The Online Photographer

Leaping Wolf Picture Called Into Question

Seems like everything needs an update these days. When I published our earlier item about José Luis Rodriguez' leaping wolf picture winning the world's largest nature photography competition, I didn't expect it would become controversial—I'm just mindful that some readers like wildlife photography, and I want this site to serve people of a variety of interests and tastes rather than just people whose interests and tastes are identical to mine. However, I regret to report that there are now allegations—as yet unproved—that the picture might be fraudulent. Not the photograph itself, but how it was represented.

According to an article in Suomen Luonto (Nature of Finland) magazine, the picture, which was represented to be of a wild wolf, might in fact be a picture of a tame captive wolf named Ossian. In any case, the evidence is pretty convincing that the picture was taken not in open conditions but at the Cañada Real Center Zoological Park near Madrid.

Why is the representation relevant? Because the BBC contest's rules state that "Images of captive animals must be declared. The judges will take preference to images taken in free and wild conditions." Apparently the picture was submitted as being of a wild wolf. (The panel of judges has issued no formal statement as of yet.)

The evidence as it stands thus far was apparently collected by several other Spanish nature photographers, who are concerned about the reputation of Spanish photography. "There are many of us who have strong ethics," said one.

As I often say, pictures are statements, and their truth depends in large part on the honesty of the photographer, in the same way a statement in a magazine, newspaper, or book depends on the integrity of the reporter or author. I hope, if these questions turn out to be valid, that this was just an honest mistake on the part of José Luis, and that the situation will soon be put right.

Mike
(Thanks to Thiago Silva)

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Home is Where You Are At the Moment

"I consider myself a reasonable craftsperson."

—E.E.

There's a nice article about the World's Greatest Living Photographer at the Financial Times. Just thought I'd pass it along.

Regarding his hatred of digital manipulation mentioned near the end of the FT.com article, remember Stephen Gillette's great comment about Elliott's anti-digital T-shirt? Still makes me chuckle.

I'm supposed to be taking today off, so I'll hush up now.

Mike
(Thanks to Chris Bertram)

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Wayne Levin in Papahanaumokuakea

Wayne Levin, Decompressing Divers and Galapagos Sharks, Laysan

Wayne Levin has added some work from the remote Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (North West Hawaiian Islands) to his website. While a fair amount of this new work is black and white underwater (the genre that he is most known for) he has also included black and white above-water pictures and even a selection of color above-water pictures. The work is from this past summer, when he was invited to accompany a NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) scientific expedition aboard the Hi'Ialakai.

I published a portfolio of Wayne's work in Photo Techniques a few circuits around the sun ago.

He also has two new books scheduled to come out next year. Akule, a book of his images of the amazing schooling fish, published by Editions Limited, with essays by Frank Stewart and Tom Farber, is set to come out in May of 2010. A new book of the Hansen's Disease Settlement of Kalaupapa, published by the Arizona Memorial Museum Association, with text by Anwei Skinsnes Law and Valerie Monson, is scheduled for later in 2010. I was pleased to discover that his previous book is still in print.

Mother and Baby Spinner Dolphins and Sea Cucumbers

Mike
(Adapted from Wayne's press release)

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Nonrandom Excellence

Juan Buhler, Mendocino, 2009

'Tis a good day to catch up with Juan Buhler, street photographer extraordinaire, on The Water Molotov. The archive now numbers 1,425 photographs. (Just click on each image to get to the next one.)

Mike

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Peregrinations on the East Side with Art

I got to meet John Dominis last Saturday. I had lunch with my friend Art Elkon, who then took me around to the VP Gallery on East Buffalo Street in the Third Ward. VP specializes in the work of LIFE magazine photographers; gallery owner Bill Appleby told me his is one of eight galleries worldwide that does. I think it was eight—maybe it was four. (Numbers mean little to me. I have trouble remembering my own phone number.) The gallery's reception for for the artist was in progress.

I asked John, who was a longtime staffer for LIFE (you can see a picture of him here, taken by Marc Riboud) if his picture of the Black Panther salute by runners Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the Olympic Summer Games in Mexico City in 1968 was his most famous picture. He was quiet, then allowed as how that one "wasn't much, as a photograph." He named his (also well known) Donner Pass picture as one of his own favorites.

John Dominis, Southern Pacific Steam Engine, Donner Pass, California, 1949

There were fifteen or eighteen pictures of John's on view, and he said he could have put up just as strong a show with fifteen or eighteen entirely different ones. I made some sort of assenting noise, and he added that that couldn't go on forever—he said he probably didn't have more than a hundred or so pictures of the same quality, from a whole career.

Most of his pictures, for those who are interested in such things, were taken with a Leica and a 35mm lens. (The Donner pass picture looked like medium format to me, although I didn't ask.)

One of John's cover shots from 1964, reprised in 2004
(note Photoshopping of Ringo's head)

 

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My own favorite of John's was one of the few pictures in the gallery that was new to me, of Mickey Mantle descending into the dugout and flinging his batting helmet aside in disgust after striking out. And not just because I like seeing Yankees frustrated (although there's that). A great classic 35mm shot.

