The Online Photographer

More About Peter Turnley's Workshops in Cuba

Photo by Peter Turnley

Last Monday I wrote a short post about peoples' lust for adventure and Peter Turnley's fabulous workshops in Cuba. To answer a question I've been getting, no, I won't actually be going. I'd love to, but I do this. (Actually I've been aiming for one of the Paris workshops for several years, and haven't hit that mark yet. Hope remains.)

Since then I've learned more about the workshops, though, so I thought I'd share.

Peter with one of the many workshop groups he has led in Cuba

Peter has so far led 18 successful workshops in Cuba. There are four more coming up soon:

Dec. 3–9, 2016
Dec. 30, 2016–Jan 5, 2017 (New Year’s workshop)
Feb. 11–17, 2017
March 11–17, 2017

The workshops take place in Havana,  with two-day trips outside of the city. Each workshop lasts for seven days and six nights. Peter partners with Cuba Cultural Travel, which has a license for "people to people cultural exchange." The package price of the workshop includes air travel round trip between Miami and Havana, hotel, visa, three local guides, and several group meals...in addition, of course, to daily photographic workshop and critique sessions led by Peter. Price adjustments can be made for people wanting to fly directly to Havana from their home cities. All registration and payment for the workshop is handled by Laura Adams of Cuba Cultural Travel, and anyone interested in attending should contact her by email at laura@cubaculturaltravel.com.

There is a "companion" price for people wanting to bring a non-photographing spouse. The workshops are open to participants from all over the world.

Photo by Peter Turnley

The daily itineraries expose participants to many visually exciting and authentic aspects of Cuban daily life, with visits to some of the best outdoor dance clubs in Latin America, Santeria religious ceremonies, outdoor markets, ballet schools, afro-rumba dancing, a boxing gym, a modern dance troupe, and more. On day trips outside of the city you'll go to the tobacco region of Vinales; to Regla, a center of Santeria religious activity; and the famous fishing village of Cojimar, where Ernest Hemingway wrote The Old Man and the Sea.

The workshops include walks through Havana Vieja, Havana Centro, along the famous seaside Malecon, and all over Havana. There's also plenty of time for participants to explore on their own. However, nobody ever needs to feel lost—there are three full-time Cuban photographer guides available to you, each of whom speaks perfect English. Peter is always accessible and also accompanies participants on their explorations.

Peter sees this is as both a personal and a photographic journey for participants. He helps you work on how to approach people and feel comfortable getting into the middle of it and working up close. During the workshops there is attention to camera technique and aesthetic discussion in addition to the strong emphasis on offering participants access to the spirit of Cuban life.

Participants speak...
I've mixed a few pictures made by workshop participants and some comments by other participants. Please note that these are all by different people—the pictures and written comments don't match up.

Photo by Gulnara Samoilova

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"I'm not by nature a people or street photographer and I wanted to go outside my comfort zone and really learn something, I did. Peter will teach you how to capture, create and tell a visual story. This is done in a simple and disciplined manner by a master. His incredible editorial process is something to behold. The regular edits and feedback sessions are exceptional and key to the process." —Frank Veteran

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Photo by Alejandra López-Zaballa

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"Beyond doubt, this was the most visually exciting week I have ever experienced across four decades as a passionate amateur photographer.... We had a fabulous time, learned a lot, and are already planning on returning to Cuba with Turnley next year." —David and Susie Bush

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Photo by Tracy Farrell

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"Peter’s approach is philosophical rather than technical. There is minimal discussion of shutter speeds, f-stops, composition, light, etc. He stresses connecting with the subject and capturing a moment in their lives in order to better understand them as people.... Overall this workshop was a tremendously rewarding experience. Highly recommended."—Richard Nugent

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Photo by Winifred Toro

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"Peter's enthusiasm is contagious. His photos confirm his love of life and he quickly transferred his confidence to me and my ability to capture. I grew as an artist and I have become more clear of my vision as a photographer. I am convinced that Peter attracts people with open minds to his workshops. My fellow travel mates were adventurous and always ready to expand their artistic skills. Bottom line—my friends are commenting 'Wow, you've changed!'" —Mary Moeller

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Photo by Dan McConnell

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"What can I say about my trip with Peter Turnley to Cuba. Amazing? Yes. Spectacular? Of course. I dare to say even life changing. I have been home for almost three weeks and am still basking in the glow of Havana." —Andrea Kuhn

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Photo by Beth Ruggiero-York

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"My week in Havana with Peter Turnley was extraordinary. Unforgettable. Magical. Peter's passion for photography, for the people of Cuba and for capturing and savoring every gifted moment will stay with me forever." —Virgil DiBiase

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Carpe diem
So, I don't know, I just think this is a moment. Peter is still in the pink of health, but he's getting older—he now only has the energy of any two normal people rather than the energy of three normal people (that would be four and six times the energy I have, respectively). He has many links to the great photographers of the postwar and later 20th century, and vast experience from the great age of magazines and print photojournalism. He knows Cuba as well or better than any non-Cuban photographer in the world. And Cuba is going to change fast, too. "Now" is a precious opportunity. Golden, I would even say.

Peter at his one-man retrospective exhibition at Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes last Winter

If all this isn't clear enough, I think you ought to do this if you can!

Mike

Original contents copyright 2016 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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Life Is an Adventure

Peter Turnley with some other famous guy in Cuba.
Photo by Noah Friedman-Rudovsky.

A psychologist friend recently mentioned that a great many people in the indeterminate, vaguely unspecified more-or-less mid-life age-range share a common wish—they wish they could break out of their settled precincts and scheduled routines for once, and go on a bonafide adventure. Even if—perhaps especially if—they lead fulfilling, accomplished, prosperous lives with which they're very satisfied.

If that description applies to you, or appeals to you, I have a modest suggestion.

My great and good friend the inimitable Peter Turnley would like to extend a cordial early invitation to you as a TOP reader to join him for one of his photographers' workshops in Cuba. There are several coming up. These will fill up—they always fill up—but he wanted to give us an early heads-up, knowing that a lot of people here have supported him and his work in the past. Many of you own one of his books or one of his signed original prints.

There are times in the shifting life of the world when windows open, and now is one of those times in Cuba. With international relations relaxing, it's easier and safer than ever to travel there, yet the inexorable changes that will surely overtake Cuba soon have barely begun. It still looks largely as it has since the mid-20th century.

Now is the time to visit. Especially with a camera. And especially in the company of an ideal photographic mentor like Peter. Peter has successfully straddled the worlds of photojournalism and fine art. As a photojournalist, he's been featured with his twin brother David on "60 Minutes," and his long list of credits leads off with more than 40 NEWSWEEK covers. As an artist, he has published many books, and was recently honored with a full career retrospective at Havana's leading art museum. He's a guy of uncommon energy who has enthusiastically engaged with the history and lore of photography since he and his brother worked on their first major project as teenagers. He has met and befriended an endless who's-who of important people in our field. And he's a veteran workshop teacher who has inspired groups all over the world.

And really—seriously, now, and pay attention to what I say, I know what I'm talking about here—the guy has stories. Man.

