In the fall, I will be photographing sports in New Hampshire for a company, and hopefully doing other work for clients and lots of landscapes for my soul. Will keep at it until they actually let me onto the field! Kidding. J
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Yesterday I did one of my volunteer jobs or donated my time to do some photographic work for a worthy cause. I have been doing this to both provide a service and to better improve my eye. I am selfish and I am kind.
Photographing at the Sylvan Adams Velodrome last week was an experience that tapped the resources of my camera. I found, as I have before, that getting quickly moving objects to maintain focus is not a simplistic task for my Nikon Z7II. However, it is possible, and many of the images were tack sharp.
The lacrosse images I took yesterday were also difficult if the action took place near me, but as long as I had some distance, and got the focusing box to cover where the action was taking place, I was successful.
But who really cares?
I don’t. I care about the composition and about getting, if possible a mini-story of sorts in an image.
Was I successful? Yes and no.
I think one needs to have context for many of the images that I was taking. Without that, some of the images are just people racing around a track or kids running with a stick and a ball.
Yet others almost tell a short story which is what I truly aim for.
On another note, the youth I photographed in both venues may not at this time know how very lucky and special they truly are. There are some in these images who have been to the Olympics already or are close to that precipice. They give 100% and then some. A few feel deeply about their presumed failures when success is not achieved. That is the beauty of sport.
Am I a sports photographer? No. I am just a storyteller and however, I can tell the story I will. May we all have stories and memories that never fade with time
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I leave with an image of mine of the ever-so-talented Jasa Veremalua. He has played rugby at a high level since 2012 and won a Gold Medal in the Olympics as a member of the Fijian Seven's team. He is so very humble as well. I got to photograph him (along with all the other members of the Tel Aviv Heat) last year.
I have been lucky in many things in life. I got to teach for 42 years and had many good experiences (though some were not so great) and have gotten to travel a lot as well. I have loved taking photos from day one and continue to try to improve my skills, though it is pretty tough, to say the least. Perhaps my greatest hero then is just opportunity and respect for the time that is given to me by a greater power.
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Last Time You Said My Name
The last time you said my name
You were wrapped in a waking dream
Your eyes were opened shut
Your mouth playing with words that sounded silent
The last time you said my name
I saw you from afar
You were prompted over and over again
Until something issued forth from your lips
Something I did not hear because I got distracted
The last time you said my name
It was winter, and all the memories of summer
Had turned a pale white, and only the blue in your eyes
Broke through that bleached countenance
Like a robin’s egg
The last time you said my name
I felt the pain I had been feeling disappear
Like the smell of a birthday cake
Or a trip to Florida on a cold Connecticut day
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My best landscape photography took place during the summer when I hiked in the Catskills and pursued my Hudson River Project. I did manage to get a number of strong images that depict that region's elegance, and I hope pay homage to Thomas Cole, Frederick Church, Albert Bierstadt, and many others who were part of that movement. I went to museums to view their works and read books on them too.
At the end of this year, however, while photographing in Europe, our rugby team, I suffered a fall while photographing in Lisbon and broke my ankle one month ago. As I write this all that time later, I am still not allowed to put any weight on my foot, and the swelling is still extreme. I have my "Walking Boot" on though it is still a non-walking boot, to be honest. I almost don't go out, and with my metal plate and screws in my leg, I only hope that I will walk normally again and be able to carry my camera gear on my hikes.
I leave you with one of my images from the Catskills. Jamie, December 31, 2022
Then the general meeting and the great hope and expectations, summations of the obvious, official proclamations, and, at least for me, a huge curtailing of the creative photographic process that I love so much. So though I am old now, at least my legs are strong, and my eyes (as my eye doctor told me the other day) are in good shape.
This has been a summer of learning and working on my Hudson River Artists project. I have an amazing mentor helping me to work on skills that are important to me and, at least from what I have seen, what I am learning will be relevant and, in some cases, "dramatic" to the photographic process I follow.
There will be more time now to pursue what I love most, and if I use it wisely and don't waste this opportunity, I will continue to improve not only in photography but in other areas that define what is most important to me.
New York has seen a dramatic increase in violence over the past year. We all have theories as to why this is happening, and I will not weigh in on this one, for I am far too ignorant to fully understand what is going on and why this is happening. What I do know, is that someone with deep hate in his heart chose to throw a smoke bomb and then randomly begin to shoot at those going to work early in the morning yesterday. Some people seem surprised that we have such violence going on in NYC or in this world, but this is always going on and has always been going on. However, when you strike in a major city, it gets turned into the tragedy it really is by the media while other similar incidents make it to page three and perhaps ten seconds on the local news if at all.
