Another Worthy Kickstarter Campaign

Harold Feinstein now

Here's pretty much what you need to know: "At 80 years old, with 60+ years in photography, he has yet to have a monograph printed of his classic black-and-white photographs."

Not to take vocab for granted, a monograph, in our field at least, means a published book of photographs, usually by one photographer.

Having been on the other end of marketing and fundraising campaigns, I might suggest a contribution of $100 rather than $60, if you can swing it—that way you get your copy of the book but they have a little extra to help with the less visible expenses.

Wish I could afford to get the print too.

Harold Feinstein then

Even if don't want to contribute, the short video at the Kickstarter page is worth watching. I chuckled at his quote about the trees. Funny.

You can see more of Harold's work here. Some great shots at this link (although they're too small). I think maybe he was too cheerful to be really popular with the art establishment—too much affection for people; not enough surly alienation, listless ennui, and truculent anomie.

Mike
(Thanks to Bron Janulis)

UPDATE: We heard from Jason Landry, of Panopticon Gallery in Boston, Massachussetts, Harold's dealer and the guy who's organized the Kickstarter campaign. He writes, "Mike, Thank you so much for posting this. Team Feinstein is determined to make his happen for Harold. Our goal is to publish the book by the summer of 2012 along with a major exhibition. Kickstarter is a great way to support art-related initiatives. The only catch is, if we don't reach our goal By Oct. 23rd, we do not receive the funds. Thank you in advance for your support."

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Original contents copyright 2011 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.

Featured Comment by Claire Vezina: "I am more than happy to see that blog entry today. I've been an early contributor and I really hope that the project will be funded in time. I do cross my fingers. Nice to see a 'big name' in the photography world to promote this project. Yes Mike, I'm talking about you. :-) Thanks!"

Comments

[Doug]

Anyone who "was too cheerful to be really popular with the art establishment—too much affection for people; not enough surly alienation, listless ennui, and truculent anomie" deserves support. I'm in.

[Faraway]

Strange: the reflection in the window makes it look like the photographer is holding the camera in portrait orientation, though the image is landscape. Was it cropped?

[richardplondon]

"surly alienation, listless ennui, and truculent anomie"..

What are you trying to do - discombobulate hoi polloi? (taps dottle out of pipe, adjusts tweeds)

[Claire Vezina]

I am more than happy to see that blog entry today. I've been an early contributor and I really hope that the project will be funded in time. I do cross my fingers. Nice to see a "big name" in the photography world to promote this project. Yes Mike, I'm talking about you. :-) Thanks!

[Stan B.]

Amen- and a few more "forgotten" street greats: Paul McDonough, Leo Levinstein, Charles Harbutt.

[Blake]

If he can take a horizontal photo with the camera propped vertically, he's a true magician.

[Mike Johnston]

"If he can take a horizontal photo with the camera propped vertically, he's a true magician."

Do you recognize the camera? I don't. And there are cameras that shoot in a native vertical format, for instance the Bronica RF645, the Fuji 645s, and many of the old Zeiss 645s of that era. Half-frame 35mm cameras also shot in a vertical orientation and had to be turned "vertically" to shoot a horizontal.

Mike

[Blake]

I don't recognize the camera. It looks too small to be a medium format. Maybe it is a half frame 35 mm? Or maybe the image is cropped?

[Edie Howe]

Once again, Mike, you introduce me to a photographer whose name will have to go on my list of influences. Thankfully, this one is alive and I can help pass the hat. ;-)

Edie
http://littleredtent.net/LRTblog/2011/10/10/a-worthwhile-photo-project/
*keeping her fingers crossed that the project meets its goal*

[Sergey Botvin]

Camera certainly looks like some small 6x4.5 folder.

[Kenneth Tanaka]

Excellent work, unfortunately too similar (cliche? ;-) ) to that of better known contemporaries. Feinstein ought to fire his gallery for making him beg for funds. It's disgraceful representation for such work. Really.

[Jeffrey Goggin]

Am I the only one who think he resembles Michael Reichmann?

[Bron Janulis]

I was initially a little ambivalent about Kickstarter, but the more I see, the more I like. As to it's being " begging", there are tangible rewards for pledging; not unlike the TOP print sale concept, as preselling the monograph.

Here, another take on Coney Island, by the painter, Reginald Marsh: http://www.antiquephotographics.com/Format%20Types/Marsh/marshintro.htm

Bron

[Marcell Nikolausz]

As a hobby nature photographer I'm more aware of Harold Feinstein's flower photography work:
http://www.haroldfeinstein.com/ColorPortfolios/Flora/Rose.htm
These pictures had really interesting lighting, but according to some forum discussions he used an epson flatbed scanner for these project and not a photo camera.
At first I was a bit disappointed to learn this, but later on I tried to emulate the special lighting with some homemade fiber optics light modifiers. Not the same result, but something I like:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fiberstrobe/sets/72157625961713403/

Cheers

Marcell

[Justin Ting]

At the risk of distracting from the Kickstarter campaign, I wonder if the camera could be a half-frame Olympus Pen W or Pen S. The camera looks like it is black with a chrome rewind crank, like the cameras shown here:

http://corsopolaris.net/supercameras/half/halformat4s.html

The photo was taken in 1964, which is about the right time for the Pen W or Pen S, and here is a link claiming that W. Eugene Smith had praised the Olympus half-frames to Feinstein:

http://www.jazzloftproject.org/blog/gene-smith/gene-smith-and-the-olympus-half-frame

(Note reference back to T.O.P.!)

[Kevin Purcell]

The suggestion of a half-frame Olympus Pen is interesting.

If you mirror flip the image you can see Feinstein is using his left eye to view find. The left hand is supporting the camera (with the big nail) and a finger from the right hand is, I presume, operating the shutter but seems quite far forward on the camera and "above" the right side of lens.

That unusual position is right were the (oddly placed and shaped) shutter button is on a Pen (see images in the link provided by Justin above).