So if you could use a little adventure in your life, this could be one opportunity. Maybe an opportunity whose time has not only come, but is just right. These windows come and go.

Check it out. And think it over. (As you can probably tell, I am.) Who knows? Could be the time of your life. Go for it! Nothing like an adventure. :-)

Mike
(Back to all the new products in the morning.)

Original contents copyright 2016 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:

Jose Antonio Rosas: "I joined Peter's workshop in New York last August, and I am going to Cuba with him next year. His workshops are about much more than improving your photography. They are about establishing stronger connections with people everywhere. Great photographs are the result of that connection."

George Andros: "Agree on all counts. Have the books and prints; taken a workshop and no doubt about it, Peter has stories. Over the last ten years I have taken at least 10 workshops of various sorts and Peter's street photography workshop in Paris was unquestionably the best. A generous and affable spirit to be sure." 

jim: "I went last February for ten days. Havana was so full of life and the most enthusiastic people that I never left to see any of the rest of Cuba. I just hope the enthusiasm of the people doesn't change as the presence of more US tourists increases."

Open Mike: Valentine's Day (and Some Hard Math)

A cheerful plug—this is not objective or disinterested, because I love this book (I own a print from it), and Peter is a good friend, and Peter paid me generously to help publicize the book when it first came out. (It was a big success, thanks in part to me, and by "me" I mean you.) But—French Kiss is the perfect Valentine's Day gift. If you already own the book, you can probably attest to that. And if you order before the end of the day on Tuesday you can get it in time for Valentine's Day on the 14th. (International orders might not arrive in time.)

This is the print I own from French Kiss. This would be a great
shot even without the cat.

There are five hundred copies left of the second (and probably last) printing. It's a really nice book, suffused with a lighthearted spirit of romance and the affection that passes between lovers and friends. The book was made to be a gift, with a stout and handsome red cloth slipcase. If one friend doesn't like it, another will. Can't lose.

The real deal
On a different subject, what do you think the chances are of this?

This isn't a setup, this was a real deal, with a well-shuffled deck, dealing in rows from left to right. I once had my arithmetical skills derided by no less an eminence than Daniel Boorstin, celebrated historian and author and the Librarian of Congress at the time, and I doubt I could calculate the chances of one ace showing in a game of Klondike, much less all four, still less the chance of all four showing in a row. By the way, the idea of having to take a statistics class is a component ingredient in my idea of hell. I've never taken a statistics class—I only know just enough about it to know that it would torture me. Anyway, after some hard thought about my lack of mathematical aptitude and my ignorance of statistics, I've concluded that, in all mathematical likelihood, it's going to be a long time before I see this again.

Good Sunday to you. Gordon Lewis's thoughts about the new Olympus Pen-F on the morrow.

Mike

[UPDATE: As Gerry pointed out in the Comments, I should have said probability, not statistics. My bad. —MJ]

"Open Mike" is the Editor's page of TOP and is often off-topic or personal in some way. It appears on Sundays.

Original contents copyright 2016 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:

Patrick Perez: "I gave my copy to my girlfriend for Valentines Day two years ago. But now she's my wife so I still get to see the book."

Duncan: "Here's my back of the envelope calculation for the probability of getting four aces in a row. It is .000014775, or 1 chance in 67,681.25 deals of the cards. So unless you play Klondike something like 2,000 times a year (assuming you've got another 35 years left), it's unlikely you'll ever see this again. If you want the gory calculation details, let me know and I'll send them along."

John Camp: "You're a smart guy, so you probably don't lack an aptitude for math, but probably probably lack an interest in it. When I took ninth grade algebra, I got a C, and was lucky to get it—when my father pushed me on it, I told him that nothing I would ever do in my life would require me to know algebra. I was wrong about that, but something interesting happened in demonstrating my wrongness. When I was a newspaper reporter, I was packed off to a special intensive class at Northwestern to study statistics and probability and polling; I did quite well, because everything I studied had a practical application. Twenty years later, when I was involved in archaeology in the Middle East, I took a community college course in surveying, which included trig. I did quite well in trig, because again, it had a demonstrable relationship to something practical. So math without a demonstrable application was hard to me—but with an application, not really a problem. I suspect there's some math involved in lens calculations, and you're a lens guy. Does that math defeat you?"

Mike replies: In my very earliest exposure to arithmetic, I was quite put out by numbers because no one would tell me what. That is, when they said "what's two plus two?", my response was "two what?" It seemed obvious to my childish brain that "two" means "...of a kind," and you can't add two of one kind to two of another kind. For example, two sheep plus two sheep is four sheep, but two sheep plus two oranges is still two pairs of things and not four sheep or four oranges, and two sheep plus two days is not four of anything.

Elisabeth Spector: "Hmmm...my back-of-the-envelope calculation gives 1/67,659 (admittedly with some rounding error)—similar to Duncan's result. So, did you win the game with this auspicious start?"

Mike replies: I play Klondike allowing only two single-card-turn passes through the deck, so clearances are rare, but, yes, this one scored a 52.

Yonatan Katznelson: "The back of my envelope agrees with the back of Duncan's envelope. Explanation (even though you didn't ask, and which you can ignore): To deal the pictured Klondike hand the four aces have to be in positions 8, 14, 19 and 23 of your well-shuffled deck. There are three other sets of four positions in the deck for the four aces that result in seeing them displayed in a row like that—so four total 'good' ways of positioning the aces in the deck so they come out in a row. There are 270,725 (52C4) possible placements for the aces in the deck, so the probability of seeing 4 in a row like that is 4/270,725 ~ 0.000014775."

Rube Redfield: "Statistics has nothing to do with math (neither does Sudoku), but everything to do with probability. I teach statistics (along with a basic 'learn your digital camera' course) at university in Japan and I am sure you would love it. I do it in a computer lab; the computer does all the math, everything is hands on, and the graphics are both beautiful and instantaneous. All you have to do is learn how to interpret them."

mao: "Given that you have two sets of answers from your readers, and you claim to be bad at math, what are the odds that you picked the right one for the Featured Comments? My reading of the problem agrees with the low probability camp, but to achieve better agreement on answers you receive, you may need to improve you skill at writing math problems  ;-)  "

Mike replies: ...Which deficiency certainly stands to reason. Also my lack of concern about discrepancies in the answer.

For the record, the problem, I think, is four aces next to each other but in any order of suits and anywhere in the array (four possible positions). Reason? Well, I dunno. But I think the fact that they were all in a row increased my sense of wonder at the occurrence, whereas I don't think I would have been any less amazed if the row of four was in any different position in the array (i.e., all the way to the right or all the way to the left or with two other cards to the left of the aces instead of one). Which is a totally subjective and impressionistic reason for formulating a probability problem, but then, the only college-level math course I ever took was called "Math for Poets."

Print Sale Ends Soon

Last chance: this is the last afternoon of the last time we'll be offering Peter Turnley's two most famous Paris prints for the lowest prices either one will ever be offered for again.

(That might not all turn out to be true, but it's pretty likely.)

Once orders are closed, they're closed. I apologize if it's an inconvenience, but we don't make exceptions.

