, I consider less is more. Or, minimalistic filtration. I believed it, taught it, and damn well thought I was right. I never really believed a UV filter should be used to protect the lens. Today, many people would say that with Photoshop and high-end digital photography, you don't need filters. I personally try to do almost everything in camera, with a minimal amount of Photoshop. I may have come to that decision because I'm not as proficient as others with Photoshop. Or, it just could be that's the way I was brought up in photography. When it comes to filters, I only use Singh-Ray filters- their high-intensity, Gold-N-Blue, the Vari-ND, and I am looking forward to the new Vari-ND. On a previous blog, I made a rig to use the Variable Polarizer, the Vari-ND for video. My good friend Carl Saiver, of Sartek Industries, looked at what I made and said something to the effect of, "you have to be ___ ___ kidding!" He removed it from my camera and said that he'd have something for me in a week. A week later what appeared was a simple, elegant design for variable focusing and changes in filtration from either the left or right side with no noise or movement, and it's super smooth. Just want to let you know about my friend Carl - he's a genius! Carl's a world-class engineer, designer, and underwater maven. I strongly recommended going to his website. He makes some of the greatest lights in the world. Also, don't forget to check out Singh-Ray's filters you may be pleasantly surprised. To all the ships at sea, I'm signing off.

http://www.sarind.com/

http://www.singh-ray.com/

Self-Timer: One of your Best Friends

2011-05-03T08:07:00.000-07:00

Some of the little-known, inexpensive, non-descript, built-in accessories have been ignored for years. One of those would be the self-timer. Some of you may remember the ones that you had to crank. Then, there were ones that you had to load and press a button and you'd hear that buzzing sound. The beautiful thing about today's self-timer is that you have 2 separate settings, one for 2 seconds and one for 10 seconds. It is invariably a great tool for close-up and macro, stationary landscapes, waterscapes, table-top and catalog work, etc. No matter how great your tripod is, no matter how steady you are, no matter how fast your shutter speed is, when you put your face, your nose and your hand on a camera, there's going to be some movement. Compose, light your shot, step back, take a sip of red wine, and hit the self-timer. Okay, no red wine maybe Green tea. Okay, red wine and green tea.

Some Corporations Won't be Happy Until They Destroy Us All

2011-05-02T13:19:00.000-07:00

APA Responds to Getty Images’ Proposed Changes to Contributor Agreements

April 2011 – Getty Images recently announced that it intends to make a number of significant changes to its standard contributor agreements. For instance, the new agreements will allow Getty Images to include all royalty free (RF) content in any subscription products and also will eliminate the ability of contributors to prevent their content from being licensed in multimedia products.

Getty Images also has proposed changes that will allow it to move image content across license models by “removing the ability for contributors to opt out of images moving from RM to RF.” For editorial contributors, Getty Images also intends to make changes that will enable it “to more easily modify content use across more and new license models, products, services and selling environments, including subscriptions, high-volume customer deals and new or emerging pricing, licensing and payment models.”

According to Getty Images, these changes are intended to allow Getty Images to more freely use content in ways that were unforeseen previously in order to meet current and future customer needs.

Following on the heels of its Premium Access subscription product—which has eroded significantly the licensing fees being achieved for rights managed (RM) content—these modifications clearly signal that Getty Images’ top priority is expanding its own market share by whatever means necessary, irrespective of the damage it causes to the rights and interests of contributing photographers and image partners.

It is APA’s position that these changes are unnecessary and that it is inappropriate for Getty Images to continue to leverage its position in the industry to force contributors to relinquish control over which licensing model shall apply to their creative works. Rights managed licensing has been in existence for decades and is the preferred method of licensing high-value content.

Allowing Getty Images to place RM content into subscription products and move content between licensing models irrespective of the author’s wishes are major departures from industry norms, and they come at too significant of a price. If Getty Images is permitted to move imagery from the RM to the RF paradigm without the consent of and without previously informing the contributor, it becomes almost impossible to license that imagery as RM ever again.

Moreover, because Getty Images controls both the marketing of contributor content and the parameters for prioritizing its customers’ search results with very little accountability, there is a tremendous risk in also allowing Getty Images the authority to siphon RM imagery into the new and different models.

The erosion of the RM model also is concerning because it makes it more difficult for copyright owners to track usage of their creative works and protect their copyrights. Getty Images obviously realizes the importance of tracking third-party usage and monitoring copyrights because it does so vigorously for its wholly-owned content.

APA is disappointed that Getty Images fails to appreciate that these same concerns also are important to its contributors and image partners. For the stock photography industry to flourish, major distributors like Getty Images must respect the fundamental tenets of the rights managed licensing model and they must cooperate with and assist photographers in protecting their copyrights rather than consistently deferring to their customers who are infringing copyrights.

Because APA is very concerned by the changes being proposed by Getty Images, we have retained Nelson & McCulloch LLP, a New York-based law firm which focuses its practice on copyright law and litigation ( http://www.nelsonmcculloch.com), to help us develop a response to these changes and open a dialogue with Getty Images to address this issue.

Nelson & McCulloch have handled a number of cases and matters involving Getty Images and have served as litigation and arbitration counsel for contributors and image partners in disputes with Getty Images relating to the licensing of Rights Managed imagery. Nelson & McCulloch thus offers APA and our membership invaluable experience and expertise in addressing this particular issue.

Please send your concerns and individual situation comments on this subject to Nelson & McCulluch. They will use them to compile and frame dialog with Getty and for other stock issues in the future.

Dan Nelson – dnelson@nelsonmcculloch.com
Kevin McCulloch – kmcculloch@nelsonmcculloch.com

APA - NATIONAL
PO Box 725146 Atlanta, GA 31139
Phone: (800) 272-6264 ext. 12 e execdirector@apanational.com

My Dear Friend,

When my friend Peter B Kapland sends me a e-mail 3 to 4 times a week underneath his signature he has a quote from Henri Cartier Bresson, "Giving up rights to your photos is like taking skin from your eyeballs."

Rubber Bands or how I made Gone with the Wind

2011-05-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

Most photographers spend their freshman years developing the basic fundamental skills necessary to make a reasonable photograph. The next sophomore and junior years, they're developing a style, a presence. They're honing their skills in composition and lighting. As they move into their master years, I think we found out the difference between something that looks good and something that looks great could be a 3-cent rubber band. At this point, I would love to take credit for coming up with this idea. Sorry, guys, not my idea. If I knew the gentleman or lady that came up with the idea, I would certainly credit them with it. You may know my good friend Lou Long, a great photographer. He spent half of his career in Europe. He is now based in Miami Beach. He showed me a little trick with the rubber band on the fluid head. Manfrotto. And the difference is night and day. Similar to the self-timer versus the manual exposure with a finger, this removes all the sound, huffing and puffing, and gives you an unbelievably smooth pan. So go buy some rubber bands, attach them to your fluid head, and make yourself "Gone with the Wind 2". It's all good.