Has man changed? I don't think so, but then again I am not a sociologist or a psychologist. It seems to me from ancient times, that we found war to be an acceptable endeavor to assure that we get our way. Great empires were built on the blood of others. Man has always justified his fanatic desire and ability to kill scores of others, and we continue to see this today. To even think that this can be stopped is just foolish and a waste of our time. All we can do is support those whose job it is to protect our societies. All we can do is try to live a good and just life and endeavor to help others. My New York abstract is the distorted reality of a beautiful building mishappen by light patterns and lens distortion.
Yet, let's be honest, the law says I can return to work even though I am still testing positive and despite the fact that I feel so awful. I told this to my doctor, told him about my stomach issues, and the pain COVID has left for now in my feet, and he said not to go to work. When I was young, I would have gone in and burned myself out so that I either relapsed or spent my upcoming weekend (in this case, a vacation) once again sick.
So no...I am home, working on images and hoping that I will recover quickly and that I can get back to exercising and walking in nature.
So no...I am dreaming about how I really will fill my days and what these remaining years have in store for me, my family, and this world.
Some yellows, some blues, are buried in this image, a testament to my family's past and our connection to Ukraine. Two angry cloud birds (well that's what I see) fighting it out and then shifting into other forms when the wind blows high in the heavens.
So yes...We need to take care of ourselves, for we are always forgotten by most and remembered for our images, our words, and our deeds.
I will say on this blog of sorts, that I am hopeful that I will be able to travel and take images until I can no longer travel and take images. The best outlet, at least for me, is being outdoors in nature or in an interesting city or place. I need to have a view outside of my window that is appealing as well. I also need to live in a place where peace is more desired than conflict.
Little things, like standing in a cornfield photographing and then turning to see people going off to Church and young kids looking at me (the "English") with curiosity. Or maybe I am just channeling my George Tice. One has to wonder.
So what would Sierra say if another dog asked her these questions? "Are you a circus dog? Are you a show dog? Are you famous? Are you just a dog?"
It is funny, that if you strap on a camera with big lenses, people want to know if you are a professional. I have seen the work of many full-time professionals and they are not nearly as interesting, artistic, as those who are amateurs. I wonder, without being controversial, if the better question to ask might be, "Are you passionate about what you are doing?" Also, "Is there a place where I can view your images?"
It seems to me that some of the photos these days are sledgehammer-like and knock you sideways with their perfection. I do admit, that I am stunned, awed with these as well. I am guilty of pixel peeping and I am guilty of being sucked into the patina of colors or tonalities that come along with many of these. Also, there are many now that are perfectly sharp. Eagles flying at full-tilt with perfectly in-focus eyes and feathers. Drops of water suspended with such precision that you can see the reflection of the photographer off in the distance (well a slight exaggeration but you get what I am saying).
But then, there are the images, in which the photographer got the feeling of the scene, but was a bit off with her/his focus. A bit off with her/his framing. A 99 out of 100 image that gets trash basketed on whatever social media platform this photographer uses, or never makes it outside of the photo-editing catalog where it stays forever.
My images today, with a lens that does not have auto-focus, were a bit soft. Yet, I am thrilled with them. To me, and certainly, I realize that editors and pixel peepers will most likely not agree with me in too many cases (yes, there are some), those of us with a camera have to enjoy our subjects and rejoice in the substance of the image that extends beyond the technical.
Sierra is a beautiful young dog as I write this posting. She is normally in full motion and normally struggling to set herself free from our arms when we are outdoors. Today I had Eva attempt to hold her and was able to get a few captures of this beautiful animal. I struggled with the focus and each image is a drop-off. But each image I got today, captured more than perfect reflections in her eyes. For me, they all seemed to capture her essence which is at this time, youth, curiosity, and mischievousness. But is she a professional? No, she's a dog and I am just a photographer when I take an image.
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When I photograph animals, and I do apologize if images of zoo animals offend some, but they do exist in these settings whether we agree with this or not. I try to capture their beauty, grace, and if possible something deeper, something other. During my two-week spring break, I did a good deal of photographic learning. I finally get the hang of TK panels thanks to Sean Bagshaw's great tutorial. It was 49 videos of learning and really did take the entire vacation. Thirty-five notecards worth and a ton of practice. Yet, how long can one keep the methodology of anything in their head if they don't practice? The new can never become the old if you don't take time to practice.