The opportunity has not quite gone by. The ordering window closes this evening at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time. That's 6:00 p.m. on the West Coast and 4:00 p.m. in Hawaii; 2:00 a.m. Saturday in London and 3:00 a.m. Saturday in Paris; 1:00 p.m. Saturday in Sydney and 10:00 a.m. Saturday in Perth.

I'll be sending the proof prints back to Peter next week, but I've loved having them here in the house. For part of the week I've just kept them out on the dining room table so I can soak them in on the way past. The surface of the paper is luscious, the prints are rich, lush, and warm, and the pictures are deep, peaceful and quietly romantic. They're beautiful. They make me feel good.

The sale this week has been a nice success—I'd like to thank all the friends o' TOP who've already ordered one or two. Don't forget you get a free book if you order two prints (lots of people have taken advantage of this), and that part of the profits go to the French Red Cross.

This weekend I hung one of my three Turnleys—this one, in the kitchen:

I'd love to have a Koudelka, an Erwitt, a Helen Levitt, and a Cartier-Bresson to go with my Turnleys and keep them company. But I'm not rich*.

You don't have to be rich either, to own one of these, or give one as a gift. That's the nice thing about this. One last time, for these last few hours, here's the link. [UPDATE: Orders are now closed. Thanks for your interest!].

And, thanks.

Mike

*And none of those four ever had the advantage of having a TOP sale. :-)

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:

Alessandra: "Mike, you got me in trouble! I convinced my husband that I deserve a wonderful Christmas present, and we ordered both the prints. I'm really happy and excited, but now I'm not sure where to put them.

"First idea, our bedroom, where there is a good place...but I want to see the Paris prints a lot and not only when I wake up and when I go to bed. I have a good place in the living room, but it's not empty, Michael A. Smith's 'Isola d'elba' and 'Cactuses' are already there! And I can't move them with satisfaction to the bedroom because they call for a good light and a close scrutiny....

"Big headache! And it's only your fault if I could afford such beautiful pieces of art (even two fantastic Ctein's dye tranfer prints)! Shame on you!"

Mike replies: I feel suitably contrite Alessandra. If it's any consolation, most people who like art have the same problem. Including me in my new house—I probably have room for only about a third of my prints, and that's only the ones that are already framed.

Brian Drinkwater (partial comment): "I prevaricated about this until the last minute but just got in under the wire...this is great value especially since Paris has so much emotional connection for my wife and I. It's the city we first met in back in 1998. Thank you for offering this print and I'm happy some proceeds are going to the Red Cross."

Bob Smith: "Could only afford one print but I was able to get the one print I've been yearning for since you turned me on to Peter, Paris from the rooftop. Damn it I'm HAPPY! And a big print too, to go over my mantelpiece and fill the living room.... What a Christmas present!"

'Vive la France!' Print Sale Starts Next Monday

One of the two prints we will be offering at full
size for the first time next Monday

Just a heads up. Our Fall print sale, which as usual will run for five days, starts next Monday at 10 a.m. Eastern U.S. time and ends at the end of the day on Friday. Just so you're aware. (Not everybody who reads TOP visits every week or even every month, so with every sale I field anguished protests from people who missed the entire five days of the sale.)

It will consist of full-sized, signed 16x20-inch silver prints of Peter Turnley's two most popular photographs of Paris, for delivery before Christmas. We've offered both before, but in smaller sizes.

The "Vive la France" sale is what I've been calling it, unofficially. The offer was planned before the recent attacks on "the beautiful city." Peter has lived in France for 37 years, and speaks fluent French, and ranks among people like Henri Cartier-Bresson, Willy Ronis, and his own late great friend and mentor Robert Doisneau as one of the great photographers of the city of Paris. It's only natural that he was deeply affected by the recent attacks on the heart of his adopted home, and accordingly some of the proceeds of our sale will go to the French Red Cross for the aid of the victims and their families. Paris has come together. We all want to help each other be strong, stay compassionate, and let love, peace and freedom win.

These will not be Voja prints—he's not available to print this year—but Voja has seen these prints and approves them. They are signed fiber-base silver-gelatin prints exactly like the ones that sell in galleries for $1,200. The photographs celebrate what Paris has come to symbolize for so many people all over the World...love, lyrical beauty, conviviality and camraderie, and the good life.

The prices for these prints are the lowest either print has ever been offered for. I should also mention that TOP's share of Peter's book and print sales are a significant part of this site's annual earnings, and definitely help bring you The Online Photographer (still free!) every day, so buyers of these prints are making a contribution to TOP as well.

Mike

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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'Moments of the Human Condition' in Havana

Peter Turnley with Liliany Rodriguez Mola, 29, and her baby, Lia Tenay Diaz Rodriguez, subjects of the photograph behind them on the wall, at the opening last Friday. The picture was taken at the Iglesia Merced in Havana when baby Lia was only 16 days old. Photo by Roger Dunham.

Our friend Peter Turnley is in Cuba for his retrospective exhibit "Momentos de la Condicion Humana" (Moments of the Human Condition) at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana, Cuba's National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana.

I think because I know Peter so well, I enjoy his accomplishments almost as much as if they were my own. He lives the life. Assuming some of you can't easily get to Havana, this stirring video contains all 130 pictures from the exhibit (do try to watch it full screen if you can. Note that it's clearer in full screen if you click on the link and watch it on Vimeo).

Moments of the Human Condition from Peter Turnley on Vimeo. Set to the music of Common and John Legend.

I've watched it several times.

I should point out that the show in Havana is not a show of the work from his new book. The book, Cuba: A Grace of Spirit, is an extended portrait of the people of the island nation, taken over many visits over many years. The show at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes is a full career retrospective from Peter's many decades as a photojournalist. The show runs until February 15th.

The show catalog

More than 1,000 people from Cuba and all over the world attended the opening last Friday, and Peter told me he was treated "like a Major League ballplayer" (who are among the biggest of celebrities in the Caribbean) during the evening. He said he thought the presentation of the show was exceptional, and called the opening " one of the most important moments of my life."

Visitors to Peter Turnley’s major retrospective exhibition “Momentos de la Condicion Humana” at Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
In Havana, Cuba.

Paris
A note about recent events. At the end of this month we will be offering signed 16x20-inch silver prints of two of Peter Turnley's most popular and peace-affirming photographs of the lyrically beautiful city of Paris (both are seen in the last section of the video). Purchasers of more than one print will receive a free, signed and slipcased copy of Cuba: A Grace of Spirit that Peter can inscribe for you on request. The sale will begin on Monday, November 30th at noon, U.S. Eastern Time.

The choice of the two Paris photographs was made many weeks ago. In light of Peter's close connection to Paris (it has been his home for 37 years), we intend to work out an effective way to donate a portion of the profits to a fund for victims of the recent terrorist attacks. We will have the details worked out by the time the sale starts, and I'll share the specifics of the plan with you then.

The opening of "Moments" must have been really something—I would have loved to be there. I hope you get a chance to watch the video.