John Dominis, Mickey Mantle Having a Bad Day at Yankee Stadium, New York, 1965

Another picture in the gallery that I'd never seen before—with photo geek interest, even—was a great shot by Bob Gomel of Malcolm X taking a picture of Muhammed Ali (then Cassius Clay) in a club after Clay's victory over Sonny Liston. You can see that one here. There was also a gorgeous large print of Margaret Bourke-White's famous DC-4 shot on sale for a cool $42,000. TOP isn't quite that successful just yet, so I had to leave that one on the wall, but it was nice to see. Bill explained to me that the print takes many hours to spot, because there are lines running through the middle of it, owing to the fact that the negative was once stored folded in half!

After the VP gallery, Art and I went around to Debra Brehmer's Portrait Society Gallery, where Art himself had some pictures up. Debra had asked him to take some general establishing shots for an exhibit of Ringo White's collage assemblies, which are made entirely of detritus Ringo finds on beaches. Art's lakescapes were taken with his trusty Canon G9, and looked great printed big.

Art Elkon with his trusty G9 at the Portrait Society Gallery, Milwaukee, Fall 2009

As a final note about all this, Bill Appleby thinks that the weighty tome The Great LIFE Photographers (it's the size of a small phone book—despite which, the reproduction quality is quite good) is the single best one-volume book on the subject, and for a limited time he's offering copies signed by John Dominis for $70 each. Contact Bill if you're interested. I believe he said John will be doing the autographing on the tenth, so contact Bill before then if you want one.

(Also, just FYI, the book will be coming out in paperback soon.)

A nice "day off." It's always a good day for me whenever I get to look at real prints.

Mike

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Featured Comment by Jim Hart: "I'm of an age where there's not much I look at and say 'If I had the money, I'd have that.' Mostly it's better to want something than to actually have it, I've found.

"Usually it's some type of automobile (which explains the C5 Corvette that was in the garage for awhile; I didn't have money, but it turns out I did have the credit line).

"But Ms. Bourke-White is my all time favorite photographer and if I had the money that print would be on the wall, along with a number of her other works.

"I have no idea why her work hits me where I live, and it's probably better that I don't know—but man, she just rocked.

"Just my 2 cents.

"Which leaves me $41,999.98 short."

Jane Bown

John Lennon by Jane Bown

The whole United Kingdom seems to be embarked on a low-key but extended love-fest for Jane Bown, the modest* longtime newspaper photographer who has come to rank with Newman, Karsh and Nadar as one of the medium's greatest portraitists.

Rather urgently recommended is the Observer's Oct. 22 online portfolio, called "The Complete Jane Bown, A Lifetime in Photographs," which is the best online presentation of her work yet. Or that I've seen, anyway. Plan to spend some good time with this one if you're into portraiture (the two pictures here were pulled from that presentation). 

 

Henri Cartier-Bresson by Jane Bown

There's also an excellent article by Robin McKie called "The Eyes Have It," from Oct. 18th, with a 6 minute 37 second audiovisual presentation. 

I can't help mentioning...

Notice the opening frame of the video. This is a photographer who has undeniably scaled the heights of accomplishment in our medium, who for nearly 40 years has photographed with a simple, all-manual SLR, a prime lens or two, and natural light taken as she finds it. Should give pause to any of us who fret about equipment too much (I don't except myself).

There is a touring exhibition in Britain, and last but not least, a new retrospective book called Exposures. The book is only available in the U.K. so far—that's where this link goes—but I am awaiting its release in the U.S. with great anticipation, and will alert U.S. readers once it's available. None of her other books are in print.

Mike
(Thanks to many readers who sent one or another of these links)

*The story is that when she received her M.B.E. in 1985, Queen Elizabeth II asked her what it was she did, and Jane responded, "I'm a hack." She was later invited to photograph the Queen several times, most recently when both women were 80 years old. The Queen, who is known to be fond of photography (she has a Leica M3), asked how many films she'd taken, and then asked her if she'd like to take one more.

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Aaron Huey's Pine Ridge Pictures

Aaron Huey, The Suicide Race

There's a good but too-short interview with Aaron Huey by James Estrin over at the Lens blog.

Here's Aaron's website.

For those interested in his subject, I can recommend a book I read a few years ago, Joe Starita's The Dull Knifes of Pine Ridge: A Lakota Odyssey. Which leads in turn to a recommendation for Ian Frazier's fascinating and entertaining On the Rez and from there to Frazier's best book, the lyrical, searching Great Plains.

And in case you want to help, here's a page where you can make a donation to the Red Cloud Indian School on the Pine Ridge.

Mike
(Thanks to Jayson Merryfield)

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Random Excellence: Cheryl Jacobs Nicolai

If you happen to live in Denver and have a family, you're in luck, because you have a terrific kid portraitist nearby. Cheryl Jacobs Nicolai is a commercial portraitist whose website is divided into "Short People," "Tall People," and "Eyes." A nice list of categories/priorities.