May 1, 2011 Justice a Long Time In Coming

2011-05-02T07:47:00.000-07:00

I lost 3,000 brothers and sisters on Sept 11,2001. One was an extremely close friend the other a friend. I'd like to thank all the men and women in the armed forces, CIA, Special Ops and the Navy Seals that put an end to a mass murderer. When Osama Bin Laden attacked the World Trade Center he literally attacked all people from all countries not just Americans.

1/8000 of a second, What are you, crazy?

2011-05-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

I vaguely remember when the fastest shutter speed in a camera was 1/500 of a second. Electronic flash would sync at a 1/60 of a second, and the press 25 synched at a 1/30 of a second. Then one day, up popped 1/500th of a second, 1/1000, 1/2000, 1/4000, and now 1/8000. If there's one thing I do pretty well, I'm like the Rock of Gibraltar when hand-holding a camera. In the day, I could hand hold a 500mm at a 1/500 of a second and make a reasonably sharp photograph. So why would you need 1/8000 of a second? On a recent trip to Mexico, I ran into a young man from Romania. He was the photographer for the resort we were staying in. He knew my work and asked me to look at his portfolio, which I did. Much to my pleasant surprise, his work was great. I mean damn great. Invariably, the subject of what camera he used and what lens came up. Not that I care about the brand or the focal length, but I was impressed when he told me he had one camera and one lens. Then I thought about it for a while. Why should that surprise me? I'd been telling my students one camera, one lens, 2 batteries, 2 cards, and kiss (keep it simple stupid.) This young man did it to perfection. He photographed his action sequences at 1/8000 of a second, and they were to die for. So I smiled, took a walk, moved my camera from ISO 200 to ISO 800, put it on 1/8000 of a second, and had a little bit of fun. I was surprised. There is a whole other world of high shutter speeds that I've never experienced. So for the next little while, I'd go from 1/8000 of a second to my normal shutter speed, which would be a quarter of a second. I guess I will never be too old to learn a valuable tip from a very young, and very good photographer. Thank you, Gabriel.

Tripods: Love them or Hate them

2011-04-30T07:28:00.000-07:00

Over my career in photography, I've had approximately 30 different tripods and 7 different monopods. But today, I'd like to talk about tripods. I have always exclusively used Gitzo or Manfrotto. The simple fact of the matter is that they have never failed. There have been some bizarre situations for example this comes to mind- I was on an assignment for Jacques Cousteau, photographing the whales mating in Scammon's Lagoon. We were taken out to a key that was approximately 200 yards long and 20 yards wide. We were shooting with 400s and 600mm lenses. The slight miscalculation is that we were dropped off at low tide. As the day progressed, the tide came in. The two Gitzos saved our cameras and long glass. The water came up to the second leg. Salt water and sand are not good for anything photographic. When we returned to shore, they were washed in fresh water and continued to work fine for the balance of the month we were there. When we returned to New York, they did require new bushings and grease. I still have that tripod today. It is 35 years old.

Ten years later, on a major advertising shoot for Saatchi & Saatchi, the tripod was elevated all the way up, including the center post. A ladder was needed to for me to be eye level to the viewfinder. I was using a 800mm lens. I needed the focal length for the creative director's vision and also to remove the extremely ugly background. Tripods - you've got to love 'em! When do you hate them? The reality is, when you carry a tripod all day long and do not use it, this is not a good thing. A reasonable tripod takes up as much space as 3 lenses. Or, a camera, lens, and a strobe. It can also slow you down at a time where you want to be as mobile as possible. But what happens when you don't take that tripod? Invariably, you come across a situation where you say "Oh god, what have I done"? I think I've come up with a great solution. Well, not really me, but Manfrotto. I've recently purchased a Manfrotto 190CXPro3 tripod, and a 701HDV Manfrotto head. The tripod is unbelievably small and light and the head, even though relatively inexpensive, works extremely well for moderate DSLR video shooting. I've pushed past the envelope of weight, and it's worked great with a 70-200mm f/2.8.

Tripods, love them or hate them? When you need them, you've got to love them!

Lens Shades: You better love them!

2011-04-29T12:04:00.000-07:00

It's not uncommon, back in the day, for a Mitchell camera or a Panavision camera to have a 20-thousand-dollar mat box. In reality, what the hell is a mat box? Filter holder? No, it's really a lens shade. Today, some of them are pretty damn expensive, but let's start with the simple one. Why would you spend $2,500 for a 70-200mm lens and not put the bloody shade on it? My God, look at the front element! The light is going to hit from every angle, and it's going to degrade the image! Flare, ghosting, blown-out, all sorts of bad stuff. This is going to make the $2,500 lens look like a Coca-Cola bottle. Use the right lens shade all the time! If you're using a filter, take the shade off and have a hand-held flag or gobo, call it what you wish maybe a hat, a piece of cardboard. Anything that will throw a shadow over the front element of the lens or filter to make the photographs better- a lot better. Some of the most inexpensive and simple tricks will make your pictures into a photograph.

$200 Studio Table for $14.95

2011-04-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

My partner JoAnne came in one day with this silly little table and with my miserable attitude, I poo-pooed it. I thought to myself, "What a dumb table!" JoAnne took it out to the lake, spent the summer and the fall sipping her white wine at sunset and then the table appeared back in the studio when the snow came. One day, I needed to do a fine art photo for my dear friend Ko for his new boutique gallery in Hong Kong. I looked over, saw the silly little table, put the small Dynalite underneath it, illuminated the heavy vase from the bottom, and added one silver reflector- wa-la! Pretty good photo. We don't work for the table company, we don't work for Wal-Mart, but yesterday morning I went out and bought 5 of them. Figured the students could use them. Because of the texture of the glass, I think some very dynamic photos could be made with a steaming cup of coffee all the way to a new $100 bill, shooting it backlit.

Bill Eppridge

2011-04-25T12:23:00.000-07:00

When pros sit around and start talking about other photographers, invariably the name Bill Eppridge comes up. He truly is a photographer for all times. He's young enough and strong enough to be vital today and old enough to be considered one of the all-time season greats. Many of his photographs are as powerful and important as they were 50 years ago. Anything that Bill has set his mind to do, he's done it and he's done it to absolute excellence. There's going to be an opening of a retrospective of his work this Sunday, May 1 from 2-4pm at the Fairfield museum. I strongly recommended anyone in the area of 10 states consider going. RVSP to info@fairfieldhs.org or call 203-259-1598.