Mike

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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Featured Comments from:

Bob Smith: "Wet eyes at the end of that video. But also warmth and hope in my heart and a feeling that Good is going to win this world in the end. Peter Turnley, PHOTOGRAPHER! Been all around and captured the horror. But always manages to capture the strength, grace and spirit in people. Perfect example as to why the world needs eyes and hearts like his."

Save Some of Your Holiday Money!

Gift-giving
Coming up, back by popular demand (I sure do get requests), TOP will offer two museum-quality original signed silver prints by Peter Turnley for delivery before the holidays. Arguably his two very most popular classic black-and-white photographs of Paris, one older, one newer.

This time they'll be full-sized prints (a first for us), and at the lowest price these prints have ever been sold for. In case you're trying to think of a cool gift for someone important to you. We're working on a way to offer a slipcased, inscribed and signed hardcover copy of Peter's latest book as part of the deal, for free, as a bonus.

Treasure in storage
In other sales news, I've located another batch of leftover NOS photobooks, this time hiding quietly in the basement of a major photography museum. (NOS = "new old stock," meaning brand new books that have been sitting around for a while.) Very limited supply, but a number of titles. Some exceptionally fine books, some long unavailable new, that, if everything works out right, we'll be offering on TOP at nominal prices. (The Museum isn't interested in making money from these, it just wants them to go to the right people, rather than—I can barely bring myself to say this!—into a dumpster.)

More about both these things as I know more. Stay tuned.

Mike

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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'Cuba: A Grace of Spirit'

So, this day, two news items of equal import from my friend and friend-o'-TOP Peter Turnley, who visited me here in Upstate New York last week.

First, today is publication day for Peter's newest book, Cuba: A Grace of Spirit.

Peter's first self-published book (although he had many books published commercially prior to it, both with his twin brother David and alone) was French Kiss: A Love Letter to Paris, and TOP readers were instrumental in its considerable success. (It sold out its first press run, which was large for a photobook, and is now in a second printing.) Cuba: A Grace of Spirit is similar in a lot of ways: it's a premium production with a deluxe hardcover binding, fine reproductions, and a beautifully made slipcase. Every copy will be signed by the photographer and the book will not be available in bookstores.

More about the book in a moment.

The second item of news is something I find quite amazing: Peter is going to be the very first American artist of any kind since the Cuban Revolution to receive a major show at Cuba's most prestigious art museum, the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana (the National Museum of Fine Arts of Havana). It will be a comprehensive career retrospective of his work.

This is undoubtedly a high point of Peter's ongoing career as well as a significant moment in the new epoch of Cuba's relationship with the United States and the world. I find it extremely impressive, and also, somehow, curiously encouraging...real "from life" photography getting some serious, respectful, celebratory attention on a major stage. The show, which is called "Momentos de la Condicion Humana" (Moments of the Human Condition) will run from November 13 through February 15th.

The curators at the Museo Nacional could not have made a better choice, in any event. Peter Turnley loves Cuba. He first went to Cuba to photograph Mikhail Gorbachev and Fidel Castro in 1989, and the new book is the culmination of half a lifetime of constant travel to the island. As some TOP readers know firsthand, he teaches workshops there. More recently, he became convinced that Cuba was approaching a turning point in its history and he intensified his travel schedule—he estimates he's been there, for different reasons but always to photograph, 20 times in the past four years.

My first reaction to the book was that it's the first time I've seen such a forthright portrait purely of the Cuban people. Cuba is picturesque, and so many photographers treat it like a "photo opportunity," mining the low-hanging fruit of its bright colors and signs of poverty and the obsolete '50s American cars for their quaint picturesque qualities in ways we've all seen before. Of course those elements are present (if subdued) in the new book. But what Peter calls "the vibrant, joyful, resilient, courageous, beautiful, and elegant spirit of the Cuban people" is what he loves best and respects most, and that's what you'll find front and center. It's really the subject of the book. (He also notes that this spirit "transcends politics and change," and signifiers of both take a back seat.)

I also think the book shows some interesting things about Peter's growth as an artist, but I'll leave those thoughts to another time.

Price
Last time, French Kiss was planned from the first to sell at a regular price of $85 (perfectly reasonable for a self-published book in a sturdy slipcase—self-publishing is more expensive than commercial publishing), and $69 was supposed to be a temporary, introductory price; but copies sold so fast Peter simply never raised the price. After the first printing sold out, he invested in a second printing, and there are still some of those left—still offered at that introductory price of $69.

So, the introductory price of Cuba: A Grace of Spirit is $69. And may stay there. Or might not. The edition is 3,000.

You can see some of the page spreads at the sale page, plus a video.

Oh, and if you missed French Kiss: A Love Letter to Paris, Peter is offering both books for a special price. (Saves on shipping and handling if people buy both at once.) Scroll down on the sale page for that. (Even if you already have a copy of French Kiss, you know what a great gift book it could be...for anyone you love, or for anyone you know who loves France.)

Every copy of both books will be signed.

And, any sales that come from here benefit TOP as well.

Photo by David Burnett

Congratulations to Peter, on both counts, and I look forward to hearing what people think of the new book. I'll present a "mini-portfolio" of my favorite pictures from the book sometime in the next few weeks. I might actually go to Havana for the show. When else am I ever going to get to Cuba?

Here's the link to the book again.

Mike
(Thanks to Peter)

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Peter Turnley Prints

Peter Turnley, Paris 2013

It's not a TOP sale, but a lot of TOP readers will be very interested to know that as of this morning, Peter Turnley is launching his own limited sale of his prints. Here's the link. A number of our readers' favorites from our past sales are offered again, with prices not too much ($100) higher than ours—and you also have the choice of ordering your favorite in his larger standard 16x20" size if you'd like, which were never part of our offers. This is definitely the best way ever to get a large Turnley original.

This is an opportunity for people who missed our past sales, or who wish to add to their existing collections.

I started hanging framed prints in the new house recently, which (like putting pictures on the refrigerator door!) is one of the best parts of moving. In a prominent position by the eat-in counter, visible from the garage door which is naturally the main entry door, I hung my framed ID#16. Mine was a gift from Peter, but it's identical in every way to the smaller print available in this sale. It looks fantastic on the wall. I'm going to show you a few pictures of prints on my walls when I get home again (and ask to see some of yours, if you want to share. But let's leave that till later).

These are just superlative prints, of some of Peter's best-known pictures. As usual, the prints are made in Paris by Voja Mitrovic, who was Hentri-Cartier-Bresson's printer for many years. The famous Paris Rooftops picture is available again in this sale as well—as a poster, its has been one of the most popular pictures ever, selling an estimated half a million copies. But very few people own original signed silver-gelatin prints of the image. Very few people outside of TOP's readership, I should say.

If you do buy one (or two, or three, or...), please indicate that you heard about the sale here!

And of course, among the pictures offered for the first time at a reduced price, I have a new favorite (see above). You know what they say: sigh.

Mike
(Thanks to Peter)

Original contents copyright 2014 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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Bob Smith: "Oh God. TOP has done it to me again.* There are seven of these I want. I can't afford any of them right now. I am going to screen cap the seven and study on them for the next few days. Then I am going to 'rob Paul to pay Peter' to flip the old bromide around. Right now ID#1 is at the top of the list but I have a feeling I'll be drawing straws for the winner in end.