It's quite possible that we have an especial appreciation for photographers who are particularly good at the types of work we ourselves have done, but, professional admiration aside, I think it should be obvious to anyone that Cheryl has a real feel for kids. A visit to her website is a virtual lesson in "How It Oughta Be Done." If that's not enough for you, she teaches workshops, too.

So what if you don't live in Denver? You can pay her to travel, but here's a tip—if three clients hire her from any non-Denver location, she'll travel for free. 

Mike

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Albatross II

...This morning's take is more tragic and disturbing than yesterday's, I'm afraid. A remarkable set of photographs.

We have touched on Chris Jordan before. There's now a book of the work we cited as among the best of 2007.

Mike
(Thanks to Arnaud Réveillon)

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Featured Comment by John:

He prayeth well, who loveth well
Both man and bird and beast.

He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small.

[Ed. Note: From Samuel Taylor Coleridge, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," Part 7. The poem continues, "For the dear God who loveth us, / He made and loveth all."  —Mike]

'On City Streets'

By Ken Tanaka

I love a good little story, even if it’s true, but especially if it involves photography. Here’s a dilly from a few years ago that I think you’ll enjoy.

One day in 2004, Bob Thall, chair of Chicago’s Columbia College Photo Department, was met at his office by a rather unusual visitor. Amid the usual young students was a middle-aged man with a paper shopping bag. Thall’s secretary told him that the man said he had some photos to show someone. Thall invited the man into his office where he introduced himself as Gary Stochl. He told Thall that he had been doing photography for forty years but hadn’t really shown his work to anyone. He thought Columbia College’s photo department was a good place to start.

What a start! After browsing some of the approximately 300 loose prints from Stochl’s shopping bag Thall abandoned his afternoon schedule and instead, with some of his colleagues, spent the next two hours reviewing the rest. Those black and white prints captured on downtown Chicago’s streets since the 1960s were some of the best street photographs he had ever seen. According to Stochl he had become inspired by studying the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Frank during high school in the 1960s. He bought a Leica and took to the streets of downtown Chicago to find his own style. He had been photographing mostly in this same area continuously ever since.

Since that first jolting meeting Thall and others have helped Gary Stochl find his place as the significant photographic talent that he is. Stochl’s work has since been exhibited, collected by individuals and museums, and published. On City Streets is the first published collection of some of Gary Stochl’s work, but hopefully not his last.

In his introduction Bob Thall presents an excellent academically-oriented explanation of why Stochl’s work is so good. He expresses particular surprise that Stochl could have become so skilled outside the confines of formal art education and the support of the art community. (I find this a bit humorous since I believe formal photographic education has not been a particularly positive or productive influence on photography. But I’ll leave that subject for another day.)

I can offer a simpler explanation for why Gary Stochl’s images have become my favorite body of street photography and my own gold standard. Yes, nostalgia and familiarity are factors. As a native Chicagoan and downtown resident I know, or remember, many of the images’ locations very well. In fact I am photographing at many of those same places nearly each week. But this work is not at all place-cast; even someone who’s never visited Chicago will likely find these images exceptional and often haunting. No, what makes this work so darn good is that it so perfectly embodies the four ingredients required to create good candid street imagery; an imaginative eye, the ping-pong timing reflexes to react to that imagination, the technical skill to actually use a camera to get the shot, and, most importantly, the courage to actually do it. Browsing through "street" galleries at photo sites such as Flickr will confirm that these are very, very rare qualities to encounter behind a lens.

But Stochl actually goes far beyond those prerequisites. He captures the gestures, the juxtapositions, and the frame compositions to package the humor and enigmas that the greatest street photography consistently delivers. What makes his images so darn good is that, like all of the genuinely great street shots, they brand themselves deeply into your eye’s memory. Myself, I never tire of looking at them. I keep this little book on my desk and pick it up often. It’s become somewhat like a mentor; I feel recharged and re-inspired after spending a few minutes browsing Stochl’s images.

If you enjoy looking at street photography, but particularly if you enjoy practicing it, On City Streets is simply a body of work you must see. Gary Stochl may never enjoy the fame and fortune of the biggest names in this photo genre but he certainly deserves as much attention. And what a terrific story, eh?

Ken

On City Streets: Chicago, 1964-2004 by Gary Stochl, from Amazon U.S.
On City Streets: Chicago, 1964-2004 from Amazon U.K. (Note: No "British Penalty" on this one)

(Note: Softcover only)

ADDENDUM: And in an almost eerie case of parallelism, check out "'The Man Who Waited,'" about Robert Bergman, at The Wall Street Journal. Another terrific story. You've got to read this. Thanks to John Camp for passing this one along.  —Mike

Robert Bergman, Untitled, 1990

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Featured Comment by Dan Mouer: "It was exciting opening my morning dose of TOP and finding this story about Gary Stochl immediately after having seen the CNN story about Sevket Sahintas, Istanbul's Street-shooting taxi-driver. I guess street photography still thrives in the 21st century. Time to load some Tri-X into the Bessa and take a walk...."