Lights Out. No, Really, Lights Out!

2011-04-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

Well, one of my favorite TV series has just been canceled. Okay, maybe it's my favorite because I was in it as an extra. There's that ego again. You gotta keep it in check. Holt McCallany, attended one of Lou Dibella's Broadway Boxing shows at B.B. King's, so I thought I'd introduce Holt to John Duddy, which I did. Last night, on the final episode of Lights Out, there was Duddy with Holt with three speaking parts. Boy, did I feel foolish! Obviously John worked a different day than I did on the film, and by the way, he was great. Sorry to hear it was canceled, but I guess it's a ratings business thing.

Andreas the Giant

2011-04-07T03:00:00.000-07:00

When I was in my twenties, thirties, and maybe forties, I found it difficult or maybe challenging to genuinely appreciate other photographer's work. I don't know if that's a lack of confidence in my own work, or if it's an overactive ego, or maybe I'm just not that smart. To be quite frank, I really don't know. But on April 3rd, I had an opportunity to stop by the Hasted Kraeutler gallery, and much to my surprise I had an opportunity to see some amazing photography. Andreas Gefeller really nailed it. He calls it the "Japanese Series". My god, that made it even more powerful. If it's one thing I've learned from my asian brothers and sisters, it's simplicity in design is extremely powerful stuff. This young photographer blew my doors off. My partner JoAnne was equally impressed, and my dear friend Dennis Wheeler loved it. He leaves you mesmerized with simple, clean, elegant lines. He takes obscene clutter and simplifies it to a point of beauty. As I was leaving the gallery, I walked over, grabbed his hand, embraced him, and told him how much I loved the work. If it was 30 years ago, I may have grumbled, grinded my teeth, and mumbled under my breath, "I wish I took that damn photo!" Andreas, I take my beret off to you. Great work.

©Andreas Gefeller

Dennis Wheeler, Artist in Residence

2011-04-06T14:12:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, I had an opportunity to sit down with the powers that be at one of the greatest Maritime companies- The Oceania Cruises. We discussed the art program on board the ships and we agreed to become part of their art enhancement programs. The first thing I did is I called my dear friend Dennis Wheeler who has work in the permanent collection in the Museum of Modern Art, and I asked him to be an artist in residence at one of the new super liners. He said he'd have to think about it, and approximately five seconds later he said okay. No one will ever say Dennis drags his feet. His beautiful wife Kathi, former Director of Marketing of Departures Magazine. A dynamic figure in the world of travel and business. Dennis came into New York on his first voyage and we joined him for dinner on the ship. Dennis being Dennis, before dinner we went to five art galleries in the meat packing district of New York City. And we had an extremely light liquid lunch. I like to call it a salad. Four ounces of Kettle One vodka, three onions, three olives, a twist of lemon- looks like a salad to me! A good time was had by all. Returning to the ship, Kathi ran into one of her culinary favorites, Jacque Pepin. And an absolutely fabulous dinner followed. Life's good. To all the ships at sea, I'm signing off.

http://www.dimaggiophoto.com

John is Gone

2011-04-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

2 years ago, a dear friend said I have to blog. To be honest, it was not big on my radar. It's not uncommon for me to put in 12 to 14 hour days and sometimes more. Working 2 weeks straight is not uncommon. So, blogging is one more obligation. Not easy. I started blogging and someone told me it should only be professional and about photography and not personal. There are a lot of rules out there that I don't quite get. And considering I'm not big into authority and following hard protocol, I pretty much do what I want and say what I want and let the preverbal hit where it hits. I don't go out of my way to offend anyone. It's all good. Which brings me to today's blog. I have a friend by the name of John Terraciano. And I called him around 9:30 this morning just to say hello. I received his voicemail and it seemed just a little strange. Something was not right. So, I called one of his close friends Hector Vazquez and left a message. Hector called me back 20 minutes later to inform me that John passed away at midnight this morning. We got together at Christmas, he was as healthy as a horse, great smile, great personality, great wife, Miraim, and an extremely generous giving individual. I don't ever remember hearing the "no" word in his vocabulary. He was always there for you and never expected anything but a thank-you. He came to one of my openings and he brought a beautiful Christmas cactus, which I've always treasured. Hey, John, I'm sorry I didn't have a chance to say goodbye. Damn, I'm gonna miss you. But who knows, maybe I'll see you on the other side sooner than anybody knows. I guess that's the way it works, huh? Here today, gone tomorrow. On a lighter note, it's my niece's birthday. So, Happy Birthday. Joe D signing off.

Two Irishmen and an Italian

2011-04-02T08:07:00.000-07:00

James Moore and John Duddy got together with their good friend Lou Dibella at B.B. King's the other night. The two great Irish boxers were there to support Seanie Monaghan, who won a unanimous decision. A good time was had by all.

©MMXI Joe DiMaggio

March 25, 1911, The 100 Years Ago

2011-04-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

As some of you may or may not know, I was born and raised in Greenwich Village, New York, bouncing between 63 Carmine Street and 101 St. Luke's Place. It was the DiMaggio's side of the family and the Pennino side of the family. It wasn't until 5 years ago that I discovered my grandmother and her sister worked at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. She was 16 years old and her sister was 14. On March 25 1911, the most devastating industrial disaster. Both my grandmother and my aunt made it out safely. 146 women and children did not make it out. As a photographer, every time I photograph my grandmother, there was something that was deep and troubling in her eyes. She had a beautiful smile, but that smile was always accompanied by the troubled eyes. I love my grandmother. It was unnerving to me. I never knew what she went through. She must have been terrified her whole life by that ordeal.

"The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City on March 25, 1911, was the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of the city of New York and resulted in the fourth highest loss of life from an industrial accident in U.S. history. The fire caused the deaths of 146 garment workers, who either died from the fire or jumped to their deaths. Most of the victims were recent Jewish and Italian immigrant women aged sixteen to twenty-three;^[1]^[2]^[3] the oldest victim was 48, the youngest were two fourteen-year-old girls.^[4] Many of the workers could not escape the burning building because the managers had locked the doors to the stairwells and exits. People jumped from the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors. The fire led to legislation requiring improved factorysafety standards and helped spur the growth of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, which fought for better working conditions for sweatshop workers."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire

Gil Clancy - A True Gentlemen May 30 1922- March 31, 2011

2011-04-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

ibhoff.com

Somewhere around 1969 I went to my father and asked him how I could get in touch with Jerry Quarry. My father laughed and said, "you have to be kidding Gil Clancy of course." I asked if he knew Gil and he said, "know him? - we went to NYU together and worked at the P.A.L."