"*Mike, I know it isn't you putting on this sale, but if I wasn't a religious reader of TOP I would never have owned any Turnley prints and seen how beautiful they are in person and...."

A Halloween on the Trains of New York City

Words and Photographs by Peter Turnley

Rudy and Courtney on the #2 train in the Bronx, after midnight Halloween night

Very late Friday evening, I got on a #2 train heading north through the Bronx, New York. I wanted to see life on the trains on Halloween night, late, as people rode home. Once past the 135th Street stop, very few people were on the train with me. As I reached the end of the line, way out in the Bronx, I got off the train to return to Manhattan. I sat down on an elevated subway platform, in the rain, and waited for nearly half an hour for a train heading south to arrive.

It was cold, and I felt quite alone. This moment reminded me of how alone it would be possible to feel in life. I have been near that feeling a few times, and I longed to get back on a train and return home.

When I boarded the train returning south to Manhattan, initially there were only a couple of other people in the car with me. When the train paused at a Bronx stop, two people, a young man and woman, sat down in front of me. At first I wasn’t sure they were together, and the beauty of each of them captivated me. They both looked very much alone as well, and in their own world, and tired. Soon, the young woman leaned over and put her head on the shoulder of the young man.

I made a few photographs of them with out them being aware, and pushed myself to stand up and cross the train and lean near their faces. I said, "excuse me, I'm a photographer, and I'm riding the train photographing people tonight, and you both are so beautiful, could I please make a photograph of you?" They looked at each other and looked back at me and nodded okay.

I made several photographs, quietly, my heart excited by the gift of this moment. I handed them a card and asked them to contact me so I could send them a photograph. Then I sat back down and rode many stops in silence. When the train came to my stop and I got up, as I walked by the couple I said, "you offered me a beautiful gift tonight and I want to thank you." They both responded quietly, but strongly, "we thank you."

And this is for me, is what life is all about. Good night.

—Peter Turnley
12:30am, Nov. 1, 2014, on a train in the Bronx, New York

The A train, W. 4th Street, Manhattan, at 8 p.m. on Halloween 2014

A mother and her children return home to the Bronx after Halloween

Coral Foxworth, on the #2 train in Harlem

Text and photos © 2014 by Peter Turnley, all rights reserved

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Speed: "Stories are best told in words and pictures. Peter is the rare person who does both well."

Paul: "Peter Turnley's work and approach to the photographic life in general should be obligatory studying for any aspiring street photographer. Obviously I'm sure the best way to learn would be with one of his workshops. [Link —Ed.] However anyone who for whatever reason cannot attend the workshops will learn an inmense amount of wisdom and knowledge by studying closely his words and images here at The Online Photographer and especially his daily images and thoughts on Facebook. His apparent lack of interest in gear, mixed with his full concentration on the image are a healthy respite from the usual gear-driven chat on the web. Personally what he's probably taught me most is the grace and respect towards his subjects and I find this is one of the key reasons he manages to capture such beautiful and compelling street photography."

John Krumm: "I read this small photo essay first thing this morning and was very impressed. Later I found my wife holding my iPad with her eyes tearing up...I had left it open to TOP and this story. She loved it."

Last Chance! Print Sale Ends Today

[UPDATE: Sale ended at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4th 2013 Central Time. Many thanks to everyone who ordered prints! We will keep you updated as to their delivery status here on TOP. —MJ]

Our current Print Offer ends today. The order page is at www.topprintsandbooks.com.

The sale is scheduled to end at sunset, which is 4:41 p.m. U.S. Central Time. Although I probably won't actually close it down until more like 7:30. (Let's face it, the sun sets too early these days.) The ordering system apparently experienced some downtime for a while last night.

Here's the announcement of the sale, from last Wednesday.

Problems were few
By the way, a handful of people have had problems paying by credit card (through no fault of their own). I have no direct control over that—it's an automated merchant account that I've signed up for. However, there is also a PayPal option: it's at the bottom of the "cart" page:

...PayPal also takes credit cards through their own channel, so you could try that. If all else fails, you can choose the "Check by Mail" payment option and simply mail a check to me. And, if you had problems for any reason, sorry about that!

(For the most part the sales portal has operated smoothly.)

A final plug: Don't forget that prints make fantastic gifts. Easy to ship, because you can use the same nifty box the prints will come to you in. (I have to ask Peter where in the world he gets those beautiful boxes. [UPDATE: The answer is Duggal in NYC.])

All the orders are keeping us busy behind the scenes. As always, we hope you've enjoyed this sale, and thanks to everyone for your participation!

Mike

Original contents copyright 2013 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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Last Chance!

No, TOP isn't turning into "all Turnley all the time." But you know how it is with blogs...one thing leads to another. A train post leads to more train posts. And so forth.

Anyway, just wanted to remind you that today is the last day to get the pre-order price on Peter's new book. All 3000 books just arrived in New York City from Hong Kong, and will be delivered to Peter's storage facility tomorrow, where he will begin signing them. They will begin shipping very soon, starting within the next two weeks at the latest.

So the regular price of $79 kicks in tomorrow. Which means today is the last day you can order it at the special pre-order price of $69...

...That I negotiated for you, remember? I talked Peter into offering it at a lower price for the month of October, prior to the arrival of the shipment.

Here's the link. (As usual, full disclosure: Peter's giving me a spiff for helping to promote his book. We're kinda in cahoots on this.)

This is for the deluxe first edition with the spiffy slipcase (the next edition won't have the slipcase).

The book will still be available after today, of course. But the regular price kicks in tomorrow.

Of course, you could get it for an even lower price (i.e., free) by just ordering all three of our sale prints....  :-)

Mike

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Peter Turnley Paris Print Sale III Starts Now!

Peter Turnley, Couples along the Seine, Paris, 2013

A lot to talk about in a short space today.

First and most importantly, the announcement of our third sale of Paris prints—these three beautiful pictures taken by photographer Peter Turnley and printed by master printer Voja Mitrovic. The pictures are all from Peter's new book, French Kiss: A Love Letter to Paris, which starts shipping in one week (and is more than half sold out already). 

About our sales (I need to explain this again because many visitors drop by The Online Photographer for the first time just for our sales): We use an unusual marketing model that benefits both producers and purchasers. The sale lasts for a short "window" of time—just five days—during which we collect orders. Money in hand, the prints can then be made to fulfill the orders. Because the prints can be produced in volume—each already sold—the price can be kept low for the buyer but the photographer still makes money. Win-win.

Canal St. Martin Sailboat, Paris, 1982

And the 20% that is TOP's "gallery fee" helps keep TOP on the rails...so, win-win-win.

(Another nice side-effect of that is that fully 80% of the proceeds goes to the photographers, who, after all, deserve it. Compare that to the 30–40% photographers get to keep when selling through conventional galleries. Not that there's anything wrong with conventional galleries; I like them too.)

