Open Mike: OCOLOY Show in Sicily

I was sitting at a table in a hillside vineyard restaurant the other day waiting for the TOP reader who was scheduled to be my third portfolio review client (more about those in a future post) when the mail alert sounded on the phone. It was from a reader in Italy, Massimo Cristaldi. The link showed a beautiful thing. As I read the page and watched the video sitting alone there in the restaurant, a big smile spread across my face.

Nine photographers, kindly citing my OC/OL/OY (one camera, one lens, one year) post as inspiration, had embarked on just such a project, together, with their own rules. They introduced a significant variation of their own as well, in that they meet together once a month to offer each other feedback and support—in their own words, "...we had a group meeting every month to discuss about those photographs. Put them all on the floor, touch them, feel, for real, face to face, not in the virtual world."

And, as I learned, they had mounted a beautiful show of their work in Catania, in Sicily. The show, which was part of their local Med Photo Fest 2015, was supported by Italian photography critic Pippo Pappalardo and attended by Mario Cresci, uno dei grandi maestri della fotografia Italiana*.

Here's the video, embedded with permission—

(The video was realized by Domenico Fabiano.)

Beautiful work, too. You can see the group's OCOLOY pictures (so far) at the Web page. Just scroll down.

Enthusiasm, camraderie, accomplishment—what a great pleasure to have been a small part of this. Congratulations to Emanuele, Massimo C., Domenico, Massimo P., Linda, Giuseppe, Francesco L., Francesco C., and Alberto, and thanks.

Mike
(Thanks to Massimo C.)

*Quoted from this page.

"Open Mike" is the off-topic Sunday editorial page of TOP. Sometimes it's not even off topic.

Original contents copyright 2015 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Kurt Kramer: "Thanks for sharing this. It was inspirational. What a great collection of photographs.

"I started my OCOLOPOY last November 22. Shot every day 'til January 11, then I got the flu. That threw me a little bit and my frequency declined thereafter. Then in May-June I went to the Adriatic Coast on an 18-day trip. Shot with a different camera, and that further reduced my frequency when I came home. 

"But the habit was ingrained, and with one week until the anniversary of my start date I am still shooting 3-4 days a week with my One Camera and One Lens.

"This changed the way I shoot, and despite my inability to do it daily for a year, I am so pleased that you published your original 'Digital Variant' last fall and that I took it on. Having 5–10 colleagues for sharing and support would have helped, but it was nonetheless a great project."

Mike replies: Sometimes you learn as much from your struggle as from the exercise. I don't think total consistency is required for the exercise to be a learning experience. A great book title comes to mind—it's a golf instructional book and it's called Golf is Not a Game of Perfect. Always made me laugh. I guess the bad syntax has to leap out at you for it to be funny, but I think of it sometimes when I get discouraged (at anything...I don't play golf any more). Which is often.

When I quit drinking I was supposed to do "90 meetings in 90 days," and I tried my hardest...and hit 45 meetings in 90 days. But my imperfect attempt has been a success so far, after 25 years, and I'm glad I kept up the struggle with it at the time. I last went to a meeting a few Mondays ago.

Steve Caddy: "That was great. I rolled your OCOLOY and 'Leica as a teacher' lessons into one big one. The initial pictures were the worst I ever made; the ones at the end among the best. I have bookmarked several other of your suggested 'lessons' to attempt once my time is a little less dominated by small children, but I already owe you a great debt, Mike.

"Love the Golf is not a Game of Perfect concept. :-) "

Dave in NM: "That's a very talented group. Bravo!"

Comments

[Dave Fultz]

Great stuff!
And I love the idea of just tossing the prints on the floor--changes the whole feeling of a "review."

Dave

[Kenneth Tanaka]

Saluto i partecipanti! This looks like a lovely show and a constructive exercise.

[John Willard]

Mike, that has got to be a huge head rush. People must be asking you what's with the stupid grin. Congratulations.

[Steven Willard]

I think each of us wants to believe we have had a positive influence on just one person. Here's proof that you've done that times nine, and my guess is that it goes a lot further than that. Well done, you!