Gil Clancy was the first trainer to allow me first access to a training camp which was Jerry Quarry's camp. Suffice to say, it was one helluva education. I know I tend to use cliches. Sorry but they don't make them like him anymore. He was a great athlete and trainer. His absolute honesty prevailed. He never took advantage of any boxer and was a true gentleman. The boxing brotherhood has lost another Hall of Famer. Talk about irony, you can't make this stuff up. April 1, 1961 My grandfather took me to the first Emile Griffith "Benny Kid Paret" Fight in Madison Square Garden. Yes, to all to all the ships at sea, that was half a century ago.

DUMBO Workshop

2011-03-31T13:07:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone – it was a fun day. Thanks, JoeD, for the great workshop, and thanks Dylan, Larry and Monica, for all that you contribute to making these photo workshops possible.

©Ann Raine

Thanks for sending your email address and thanks for your hospitality yesterday at your firehouse. It was a great visit. Here's one photo- more on the way later, but I really liked the way you were laughing in this one.

Ann Raine

DUMBO Workshop

2011-03-31T12:56:00.001-07:00

Thanks for a great day. I learned so much and I have about 100 photos that I really like from the day. Below are a couple of my favorites.

Rhonda Griscti

DUMBO Workshop

2011-03-31T12:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks again for a wonderful workshop and learning experience. It was truly a good day and being surrounded by talented individuals made it even better! I truly appreciate the clear cut way you spoke about photography, techniques, and stressing how everyone should be having fun. I'm very glad to have taken part of the Dumbo workshop and will look forward to future workshops with you.

Angelica Y. Criscuolo

Sunday's Student

2011-03-31T12:39:00.000-07:00

A Photowalk is much like a photograph; having multiple elements, location, weather, access, perspective, etc. When the elements are in sync the result is an interesting and technically correct image and when the elements in a photowalk are in sync, the result is a most rewarding experience. This was the case with the DUMBO Photowalk with Joe DiMaggio. All of the elements were there; Joe's intimate knowledge of his "subjects," his availability to answer questions, the access to locations we were afforded and the reception we were given. As a group we benefited from Joe's reputation within the photography and film world. This was a full day of "photography with photographers." Joe's wit and humor fostered the bond between the group and set the mood for the experience. I highly recommend this, and and any other workshop/photowalk with Joe DiMaggio.

Dr. Stephen Wakschal

In This Corner The Final Chapter

2011-03-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

Delen Parsley before fight

The first thing you learn in journalism school is there has to be a beginning, middle and end. Six years ago when I started the documentary "In This Corner" (I thought it would only take a year) I knew the film would have a beginning, middle but no end One of the protagonists in my film asked me if I was directing the documentary. I explained the director was a combination of God, and him and I show up and watch the story progress. On Sunday the 27th I had a Dumbo Workshop, sponsored by Adorama and ran into an old friend by the name of Blimp. He informed me his son Delan would be having another fight at BB King's and would I be going? I told Blimp thanks for the heads up and why did he give me so much notice? Dylan and I made an executive decision to go to the fight. We prepped the following day and headed out for another 12 hour day. I'm going to share this with you - something magical happened that evening. For the first time in many decades, I was totally relaxed and at peace with the world. I indirectly thought, let the shit fall where it falls because I'm going to have a great evening. I let Dylan do all the hard work. Well somewhere around 3 in the morning after having a celebratory Jameson with James Moore, John Duddy, and Dylan Michael, we raised a glass to James Moore's new baby who coincidentally is also called Dylan Michael. I realized that the time they are a'changing. I believe that this attitude change is going to stay with me for the balance of my career and I'm hoping it leads to much better filmmaking and my photography. At least several run on sentences ago, I mentioned a beginning, middle and end. The combination of Delan Parsley's unanimous decision Win, running into my old friend writer Pete Hamill, and grabbing a flying noisy interview with Trainer Harry Keitt, Lou DeBella, James Moore and Duddy, we now have an honest no bullshit end to "In This Corner" Three more days of talking head interviews, two days of "B" role, and 9 months of editing and with any luck at all we'll have a completed (I want it to be great) film.

Joe DiMaggio (the photographic slugger) checks in to say Singh-Ray is the only filter for him

2011-03-23T01:00:00.000-07:00

"There was a time in my photographic career," says veteran freelancer Joe DiMaggio, "when I had 30 or 40 different filters in various sizes. In those days, there were several types of black-and-white film, and two or three color films that often needed a little more pop.

"With the advent of digital, I found myself asking who needs filters anymore -- especially with Photoshop? Like many other things I've done over the years, if I wait long enough, I'll prove myself wrong. Turns out that my filters are often the difference between success and frustration.

"The reality is that I now actively and exclusively use what I feel are the best filters available: Singh-Ray. My relationship with Singh-Ray goes back to 1974 when I purchased my first filter to correct my underwater housing, and it worked very well. I've found Singh-Ray filters to be expertly crafted, and all their designs are definitely outside-the-box. Each one has a specific application. You may not need them all. For that matter, I may not need them all, but there are several I find absolutely essential. TheLB Color Intensifier is number one. Another is the Singh-Ray Gold-N-Blue Polarizer. Since the arrival of DSLR video, the Gold-N-Blue is drop-dead great. Anybody who follows my work knows that I like long exposures, very long exposures. So, the next favorite filter in my camera bag is the Vari-NDvariable neutral density filter. And I've also got to mention my trusty LB Polarizer.

"This Hobie Catamaran photograph above was done with a Singh-Ray polarizing filter -- and Kodachrome 25 film -- a few years before the 'lighter, brighter' version came out. The polarizer really helped me cut glare to get all the color that Kodachrome was famous for. It was taken from the top mast on a Hobie 16. Living on the sea afforded me a window of Northport Harbor. Watching the boats pass by was like a ballet of color and contrast. I made friends with one of the captains and photographed from one boat to another, but I was soon looking for a different perspective. I tried to talk one of the catamaran captains into modifying his boat for my photo. He was interested in seeing the photograph, but had no interest at all in modifying his boat. So to solve my problem, I went out and bought a brand new Hobie 16, drilled a hole in the top of the mast and mounted my camera to the mast and used a radio control tripping device. To tell the truth, John Zimmerman from Life Magazine did a photograph of a docked sailboat from the Bosen's chair, which I always admired. His image intrigued me but I wanted to add color and motion to my version. In the final analysis, we have to thank all great photographers for the inspiration they provide us to make our own images.