More about these pictures in a moment, but first, I also want to announce that TOP has a new storefront, or Web shop, or sales page, or e-commerce portal, or whatever you want to call it: www.topprintsandbooks.com. It's here, and this is where you go to place your order for these prints. Hopefully we've accommodated everyone's needs both externally and internally...you can pay by credit card (VISA, MasterCard, or Discover), by PayPal, or by sending a personal check or money order in the mail. PayPal offers standard currency conversion for the convenience of International customers (who—counting Canadians—make up 45 to 55% of TOP's regular audience). Please do bear in mind this is a new and as-yet untested system, so please have patience if we encounter any turbulence!

Eiffel Tour Tango, Paris, 2012

Now about these pictures.

The book French Kiss collects more than 40 years of pictures of "the love of life" in Paris, and is Peter's second book of Paris pictures (the first was Parisians).

He has used nearly every model of Leica film rangefinder for these pictures. But life moves on. In common with artists, photographers are most interested in the work they're doing now. And recently, Peter has been photographing more than ever in Paris, using modern digital rangefinder Leicas and sharing the results with his large followings on the Internet.

Two of these pictures are recent photographs made with the M9 and M Monochrom, which appear on the front and back cover of the new book ("Couples along the Seine" was taken just a few months ago, in August). To ensure consistency with his past work, they're printed on traditional fiber-base paper, from 4x5-inch internegatives, by Voja Mitrovic. Voja (pronounced "Voya") who printed the majority of Henri Cartier-Bresson's prints for three decades of Henri's life, still does a very limited amount of work for a select group of the world's top photographers.

Henri Cartier-Bresson and Josef Koudelka at Voja Mitrovic's retirement party, good-naturedly pleading with him not to go

The important thing to Peter is to maintain the continuity of his work in Paris, and its connection to the great French photographers of the city—many of whom he knew and were his friends. He also wants to keep intact the connection to the great tradition of the fine print indelibly associated with those legendary French photographers and the great Paris labs.

Pierre Gassmann in his famous Paris lab, with Peter Turnley

These prints normally sell for $1,200 each as 16x20's. Our TOP sale prints are smaller—12x16 inches (30.5x40.6cm), the traditional European collector print size—but sell for one-third as much. They are signed on the front by Peter and on the back by Peter and Voja. These prints will not be offered at this size or for our prices except in this sale.

Note that you will receive a small discount it you purchase two prints and a large discount for a third. These savings will be applied to your order at checkout. The price for one print is $395, two are $770, and all three prints are $995.

In addition, as a special thank-you for TOP readers who buy all three prints, Peter will include a free, signed copy of the new book French Kiss. (If you've already pre-ordered the book, you can email him and cancel your pre-order if you're getting the free copy.) The book you'll receive is the First Edition in the custom slipcase, which will cost $79 starting November 1st. (If you decide not to buy any prints but would like the book, you can click here.)

We hope you like our three choices. This sale ends in five days, at sunset next Monday. As soon as the sale ends, Voja will get to work making the prints. Early orders will be shipped first. We hope everyone's order will arrive before Christmas, but please order early if you want to make sure.

Click here to order

Vive Paris—Vive la Photographie!

Mike

Original contents copyright 2013 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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Paris Print Sale Starts WEDNESDAY (And Some Nice News)

I've been remiss in not announcing the date and time of the start of our next 5-day print sale—I've delayed because I've been working hard on a new TOP e-commerce portal and it's not quite ready for prime time yet. (No healthcare.gov jokes, please.)

But come rain or shine, hell or high water, the sale will start this Wednesday, October 30th, at noon Central Time, and end at sundown on Monday, November 4th.

The three beautiful Peter Turnley prints are all from his new book, French Kiss. All were taken with Leicas, one with an M4, one with an M9, and one with an M Monochrom—the latter two using the printing process Peter talked about in our short interview last week.

And there's a nice bit of news: Peter has also decided that as a special favor for TOP readers (that would be you), anyone who buys all three prints will get a free signed book. Ain't that nice?

Please stop by here on Wednesday to see the pictures! They're really beautiful. I'll give you a hint—the book's cover picture is one of the three.

Also, on Monday morning (it's Sunday night as I'm writing this), I'll post more of peoples' pictures of their "supertraditional lens sets." (We had a 5-star sports day here in the Midwest and I've been mighty distracted by it, and goldbricking, if anyone remembers that word.)

Mike

Original contents copyright 2013 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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Featured Comments from:

Joseph Bayot: "What if we already ordered a book but want to get all three prints now?"

Mike replies: After you order your three prints, you can just send Peter an email and ask him to cancel your earlier order. I'll have this information in the sale announcement as well.

Digital File to Silver Print

Introduction: As I've mentioned, our next Print Offer, which starts in less than two weeks, on October 30th, features some really fine and very recent Paris pictures by old friend Peter Turnley, from his marvelous new book French Kiss.

But an obvious question arose. Peter's been using a Leica M9 and an M Monochrom recently...and how does he get from there to the fine prints he's long been known for, and that so many of our readers have bought and enjoyed in the past?

So, I asked....

Mike: We're very much looking forward to your third TOP sale, just nine days from now, of several prints from your new book French Kiss. But one big question. How do you handle the mix of digital and traditional originals? You are known for the signed fine prints that Voja Mitrovic has made for you for many years. And any good printer is in part an artistic collaborator, not just a mechanic. Is Voja just out of the picture (no pun intended) when it comes to photographs you've made with the Leica M9 and M Monochrom?

Peter: Voja is still in the picture for all of my prints! The great news is that all of my Paris photographs, whether made by an analog or digital camera, are still printed as traditional silver gelatin prints by my friend Voja, who in my opinion is is one of the greatest black-and-white printers in the history of photography. Whether the photograph was made on film with a Leica M3, M4, M6, or M7, or made digitally by the Leica M8, M9 and M Monochrom digital cameras, they are all still printed by Voja Mitrovic as traditional silver-gelatin prints from a negative.

Mike: When you say "negative," what size negative?

Photo from French Kiss printed as a traditional gelatin-silver print from
a digital Leica M Monochrom original, using an internegative.
(This picture isn't part of our sale.)

Peter: We have taken the digital files and had 4x5-inch internegatives made, which Voja then prints traditionally on silver-gelatin fiber-base paper. I'm having an exhibition at the Leica Gallery in Salzberg, Austria starting on November 20th, and all 50 prints in the exhibit, covering a 40-year period of time, will be Voja's traditional silver gelatin prints.

Mike: And the obvious, if blunt, question...how good are they? Are they as good as prints made from in-camera negatives?

Peter: All I can say is that when I saw the silver prints made by Voja from these 4x5 internegatives from my original digital files, I was blown away. They are perfectly homogenous with the prints made from film. I've never seen these digital photographs look so beautiful on a computer screen.

For me, this new technique is life-changing. It allows me to finally have total continuity with the photography of my whole career, and to be proud of all of my signed prints for collection, whether they were made originally from film or by a digital camera.

Mike: I know that Voja doesn't print for anyone but a select handful of clients, but where do you get your digital-to-film internegatives made? And is this something that anyone can have done?