[James Weekes]

Congratulations, you're the proud poppa of a wonderful group of pictures. What a nice film, and so many prints that I would be happy to own and proud to have taken. And there were PRINTS! I don't think it would have had half the impact if they were sitting around with iPads.

[robert e]

Wonderful! Bravi!

[Stan B.]

About forty yrs ago, I used each focal length from 50mm downwards (ie- 35, 28, 24, 20) exclusively for at least a year, getting to know each intimately, their strengths and limitations, before settling on the 20 for the last thirty. Instead of inhibiting, it can really free oneself to the business at hand- developing a vision and taking photographs.

Having the previous experience with all the above lenses was particularly valuable however, when it came time to do a small project of (vertical) portraits recently. I knew the look of the 50 and 35 would both be 'too extreme' for what I wanted, invested in a 40mm Ultron and... voila!

[Darlene Almeda]

Refreshing!

[Keith Trumbo]

"Sometimes you learn as much from your struggle as from the exercise” -

Dear Mike,
Thank you for the honesty of your writing. Truth communicates, makes a difference.
Kind regards,
Keith Trumbo

[Bahi]

Absolutely loved this – thanks to all the photographers and to you, for providing a push!

[Fred Haynes]

I have awakened to the fact that most pictures are taken in landscape mode. Why is that?
This may seem irrelevant to the post and the video, which was wonderful. But is it that most photographers see this way, or are we subtly influenced by TV and movie screens?
Or is it subject matter that just works best horizontally?

[Hugh Smith]

Mike
I've been an SLR shooter since my Canon FX and up through my current EOS 5dsr.
But, it always bugged me that HCB always shot with a Leica and a 35mm lens and (perish the thought) never printed his own stuff.
So, when the first Fuji X-100 came out, I bought it and later upgraded to the X-100s.
I have shot with this camera(s) all over Europe and America and am always amazed at how well it makes me do.
It is refreshing (again) to settle back into simplicity (sic) creativity.
Thank you, Mike.

[AHC McDonald]

There are some lovely shots there.

[Sixblockseast.blogspot.com]

I never made a concious decision to do OCOLOY. But in a sense I did. Since February, I have been shooting solely with the Ricoh GR. The decision to purchse the GR had little to do with its 28mm (eq) focal length, as I've always preferred the standard 50mm. And I do not shoot every day and rarely print but have really learned to appreciate the basic OCOLOY pricipal. Selected results can be seen here: http://sixblockseast.tumblr.com

[Steve Caddy]

Oh, I forgot to say this in my previous comment, but watching the video, I immediately thought that the lesson would be greatly improved by doing it as a group, with regular printing and discussion.

[Mani Sitaraman]

I must insist, of an erstwhile print editor who used to be a great stickler for spelling and punctuation, that it be OC,OL,OY and not OC/OL/OY.

What a wonderful concept you have been promoting in this blog, Mike.

For those who fear that this will require Zen master levels of self-discipline, I remember doing this for a year with a 35mm lens circa 2001. It wasn't hard, after a few days.

I have never, since then, reached the fluidity in photographing people that I reached by the end of that year. But some of that eye-brain training still remains with me.

I never did venture as far as OP, though. Restricting yourself to OP is perhaps counter-productive if your principal interest is in photographing people.

[paul in Az]

re: meetings or most anything else for that matter.
I also heard the "90 in 90 days" drill but knowing that I would probably rebel against that discipline it was put to me in a different way. They said to go to a different meeting place every day and sooner or later I'd find one I liked. That was in 1981 and still counting.
Good for you.

[Bryce Lee]

The images, the prints the discussion, so unlike these days for many; where the image is recorded on a telephone and shared with others at a distance or from the mobile telephone itself.

Was viewing the completed images on the floor in the video and thought to myself, as an offshoot, the different variety of footwear worn by the particpants. The same, yet different. Weird.

[Mariette Bolhuis]

What a beautiful and inspiring project ! Love to see the joy and friendship during the process.

[Thomas Paris]

Congratulations to all involved!

To the photographers because it looks like it was a great experience indeed, both photographically (some stunning work there) and on a human level, connecting with fellow photographers, working so closely with them.
And to you for inspiring this beautiful project.

One more reason for me to love TOP. Thanks!