"I used my ColorCombo for this image of my puppy, Ace. He's also a big fan of my filters -- he likes to lick them... although I'm pretty sure that's not the recommended cleaning method."

Although Joe and his partner JoAnne Kalish are based in New York and the Upper Delaware Valley, they travel the globe on various photo projects and assignments as well as operate the DiMaggio/Kalish Learning Center. To learn more about their many workshops and special events, you can visit their website.

It Ain't Hollywood It's Just a Test!

2011-03-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

http://vimeo.com/21997837

Please click the above link to see the Singh-Ray Gold-N-Blue filter in action!

One of the most common questions we get in our workshops and lectures - Do we use filters? If so, what filters and what brand? Let's be clear - yes, we use filters but only Singh-Ray Filters. The two prominent filters are the Gold-N-Blue and the Vari-N-Duo. Dr. Singh is an amazing designer and engineer and is always thinking outside the box. I'm notdreaming that I can improve on his filters, but what I've done is made a modification to a step-up or step-down ring. A great deal of my work today is incorporating video into our repertoire (we've always offered our clients video on a professional level.) In the day, it was the big Sony's. Today, we're able to maintain a great relationship with Sony, but we also utilize our DSLR's because of the quality and because of their size, speed and the fact we have more lens selection. A simple raging river that was swollen by torrential rain when photographed with the Gold-N-Blue in the video mode is mesmerizing. You're looking a normal photograph and over the next minute or so, it turns slightly blue, then, a darker blue, and then a more intense blue. By the time your eyes adjust to the gorgeous blue, it starts turning into a wheat color, then a yellow and then a midas gold color. That's kind of cool! But, every time you put your hand on the filter, you tend to move the camera or photograph your damn finger! You want a seamless, smooth, Hollywood dissolve. The most simple way for me to do this was to build my little stick (it's really not a little stick.) You take a 77mm filter, you put a step up-ring on it, put the ring into a vise, pre-punch two starting poles, start your drilling, then attach the nut, finish your drilling and insert extremely small machine screws. Then you thread your eye bolt into this and coat it with 4 or 5 rubber bands, putting the filter together with the ring, put the ring onto the lens, put the lens onto the camera, put the camera and the lens on a tripod. I only use Manfrotto or Gitzo tri-pods. You then turn the camera on, compose and by controlling the dissolve in the filter with the rubber band, it becomes seamless, smooth and gorgeous. To change the recipe to the famous "fade to black", we simply replace the Gold-N-Blue with the Vari-N-Duo, which now allows you to go from one scene to another, or to open up or close down a scene. It's quite pretty. Yes, you can do it in final cut pro, but I'd rather do it with a camera.

All Great Men are Born in March

2011-03-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

Over the last two decades, I've had the extreme pleasure of calling Bill Shatner a dear friend. Out of all the people I know, Bill Shatner is probably one of the most sophisticated, well-read people I've had the opportunity to meet. If you had an opportunity to see Bill in Boston Legal, you would believe that he was on camera for all 44 minutes. He's that strong and that powerful a figure, and the combination of his improvisation and his unique voice adds so much to that particular character. He may only be on screen for 10 of the 44 minutes, yet he literally steals the show. William has the ability to laugh at himself. I one time made a mistake and complimented him on his huge comeback. He came close to taking my head off. "Comeback?" he said, "I've never left!" The strength will carry him on and on. I've had an opportunity to watch him direct. He has great style and never raises his voice. He doesn't have to. He is a true entrepreneur, and an extremely giving individual who supports several different charities. The flagship charity being the Hollywood Horse Show, wich will be held again this year on April 30. Along with his beautiful, creative, intelligent wife, Elizabeth (an accomplished world class horse woman and fine arts photographer), the two of them will continue to ride from sunrise to sunset. Last but not least, with all due respect, he is an absolute lunatic behind the wheel of an automobile. The man just loves to race! I can't wait to see him on Top Gear. I've had the pleasure of racing with him, and like everything else in his life, he's competitive with & doesn't like to lose. Happy Birthday, William! I know you're going to continue the ride for many more years.

Your friend, Joe D.

Don't take the tags off!

2011-03-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

When I started my blog, it was done for only good purposes. Where I could impart some of my photographic expertise to my fellow photographers. The blog was never designed to be an obituary or take on a persona of a bully pulpit. Unfortunately, several very dear friends and loved ones have passed in the last 2 years, and they need to be remembered. The social networks are designed as tools to communicate your ideas, your beliefs, your likes and your dislikes. There is no doubt in my mind that I am at least 10 years behind the curve. But that's okay. We all can't be visionaries. I'd like to tell you a little story about someone who, in my opinion, is a brilliant marketer who has learned how to manipulate public relations and genuinely knows how to control the social media. I receive a minimum of 1 email every 10 days or so from him, wanting to show me his new products, his new designs, and his wonderful products. He wanted me to be his friend on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Buzz, Twitter, and email marketing utilizing ReachMail. There is no doubt in my mind that this individual believes that he is a visionary and a renaissance man. And that he's doing great work for his clients or customers. When you really get down to it, Scott Jordan, CEO and founder of ScotteVest, is in the service business. At least, that is the impression he gives you. Unfortunately, this is where Scott Jordan comes apart at the seams-a lot like his products. If it's one thing I've learned in over 4 decades as a photographer-filmaker (yes I'm in the service-oriented business), nothing is perfect. So when a client of mine is unhappy with my work, you can rest assured I am extremely unhappy. At this point, there is no right or wrong. Without any hesitation, my unhappy client is made happy again. If it requires a re-shoot at my expense, so be it. Whatever is necessary, I will do. Virtually no questions asked. That's my job. Mr. Jordan says he does the same thing. In reality, he does not. He explained to me that he would be very happy to give me a refund on my vest as long as I didn't take the tags off of it. Well, I'm too old to run around New York City with 3 tags hanging off my new ScotteVest. Mr. Jordan doesn't have to live up to my expectations of how business should be done. I'm not so naive to believe that anybody should be held accountable to what I believe in. But for God sakes, stop sending me these damn emails! No, I don't want to be your friend, and I don't want to Twitter you. And considering you come off as a friend of the environment with American products, somebody needs to remind you-plastic is not a good thing. And your plastic cards in every pocket is detrimental to the environment. Do you think one card made out of biodegradable material would suffice? Or maybe you could have a free envelope and mail them back to you so you could send them out again. Not very practical, but it sure as hell would help out the post office. You also leave something out of your brilliant marketing, your excellent overall advertising, your extremely slick expensive heavy-duty four color brochure, and all of your social media- you don't tell people about your washing instructions. And what you can and can't do with the zippers. Until, of course, they've taken the labels off your particular product. When push comes to shove, I guess it's my fault. Every once and a while you forget the old adage: Buyer Beware. Mr. Jordan, in my humble opinion, you make garbage. I happen to be in a major department store. Saw a vest for 19 dollars. Bought it as a throw-away. It is 20 times better product than your vest. Just my opinion. To all the ships at sea, Buyer Beware!