Peter: We use a terrific photography lab in Paris called Central DUPON Images. The process is called making a "shoot." That's what they call it in French—I don't know if there's an English equivalent, other than "internegative." We have spent time working with one their wonderful technicians calibrating a digital file with a standard set of curves so that when a 4x5 negative is made from a digital file, there is no excess gain in contrast or loss of detail.

Mike: Is there usually?

Peter: In general, the digital file that is projected onto a piece of 4x5 film has a bit less contrast than a digital file one would print from directly. We have studied this carefully and made many tests and arrived at a standard setting that enables us to have constant, excellent mid-tone values and levels of detail in the highlights and shadows in the 4x5 negative that the silver gelatin print is then made from.

Mike: And how about the "blackline"—will the digital prints have an integral black line around them like the prints from film? With 35mm it shows the film edge, but of course there's no equivalent in digital.

Peter: I grew up with the old traditions of great printing and have always used a black line around the edge of my prints, as did Henri, to indicate an uncropped print from a full negative. I also love the way the black line "closes" a print. So we also incorporate this black line—filet noir in French—on our digital files, in order to have it also in the 4x5 negative. For me it's a matter of consistency across my life's work.

Mike: And how widespread is this process that Central DUPON uses, do you know?

Peter: I'm sure that there are labs all over the world, and certainly in the U.S. that can make these internegatives, but I will say that the culture of attention to detail in the great Paris photography labs has always been outstanding.

Mike: Thanks Peter. Anything else you'd like to add?

Peter: I want to return to the most important point—the resulting silver prints made from these internegatives derived from digital files are undistinguishable from silver prints made straight from original negatives. Really sensational.

Mike: Thanks very much, Peter. I can't wait to see some examples.

Mike

Original contents copyright 2013 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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Featured Comments from:

Tony Roberts: "Salgado has been employing the same process."

Roger Bradbury: "After seeing the Leica video where you can see Peter Turnley and Voja Mitrovic examining a large negative (on the French Kiss book web page), I had already thought as much. It is fascinating to discover the details, though."

Ed: "Man, what a headache and endless hoops to jump through; just shoot film in the first place."

Peter Turnley replies: I'd like to respond to that because I realize that at first glance your comment makes sense but actually the reality is exactly the opposite. To "just shoot film in the first place" is not the easier answer with less headache. (I shot film for 35 years with great pleasure). Shooting film means spending money for every roll of film, money and time developing the film, making contact sheets, archiving them. Having problems carrying film through any airport security system. And, maybe most importantly, some of the new cameras like the Leica Monochrom offer the opportunity to make photographs with amazing tones in low light conditions with high enough shutter speeds with no camera or subject movement/blur, and one can actually make photographs of authentic spontaneous moments in very low light that one can't do with decent grain films like Tri-X. Digital files are very fine as well for magazine publications, online publications, and even book publications.

The making of an internegative from a digital file happens in my case only for photographs that are going to be exhibited or offered as signed collector prints. I will be having an upcoming exhibition in Salzburg, Austria of 50 photographs representing 40 years of photographs in Paris. Of all of this work only 20 of the photographs were made with a digital camera so only 20 internegatives were necessary to make. At the end of the day, this was not a headache or even a great expense compared to what shooting film these past two years would have represented. I know it is tempting to say that shooting film seems like less of a headache, but I actually don't think it is. And, I can't believe I am writing all of this, because I have been for so long in the camp of people that really love film. But, that is why this is all worth discussing now, because the combination of being able to work with an amazing, game-changing digital camera, and making internegatives to be able to make gelatin silver collector prints by a master printer—this all really represents progress.

Stan B.: "There are now a variety of 'hybrid' solutions available, each negotiable to the particular shooter's needs and finances. Inkjet prints from silver neg scans can be downright spectacular when properly executed. It's a helluva lotta work in post, but well worth it when you get that big (up to 27in from 35mm), beautiful print that I would have felled an entire old growth forest to achieve in the darkroom. I've seen B&W digital work that has taken my breath away, and stuff that looks plastic, sterile and 'artificial.' I guess it's mostly determined in post, and what particular combination (of thousands) one uses. Shooting film makes sense financially if you don't shoot as often as pros are likely to. No doubt Mr. Turnley's results represent the zenith of what is currently possible."

Wayne Pearson: "I really do not care how Peter makes his images, whether they are film, digital, use internegatives, or not. His images are wonderful. That is all that matters, are the images good or not. His are. Thank you for sharing his work and the occasional interview on this site."

'French Kiss: A Love Letter to Paris' by Peter Turnley

As I said before (but should say again), I'm hardly objective about this whole project. I've been talking to Peter about it since he first got the idea for it, I've kibitzed on the various edits as the book evolved, and Peter is kindly giving me a spiff for helping to publicize it. All of which you need to know up front.

So now back to this idea of "home base" I mentioned yesterday, which most readers seemed to really get. I've long been aware that I come to photographs with two hats on. One is my editor's/critic's hat. In that frame of mind you have to be open to all sorts of work, and take creators of art at their work and on their own terms. And then there's my personal hat, where I get to bring my own taste to the forefront. 

That's where I find my own home base, which has long been what I used to call "Photo 101 Style"—35mm B&W photographs of "found life," printed full frame—a style popularized by Henri Cartier-Bresson and adopted by innumerable other photographers as their own over many years. It's just what I love best. It's home, for me. And it's what I do myself. I have very little of my work in that style digitized, but there certainly are a lot of boxes of it in the house.

So Peter Turnley's Paris work—black and white, mostly 35mm photographs of "found life" in the world's most celebrated city—hits me right where I live. This is the kind of work I do myself, or try to. It's the style and technique of photography that I work in, and of all the myriad kinds of photography out there it's the one that appeals to me most naturally and most strongly.

Still and all—I got my copy last Friday, and I have to say I couldn't be more pleased with the way the book turned out.

Peter holding his new book

The book is a very nice size—in fact, its dimensions are very close to the "ideal size" I chose for TOP's books, although it's thicker. Big enough to let the pictures "breathe," but not so big that the book is hard to hold in your hands. The unmarked, matching-color slipcase is beautifully made, and the book in its slipcase makes a crisp and tidy presentation.

The book has very little text, and lots and lots of photographs—138, which means the book is best taken in over several viewing sessions—138 pictures is a lot to look at in one go.

The pictures are laid out one to a page, on facing pages, with none running across the gutter. The presentation is ideally respectful of the viewer's desire to primarily simply see the photographs.

The reproduction is very nice. I neglected to confirm if they have been spot-varnished, but it looks that way. The reproductions aren't exact replicas of Peter's originals (which tend to be much larger anyway), but they are very close in feel to the originals. A full, rich, vivid range of tones.

Many of the pictures in the book are literally of people kissing. Almost everyone is happy, and the feeling-tone, overwhelmingly, is of affection and companionability.