So here is to old elephants whom I pray are happy, and that they are always being well-taken care of as I feel this one has been at the Attica Zoo outside of Athens. Here is to merging new and old in some type of harmony.
The wonderful photographer Cole Thompson (https://colethompsonphotography.com/) posted this in a note and I am passing it on here. I do suggest that all people should go to Cole's site to not only view his work, but also to learn something from him for he has so much wisdom.
“When I was 15, I spent a month working on an archeological dig. I was talking to one of the archeologists one day during our lunch break and he asked those kinds of “getting to know you” questions you ask young people: Do you play sports? What’s your favorite subject? And I told him, no I don’t play any sports. I do theater, I’m in choir, I play the violin and piano, I used to take art classes.
And he went WOW. That’s amazing! And I said, “Oh no, but I’m not any good at ANY of them.”
And he said something then that I will never forget and which absolutely blew my mind because no one had ever said anything like it to me before: “I don’t think being good at things is the point of doing them. I think you’ve got all these wonderful experiences with different skills, and that all teaches you things and makes you an interesting person, no matter how well you do them.”
And that honestly changed my life. Because I went from a failure, someone who hadn’t been talented enough at anything to excel, to someone who did things because I enjoyed them. I had been raised in such an achievement-oriented environment, so inundated with the myth of Talent, that I thought it was only worth doing things if you could “Win” at them.”
- Kurt Vonnegut |
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I look for beauty in what is easy to see and I look for beauty in what is smoothed out by the mist that nature sometimes provides. This old oak tree that sits in a field in Odem has seen a lot. Surrounded by a crown of thistles and rounded smooth by the cattle and goats that eat its lowest leaves, it persists and flourishes. Perhaps this tree is a sign, an allegory for something bigger and more remote... perhaps. Maybe we'll never know.
I decided to return to some basic skills that I learned in the past but have forgotten, but I also decided to work on some black and white techniques (programs) that I think meet my artistic needs. The problem with some of these techniques is that they are, to me, so very complicated and difficult to retain. However, I have gone slowly over the past few weeks and inched forward with my learning. At the end of this break, I find that I have accrued a good number of skills and the palette of my black and white is smoother, with whites that appeal more to me and blacks that have greater depth to my eyes. The image below used a bunch of these techniques and is from my small Fuji XT2 but has, at least to me, a bigger camera look. So here's to 2021 and great images, walks in the woods, and health for our lands and the people who must take care of them.
I can't include a photo here for it was a year ago and the pain has still remained to a degree I did not think was possible. During the year, especially the months after this loss, I kept a journal of the range of emotions I experienced. I collected these into a book I made, with many images, and called it "Letters To Forrest." It helped greatly and I will always treasure the words (which are so hard to read now) and the images of her life.
Tonight I laid her favorite toys on the couch where she slept so often. I lit a memorial candle for her as well. We spoke about her goodness and how content she was. We also joked about how impossible it is to find a small dog, a puppy, during this time of COVID and how people have jacked up the prices in order to make a huge profit.
I miss my dog. I miss how she filled our house with her presence and how she made us laugh. I miss my late night walks with her and talking to her as if she really understood. I leave clothing by my bed each and every night for her (and also because I am sloppy) to sleep upon. I hope she is with the people that I love most who are no longer in our lives. I hope she is with my father, Michael, and Paulina who loved her so too. Okay, enough of this far too personal website blog posting. Next posting will have some images!
Jamie
p.s. Happy New Year to anyone reading this and be safe and healthy.
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One has to think that nature must rejoice when we are locked down. The fish feed without fear of being hooked and brought into an environment where they are forced to breathe oxygen laden air and suffocate on what sustains us. The forest animals have much less to fear and the sunrises and sunsets are quieter and more beautiful as the air has fewer pollutants to tarnish it.
I suppose I am exaggerating, I do that a lot. Looking back on this morning from several years ago, I remember the quiet after a hike on another pond and that I was drawn to the mist, the reflections, as well as the stillness I saw as I drove back to my campsite and then stopped when I saw this view right off the road. I have always thought that the world would in many ways be better off without us and that we just don't have the ability to learn from our mistakes. This has been reinforced with the lockdown we are experiencing here. We were warned. We knew that our behaviors would increase the risk of spreading this virus to others. Yet we've chosen not to believe and not to care.
There is quiet in the woods that I wish I could be near to at this moment. There is a calm that soothes the soul.
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There is not an animal I had that when he or she died, the feeling of deep loss did not permeate my soul and leave me both better understanding how limited our time is in this world, and how very extraordinary it can and should be.