The Long Vigil, A Great Read!

2011-03-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

Over the years, I've read hundreds and hundreds of books, but I've only read three cover-to-cover in one sitting. The first was To Kill the Potempkin and Mexico Bente Uno, both written by Mark Joseph. The third was Joe DiMaggio: The Long Vigil, written by Jerome Charyn. Someone once asked me how I could tell a great photograph, and I said to them it's when I bite my bottom lip and under my breath I scream "I wish I made that photo!" That's how I feel about Jerome's latest book. I wish he wrote this book 30 years ago. It would have really helped me understand Joe DiMaggio the Yankee clipper as applicable to my relationship with him as a photographer and member of the press. I found myself screaming "Oh My God I understand now!" Hell, if Joe D. was alive today, he'd understand himself a whole lot better! (A quick antidote- I was photographing a Gerry Cooney fight in San Fransisco for Sports Illustrated and somewhere around 3 o'clock in the afternoon in an almost totally empty cow palace. DiMaggio walked in ringside, sat down in his seat alone. I was approximately 40 feet away setting up a remote camera. I looked over, smiled, no particular response. I went back to where my camera bag was, took out a 300 mm 2.8 lens, focused on a chair near DiMaggio, flipped it to a vertical, looked over the lens before I moved it, glanced at DiMaggio-we made eye contact- and I made 3 frames. Before my finger hit the shutter release to make the 4th, DiMaggio, without saying a word, mouthed "THAT'S ENOUGH". It might as well have been an earthquake.) Mr. Charyn, thank you so much for clearing this up for me. You have written one hell of a great book. I'm going to buy a dozen copies as gifts.

Joe D.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DYLAN MICHEAL MOORE 3/13/11

2011-03-14T17:08:00.000-07:00

At 3:21 yesterday morning a very beautiful American Irish Lad was born by the name of Dylan Michael Moore to two beautiful parents James & Leanne Moore and Leanne Moore. It is their first child. His height, weight, and arm reach to be posted at a later date. The three things that are for sure is he's beautiful, an American, and a chip off both blocks.The Irish Eyes are Smiling. The only thing that could have been better if if he waited to be born on March 17. Okay, Leanne just joking... Dinner and a family portrait will be arranged soon.

Congratulations

Joe DiMaggio The Long Vigil by Author Jerome Charyn

2011-03-10T14:28:00.000-08:00

Over the years I've had the pleasure of attending literally hundreds of gallery openings, book signings and great cocktail parties for no particular reason. It's a New York City thing. Tuesday evening I attended one of the greatest book signings I've ever had the pleasure of attending. The party was staged at Goldman McCormick PR firm. One of the principals is a young entrepreneur by the name of Ryan McCormick. I have a dear friend by the name of Bill McCormick and we go back to my Sports Illustrated Days and a mutual friend by the name of Gerry Cooney. As luck would have it Ryan turns out to be Bill's son. Talk about a small world. Ryan's partner is Mark Goldman and the two of them are setting New York on fire.

So let's get to the meat of the party - Peanuts, popcorn, Cracker Jacks and beer. It doesn't get better than that and the hot dogs were Kosher. It's another New York thing. The two hosts of the party - Lenore Reigel is a charming, intelligent, and talented woman and her life partner author Jerome Charyn is not only a brilliant writer but a very lovely person as well. Jerome has just finished a book titled Joe DiMaggio The Long Vigil which I can't wait to read. The party was hopping and jammed to the hilt with a lot of great writers and other artists. Like the man said "it's all good..."

Studio Photo © Joe DiMaggio

Happy Birthday Mom

2011-03-08T11:34:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Mom

The Fighter:The Real Story

2011-03-01T13:02:00.000-08:00

Last night Christian Bale and Melissa Leo won academy awards for the fighter. Over a 5 year period I had an opportunity to photograph Mickey Ward the real fighter. Mickey is as tough and as dedicated as they come. He has no fear. An amazing athlete. His brother Dickie had some problems no one got in between him and his brother. I've just completed a multi-media show on the brothers. I will be posting it in about a week.

Eddie Kirkland Rest in Peace

2011-02-28T07:55:00.000-08:00

August 16, 1923 - February 27, 2011

Eddie Kirkland
Photo © Joe DiMaggio

Sometime in 1923 a male child was born in the Island of Jamaica. He went onto being one of the greatest Blues Players of our time. Yesterday in Tampa, Florida Eddie Kirkland was killed in a car crash. Eddie's gone but the music will go on forever. My dear friend Bobby Kyle introduced me to Eddie several years back, I had an opportunity to not only photograph him but my son Dylan was able to shoot some great HD footage on him - some pretty powerful stuff.

The world has lost another great artist. Our prayers go out to the Kirkland family.

There is a God.

2011-02-22T13:46:00.000-08:00

©Joe DiMaggio

Gene Smith

12/20/1918 - 10/15/1978

God

If you follow this blog, you know I tend to be wordy, and repeat myself. You've heard me say I'm the luckiest guy in the world, and that's just true. I had an opportunity to assist Gene Smith back in the day and I can't tell you how much I learned. In the last 20 years I felt guilty because I didn't execute in a way that Smith would be proud of my work. I made photographs for clients that wanted and needed to control the situation. When pushed too hard, I resigned several clients, which in today's market, would be just crazy. It's only in the last few years I'm starting to go back to what Gene taught me. I hope it shows in my documentary film making. There is no doubt if Smith was alive today, he would be doing films rather than stills. The bottom line is he was the greatest, period, end of discussion. Nobody was better. I don't think we're going to see anybody better. Yes, Smith was a God! Thank you, Gene and I miss you everyday.

2011-02-21T13:53:00.000-08:00

Sometimes good things happen with no particular rhyme or reason. I have a good friend by the name of Victor Goretsky. Victor had an opportunity to work with a very talented, powerful young lady by the name of Lenore Rigel. Her life partner is author Jerome Charyn, an absolute brilliant writer,. I received an invitation to the reception celebrating his new book Joe DiMaggio: The Long Vigil. Of course, I will absolutely be there. Now just for the record, it will be held at Goldman and McCormick Studios. How many people out there believe in bizarre coincidences? Normally, I would not click on the studio web page, but I did and noticed that one of the principles looked very familiar. The reason he looked familiar is because his dad, Bill McCormick and I have been friends for over 35 years. You know, you can't make this stuff up. I haven't seen Ryan since he was 5 years old. It should be one hell of a party! I'm really looking forward to it.

Singh Ray: The only filter

2011-02-03T14:57:00.000-08:00

A cool hello to all the ships at sea. There was a time in my photographic repertoire where I had 30 or 40 different filters and different sizes. In the day, there were several types of black and white film, and two or three color films you wanted to add a little pop to. Since the advent of digital, I found myself saying "Who needs filters anymore?", especially with Photoshop. Like many other things I've done over the years, if I wait long enough, I'll prove myself wrong. The reality is that I now exclusively use the best filters money can buy, and that's Singh-ray. My relationship with Singh-ray goes back to 1974 when I purchased my first Singh-ray filter to correct my underwater housing, and it worked very well. For the most part, Singh-ray filters tend to be custom-made. All of their designs are definitely out-of-the-box. Each one has a very specific application. You may not need them all, for that matter I may not need them all, but there are few absolute essentials. The LB Color Intensifier is number one. The second is the Singh-ray Gold-N-Blue. Since the advent of DSLR video, the filter is drop dead great. Anybody who follows my work knows that I like long exposures, very long exposures. So, the next filter in my camera bag is the variable neutral density filter. Singh-ray has a filter for everyone's application. It's interesting to see the reaction to students when I lend them a filter. Invariably, the following workshop they've gone out and procured that filter. For the record, I'm not a big HDR shooter, but someone needed a sample of HDR and I knocked one out utilizing my Singh-ray LB Color Intensifier filter. I also used that filter on my Ace puppy. By the way, he loves licking that filter!

Fabulous Fabio

2011-02-02T08:45:00.000-08:00

On a recent trip to Israel I had an opportunity to meet Bellina from Kata Bags. Bellina is Director of Production at Kata. She was kind enough to give my partner JoAnne Kalish, myself and friend Simon Jacob, a tour of her facility. While we were there Bellina asked if both JoAnne and I would like to be judges in their Dream Bag Contest which we were very happy to do.

At the time, I mentioned to Bellina that I had an idea for a utilitarian photo vest. She was gracious enough to pass my ideas along to Fabio Prada. Fabio is based in the Northern part of Italy near Milan. Fabio is the Chief Design Engineer of the new line of Manfrotto photographic apparel. Fabio and I have spoke several times over the last few months. He agreed to entertain some of my ideas for the vest. Fabio invited me to meet him at the Manfrotto Photographic conference when he was in town. He graciously told me how much he liked my original Photo Kilt which was sold in Europe 15 years ago. Just for the record, I did not come up with the name Photo Kilt (someone else's idea) but did design the product. Fabio pulled out all the stops with the new Manfrotto, photo Jacket/Vest (see below.) Actually it's a complete photo system in one, including rain gear, poncho, shell and two proprietary back packs which are out-of-this-world. For that matter the complete new line is awesome. The new Manfrotto apparel line will be available by March 1, 2011. You can rest assured, I will be treating myself to a new jacket.

A Very Special Person

2011-02-02T07:35:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while you come across a very special person. One of my student's Ann Raine, has had an extremely versatile career. Her travels have taken her all over the world. She's as comfortable in a high level meeting with a Fortune 500 Company as she is making environmental portraits on the streets of NYC. I've recently asked Anne to become one of the the new board members for our DiMaggio/Kalish Photographic Retreats, along with Brian Struble and Larry Malang.

I love the cold!/I'm a lying bastard!

2011-01-27T14:50:00.000-08:00

©Joe DiMaggio

Hi everybody,

I've always been extremely fond of macro lenses. As a matter of fact, I've shot more covers with a macro lens than probably any other piece of glass. For instance, macros are great for boxing. Why? Because traditionally, the lenses are deeply reset and the maximun aperture f/2.8 is a great f stop for boxing, fast enough, and enough depth of field to make the photo. Thank God they don't have boxing outside in the wintertime anyway! The droplet of water, as simple as you can get, tack sharp. If you have a long macro lens, maybe you can even stay inside and shoot it. Stay warm, it's only two more months before spring!

©JoAnne Kalish

In Memory of My Son Joseph

2011-01-21T10:31:00.000-08:00

One year ago today, I lost my first born son Joseph. That same day, part of my heart and soul were lost forever. There is no way I can express on how much I miss him. The photo of Joe eating watermelon was taken the same week he attended a Black Panther rally with me at Yale University.

If none of this makes sense to you it certainly makes no sense to me.

Watch FX Drama Lights Out January 11 10 PM

2011-01-11T09:29:00.000-08:00

Photos ©Joe DiMaggio - Lights Out Photography and filmmaking are unlike any other means of communication, where sworn competitors can come together and work on one project and have an amazingly great time. I guess it takes 4-5 decades to truly understand the camaraderie between your peer group. I spent quite a bit of time at the studio with my dear friend Johnny Eye, (John Iacono) who you may remember was named photographer of the year at the Lucie awards for Lifetime achievement in Sports. Someone asked me, how do I feel about that? I said I'm ecstatic for him; if anyone deserves it, Johnny does in spades! He deserves 3 lifetime awards. Being good is one thing but being great over 40 years is pretty hard to do. Tune into LIGHTS OUT and see if you recognize any of the Extras. Each one of us played a very difficult part - photographers ringside at a heavyweight championship fight. Wow what a stretch! It was a lot of fun!

Goodbye Old Friend

2011-01-06T12:35:00.000-08:00

Photo © Joe DiMaggio

Well I guess it's time to take my Beret off for the last time for an old friend Kodachrome Film. Yes, it's true that I've not shot a roll of Kodachrome in 10 years but in the beginning, I was not only weaned on Tri-X but Kodachrome I and II. When it came to color film, my film of choice for over 30 years was Kodachrome 25. I will never forget the look on the Director of Photography, for SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, John Dominis' face when I turned in 100 rolls of Kodachrome. At the time, I had finished up an assignment photographing the Wittington Brothers, who coincidentally inherited 900 million dollars and won LeMains in their class. It was a feature piece I was working on and I did not have a drop dead deadline so I chose to shoot with Kodachrome. Another fond remembrance, was Max at the old, old B and H I had a standing order with Max of 100 rolls of Kodachrome 25, 100 rolls of Kodachrome 64, 50 rolls of Velvia 50, and 50 rolls of Fuji 100. There would be a line 2 deep at B and H at their 4 cash registers at the time. Max would see me come into the store and yell, "Sorry I kept you so long waiting, Mr. DiMaggio, your order is ready" and everybody on line got very unhappy as I moved to the front of the line. I really liked Max.