The loss of Forrest, however, has hit me in a way that I still don't fully understand or comprehend. Maybe it's my advanced age, maybe it's the uniqueness of who she was, and maybe it's just mental and hormonal changes we go through as we age and have to deal with loss. I miss my friend. It's that fucking simple.
Though this has been an up and down summer as we have not been able to go back to the states, we have explored areas here and I have completed projects that I promised I would do if I just had the time. Writing my book on Forrest was my main project and it is done. Here is the link if you are interested in reading this book and seeing the images that I included: LINK PRESS HERE
We have spent a good deal of time in the Golan this summer as well. Time in Odem was amazing, to say the least. The upper altitude means it's much cooler. But prices to stay in these places are beyond my means. I rent my place in Vermont for $115 a night. It's a HOUSE and people still complain that it's too much (man, Americans are really spoiled). Here, these tiny rental rooms start out at about $250 a night and that's cheap. I miss my Vermont and I miss simple things like fresh spring water that I can bring back to the house or onions from a fruit stand up the street (which is what the following image is all about):
So what more can I say? Letters To Forrest is the best work I have ever done and I only hope that in twenty years, my granddaughters will take a few moments to read about her and remember the times we all had. They were such good times and when they were not, Forrest made them seem like they were.
Much love-Jamie
]]>I was thinking that as I was making my breakfast. It made me think about a photo I took in Bulgaria and how when I was taking it I wondered if the conditions would make this a "good" image, but my mood, my feeling, told me that it would be and that this beautiful stream needed to be photographed. Thankfully, I was able to work through the detritus and come up with something that was "better" and also helped me to remember something not directly related to the image itself.
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So I posted this new iteration on a Fuji site on Facebook where I sometimes include my images. My stuff usually does not get a lot of looks, but if I put a cute photo in, a macro of a flower with bright colors, or a super sharp butterfly in flight, well then these images get lots of feedback.
I then put the following above my photo: “Though Photoshop has so many gadgets we can use, I find and found with this image that the best tool I could use was the dodge and burn tool and a Wacom tablet. It takes a great deal of time, focus, and sitting back to evaluate how the slight tonal variations make an image come to life. There is no warp tool, super clarity or sharpening tool, or clone tool that was or should (in my opinion) be used in nature photography beyond the most minimal tweaks. Our attention should be drawn to the subject by how real it looks not by how creative our Photoshop skills are.”
One Day Later: So the image did not even garner a comment or any feedback at all. It is certainly not spectacular in its uniqueness and is nothing more than water, mountains, and clouds. Were these iterations too mundane? Should I have elongated the main peak and threw in an ethereal beam of light hitting this mountain?
But it is not social media only. There are a lot of fine art sites where the images have this other quality that I recognize but either don’t have the skills to emulate or the desire to attempt. So I plod on with images like the one on this page that depict a natural world that is multi-layered and with each iteration helps me to better understand both the art of nature and its potential.
Yet, I think it is fallacious for any photographer to suggest that they only take images for themselves. Every photographer has an audience for their images tucked in their mind. I do want my immediate family to enjoy many of my images. I do want my images published and though I do sell to stock agencies, I would prefer that they are published in true fine art venues. When they are shown in such a manner, and though the audiences may be smaller, they are better understood it seems to me. Not sure what other photographers think on this subject and getting back to the iterations theme this has wandered from, I wonder to what degree we create iterations specifically for the venues where we are showing these images or if there really are some people who go year after year creating images only for themselves and live their lives in a state of obscurity but maintain their personal vision.
Morning Mountains in NorwayThe sky at 4 in the morning called me out of bed. The layers of clouds and the deep hues render in black and white and color with so much beauty.
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So what have you been doing with your time?
I have gone back to black and white school. I missed it greatly and the more images that I have of late worked on of late as black and whites, the happier I have been. Yet, I am overwhelmed with the number of ways that one can process an image. From the myriad of Photoshop tricks to the endless number of plugins that some of us have bought and maintained over the years.
One photographer who I know (though have never met) is Cole Thompson. I have enjoyed Cole's images for a good number of years now, and have written him letters to discuss both his creativity and vision as well as technical issues. Cole keeps it smart and keeps it simple. He converts his images to black and white in a basic way and then dodges and burns with a Pen and Wacom tablet. His results, as you can see on his site, are stunning. However, you can have the most perfectly exposed and perfected photo and it can end up saying nothing. Cole's work always seems to have a message and always seems to have meaning.