Both JoAnne and I certainly don't have an exact count of our photo archives, but we have to have over 1 million, two hundred thousand photos. We probably will still be making scans from Kodachrome for many years to come. I guess I had this roll still lying around because it was a 20 exposure roll and not 36 frames

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

2011-01-01T07:04:00.000-08:00

A Year Ago Today I spent New Year's in The Hospital. A few weeks later my son Joseph went to heaven. Two months later I had bi-lateral hip surgery. It was a year I will never forget!

I dreamt about New Years Eve and was hoping the forces that be, would allow the year to end on a positive note and luckily my prayers were answered. A new friend of mine by the name of Don Sargent, a hero and humble visionary came into my life in the middle of the Upper Delaware Forest. Don was an eighth grade drop out, crew chief, & machine gunner on a Huey combat attack helicopter. A mere 40 years later, he now has a doctorate degree and is saving the lives of many wounded soldiers from our wars. I was fascinated and so taken by Don life that I wanted to do a short film on his story. With Dylan, as my director of photography, and also acting as sound man, we set out to do just that. Yesterday, Don agreed to allow us into a very private and joyous cathedral. We filmed his native american prayer service. The cathedral ceiling was the sky, the alter was the land and the walls were made up of trees and snow.The ceremony was truly beautiful and inspiring. As we were leaving, he gave me a hug and explained he would normally never do this; but did it, not only for the New Year but for the spirit of friends and relatives, and also for my son Joseph. For that I will always be grateful.
Thank you Don Thank you Dylan Thank you JoAnne Happy New Year To All My Friends
Joe D

Holiday Greetings

2010-12-27T07:49:00.000-08:00

Would like to thank all of our great students who sent us greetings for a wonderful Holiday Season.

The Dyna-lite alumni group has recently got in touch with us and requested a second advanced Dyna-lite studio workshop. We will be adding it to our 2011 schedule. For those interested date will be announced in an upcoming newsletter.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!

IT'S HOLIDAY TIME AGAIN!

2010-12-15T07:52:00.000-08:00

Artist/Photographer Gary Nicamin

Every time the Holidays come around I tend to get melancholy. You think of old friends, old times, and of singing Auld Lang Syne. I think of the good old days. A psychologist friend of mine tells me it's normal. I was working with a new intern today and noticed he was removing some digital dust from a photograph of a dear friend of mine, who passed away. My friend's name was Gary Nicamin. He lived in Hollywood, Los Angeles While I'm feeling in the mood, let me tell you about Gary. He was one hell of an amazing artist. I met Gary in 1970 and he was the photographer for Chicago, The Beach Boys, Blood Sweat and Tears, and The Turtles. He photographed all of the great sixties and seventies bands. He was also a full blown art director and master of cut and paste. When I had an artistic technical problem I always went to Gary. He also could answer any rock and roll trivia question you could think of. Gary wore a long Raccoon coat, drove a car that was originally a taxi, and had a penchant for colorful bowling shoes (he had a closet full) which he wore all the time. At a time when everybody seemed to be stoned on something, Gary NEVER drank or did any type of recreational or prescription drugs. His only drug of choice was Pepsi Cola. When he wanted to get really high he would eat a chocolate chip cookie. I could spend a long time telling you stories about Gary. So for purposes of this blog we'll call this Gary Episode One.

Here's the story behind the photo; It was approximately a little after 5 AM in the morning. Gary was in his bedroom and I was sleeping on the couch in his studio. I always stayed with Gary whenever I was on assignment in L.A., and in those days it was at least several times a year - usually more. Anyway, I heard sirens screaming, so I got up looked out the window and it seemed like the building next door was on fire. I ran into Gary's bedroom - he was sitting there reading the LA times and watching the local news. I said "Gary I think the building next door is on fire." He said"calm down it's an abandoned building that is being used as a crack house." He non-chalently, mentioned that it caught on fire frequently. He led me to the window and we climbed through to get a better view. I obviously took the opportunity to make this environmental portrait of Gary. Notice the bowling shoes, one of his trade marks. I loved Gary and I sure as hell miss him. A true renaissance man.

-Joe DiMaggio

When Its Cold It's "$#*!' Cold!

2010-12-14T12:36:00.000-08:00

A wise man once said, there is nothing you can do about the weather so just grin and bear it. That SOB must have had six layers on because it is just brutally cold. I guess it's a global warming thing. Or maybe its the ozone layer dissipating. No that wouldn't make sense then it would really be hotter. Enough of this. I'm not only running you in circles, I'm running myself in circles. I was going through a hard drive and I ran across a photo done in Tucson, Arizona, it was done with a 16mm lens severally backlit as you can see. I was under a jump while a mountain bike flew over. The key here to remember is the balance between the sun in the background and the biker's face. I took a rigid 4'x8' piece of insulation which was black on one side and chrome on the other and laid it down as a guide for the biker to hit his mark. The sun light reflecting off the chrome surface of the insulation gave me as close to a proper exposure as I could make. If I was to remake this photograph today I would consider using the Lastolight 36" super reflector. Why? It folds up a whole lot better than a 4'x8' piece of insulation, and you don't have to drive the Lastolight back to the construction site and give it to the foreman. It just makes sense. In 2010 all cameras and all lenses are great. Its up to you, the photographer to come up with a different composition, and maybe a little different lighting. They say everything has been done before, and that may or may not be true. But as Photographers/Artists we have to come up with a different viewpoint.

To all the ships at Sea - Stay warm, I think I'm going to get on a plane and go to Tucson.

-Joe DiMaggio

It Was The Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times Part II

2010-11-30T12:46:00.000-08:00

I'd like to mention another young lady who works for Dick Blick Art Supplies. We were having an opening in our gallery and I needed to procure a wooden art stand. When it arrived within three days of our show, it had a minor defect. I called Blick and they FedEx'd a second one out in time at no charge and told me to keep the first one. They also followed up with a replacement piece making the first one work properly. Sound familiar? Again they did the right thing.

To be continue...