So this is what this post is getting at. While we were in Bulgaria we went into the mountains outside of Devin. A very light snow had fallen at the altitude where we were but a more significant dusting covered the higher peaks. I loved how the snow streaks flowed down the mountains. When I showed Eva the RAW file on the computer. she shrugged her shoulders. However, I felt that there was something here, something that brought back the memory of the mist and quiet as well as wind and cold. It took some time, but after a huge crop to the sky (sorry sky), I saw what I had been looking for. I ended up doing a great deal of dodging and burning and took out distracting elements.
When I saw the image on the screen, it made me feel good. Made me happy. Made me think of that walk and my excitement when I saw the clouds wrapping themselves around the mountain; changing shapes in the winds that at our altitude were so strong. I showed the image to Eva on my screen with great excitement. She shrugged. I love photography!
Over the past few days, I have been contemplating the inner projects that one can commit to during this time of COVID-19. There is a lot that each of us can address in regard to our inner workings. I won’t go into this, for that’s not the intent of a photography blog, but suffice it to say, lots of work can be done. Lots should be done.
My students have been learning online. For some, it has been a bit of a challenge, while for others, they have figured out a way to work from home in this time of lockdown. I am overall really impressed with how my school is endeavoring to keep the flow of learning proceeding through a situation that none of us have ever had to face before.
Yet, my life is much more than just being an educator at the American School. As I get ready to retire, well hopefully, I realize that retirement will give me the opportunity to fully engage myself in photographic work. When I first started in photography my greatest love was the darkroom and the beautiful black and white images that now and then would appear. Don’t get me wrong, as much as I love the beauty of black and white, a beautiful image is a beautiful image and if something looks better to me in color then I am not going to force it into grey tones.
Hummus BeansEva set out hummus beans and when I saw the reflection in the morning on the wood I grabbed my tripod and camera and got at it.
Yet there was something in my past, something that we carry with us as analog photographers, that is intrinsic to why we started spending so much time and money on this pursuit. It’s the desire not to make a pretty picture, but instead to make a personal statement.
Being indoors now and looking in the distance at clouds as well as being so set apart from nature, is trying. I am attempting to find interesting shapes and patterns that exist outdoors and can be experienced from my window. I am running after early morning light in my apartment looking for how it hits familiar objects and seeing if they suddenly look interesting. Most don't. However, up to this point, three have.
So this is what this blog posting is all about. It’s about three images. A crazy sky that appeared a few days ago and only lasted for a few moments. Cranes and a Tower that I can see from the rear window in our place. Finally, my wife’s hummus beans soaking on our counter.
My inner photographic project is keeping me busy and thinking. Most of the images I just deleted as they were foolish and just did not work. However, three did. May you all find some inner projects to get you by during this time.
Cranes and TowerThe skyline here is filled with cranes. Soon the views that I get will be even more obliterated. Progress? For some yes. Give me my pine trees.
Here is a link to the images: Link
]]>It is easy, far too easy, to just sit back and do little. We don't always have to challenge ourselves, but we better make sure that we set the bar high several times a year or we just get stagnant. I teach, and though I am far from a great teacher, I endeavor to make a difference and to always learn in order to be better at my craft.
But what I love most in life is photography. Sorry G-ds of pedagogy, nothing brings me more joy than a beautiful image. So back to reflections. Eva and I had taken this nice walk in New Hampshire. I could see storm clouds coming in and found a dirt road that dead-ended by a small pond (well that's how I saw it on the map). When we got there, it started to rain. Then it would stop. I took images both with the rain falling on the water and then some with the water dead calm. I ended up liking the calm for I could clearly see the reflections that for this image added the element of dimensionality that I was looking for and felt fit the mood of this place. So the image posted here, worked on a bit, is a reflection and a statement of sorts. Stop, look around and then move on. When you have time, come back and revisit (in my case with Lightroom and Photoshop!).
Jamie
]]>There is also a bit of commentary that I will add. WE do live in a world where we tend to scroll at rapid speeds seeing as much as we can, but never really stopping, slowing down, or inspecting carefully. I tend to do this as well, but then I catch myself and make a conscious effort to see more by seeing less.
Today I will visit a few galleries here in NYC. Instead of trying to see endless galleries, something foolish for I know I'll start rushing and not of the patience to exam well the few images I am sure will speak to me, I will visit only one or two and then wander around and look at things and hopefully get an image too.
But first, back exercises. You don't wander well with a sore back. Talk about words of wisdom.
]]>I was able to get in a few photographic hikes and here are the first ones that I kind of like. I will include these in my galleries once I get back and link the to this posting.
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