I like the fact that there are a few gay couples included—the spirit of the book seems generous and inclusive. A few pictures bespeak friendship more than love: there are a few children, a man and his dog—even two dogs "kissing"!—and a few old couples. Like this one (I own a print of this, and it's a personal favorite):

Oddly, I have only one problem with the book—and it's completely peculiar to me personally—it's just that I haven't been in a particularly romantic state of mind, or place in my life, in recent years. It's a very romantic book—a romantic view of Paris, a romantic view of love—and I imagine it would resonate strongly with anyone who is close to that state of being at present. But the key word there is "imagine"!

But that's just me, now. Anyone who is flush with romantic feeling should respond to these pictures with great sympathy. You'll have to let me know if you do.

The book was designed from the start to be suitable as a gift book, and it would be perfect for that. Peter actually wanted to print enough copies to last through Valentine's Day. A word about that, though: as you might have seen, the book was featured on the New York Times' Lens blog last week, and it's been selling briskly. Although there are 3,000 copies in the press run, sometime today (Tuesday) the number sold will shoot past 1,000. And it's only been out for a little longer than a week. So of course I'm already getting a little nervous—I don't think it's going to last past Christmas, if it lasts until Christmas. So, yeah, it would make a great Valentine's Day gift, but you'll have to lay in an order before a lot more time has passed. Word to the wise. You know how it is.

If there's a second edition, it probably won't have the slipcase (or be signed—all the first editions are signed). But might be a little less expensive. But there might not be a second edition.

Two more fun little details about this book: Peter thinks that a) almost all the pictures, with maybe just one or two exceptions, were taken with Leicas; and b) he thinks that every single generation of Leica rangefinder camera is represented, from the M3 and M4 to the M9 and M Monochrom. So there's that for Leicaphile interest.

Peter, his assistant James, and all the people he hired to help with the production of the book get all the credit for everything turning out so well. But I am going to take credit for one little thing—the regular everyday price for the book was slated to be $85, but I talked Peter into offering it for $69 during the first "pre-order" month—this month, October. That was me. For you. When the book starts to ship in November I think the price will go back to what it was supposed to be originally. So for now it's a better deal. You're welcome.  :-)

Here's the link to the order page.

It depends what's "home" for you, but I can't see how anyone wouldn't like French Kiss. And if you don't, you can always give it to someone you have a crush on—who knows? Could work. You know what they say about Paris and love.

Mike

Original contents copyright 2013 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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Featured Comments from:

Ed Hawco: "I have a print of the geezer in the wheelbarrow too. I'd love to know the story behind it."

Peter Turnley replies: In 1984 I was invited to participate in a one-year group project documenting the life of one street in Paris, la rue de Lappe. It's a famous street next to the Bastille where there have been traditional dance halls renowned for great music where people like Edith Piaf sang. It was a street that was at that time still very working-class and not yet gentrified, with many bars, restaurants, dance halls, and residential apartment buildings.

The group of photographers that participated in photographing the life of the street that year included William Klein and several other outstanding French photographers, and it was an honor to be part of this group. One day I walked into the courtyard of an apartment building, and as I recall, simply came across this couple, the concierges of the building, kissing, as the husband of the couple sat in a wheelbarrow.

The concierges all lived on the ground floors of buildings in Paris. They were a very important part of the social fabric and history of a street like this. They were often the very salt of the earth—warm hearted souls with lots of stories to share.

Bob Smith: "'It's a very romantic book—a romantic view of Paris, a romantic view of love—and I imagine it would resonate strongly with anyone who is close to that state of being...' Well that did it. I'm more in love with my wife 25 later than on the day we married. I ordered a copy the day you posted about French Kiss, but I'm ordering another one to give her for Christmas to keep at her office (Liz can't stand Valentine's Day...too commercially forced on us in her opinion)."

Just Out: Peter Turnley's New Paris Book

Enthusiastically noted: Peter Turnley's new book goes on sale today.

...Which is going to be great fun to watch.

I can't pretend to be anything close to objective here. I've been hearing about this book for years, since it was a gleam in its author's eye; I've been heavily involved as one of several friendly advisors during the development of the book; and, TOP will be offering three original prints from the book for sale at the end of the month (including the cover image). Peter, of course, is a longtime "friend of TOP," and we've had two hugely popular sales of his Paris pictures prior to this next one. He and I met for the first time just recently, but I felt as if I were meeting an old friend. Which of course I was.

I have not seen the book yet. I have seen the final edit in PDF form. And many of the edits prior to that. And have shared my opinions with Peter along the way.

The book is called French Kiss: A Love Letter to Paris and it is a sort of hybrid, or a book with two vectors: on the one hand it is a book of art photography. On the other hand it is a romantic picture book that will appeal to anyone who is in love or has ever been in love...even if they don't have any particular passion for photography. You know...the kind of thing that (gasp!) actually appeals to people who aren't photo nuts.

I know, crazy, right?

It is many other things:

• Career-spanning: the earliest picture in the book was taken in 1975 and the most recent one was taken not even two months ago (August 2013);
• A gift book, only available in a special deluxe edition, slipcased and signed; and
• Self-published. Peter's going it alone on this one (although it is professionally produced). Pretty brave, if you ask me.

A few more things I can tell you:

The special pre-order price is good through the month of October. All the books ordered in October will be shipped in early November, and will arrive (at least to U.S. addresses) in plenty of time to re-ship for Christmas or Hanukkah.

This isn't a TOP sale. The book is going to be widely publicized, and it's for sale direct-only.

The edition is 3,000 copies, which is kind of a lot for a printing of a photography book. So there should be a plentiful supply, at least for a while. Nevertheless, I'll try to keep you up to date here.

Leica is not sponsoring the book in any way, but they have made a short film about it, which you can see at the book page. All of the pictures in the book were made with Leica rangefinder cameras, from the M4 to the M Monochrom and every model in between.

All the books will be signed.

Enough for now. I should have a copy in my hands a couple of days, and I'll wait till then to say more. As I say, I think this is going to be fun.

Mike

Original contents copyright 2013 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.

TOP's links!

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

Ned Bunnell: "Thanks for sharing this news. As a previous person noted, immediately placing my order for Peter's book was a no-brainer. I wish him well with this self-publishing venture, but I'm sure it'll sell out. I'm really looking forward to seeing the book not only for his beautiful images but the book's design, reproduction quality, paper stock etc."

[Ned is the former president of Pentax Imaging. —Ed.]

Bob Smith: "Ahhh, home from work. Grab the iPad and click on TOP to see what Mike is tickling our brain cells with today. A new book he seems to feel strongly about. Paris, my favorite city I've never been to. Hit the link for the book, hit Buy Now and buy it...then say to myself What. Did. I. Just. Do? Guess I'll take a look at the preview and watch the video...okay Mike's nailed it again I think.

"This will make book #4 purchased because of TOP's recommendations. I'm afraid to look through the Book and Book of the Week sections. Don't know if I can afford to."

Mike replies: Plus, you have to save a little dough for our first book. [g]

Kenneth Jarecke: "Congratulations, Peter. This book looks great and I can't wait to get a copy."

[Ken is a former contract photographer for TIME and U.S. News & World Report. —Ed.]

Stephen F Faust: "Ordered! As a current owner of both McClellan Street and Parisians, I'm really looking forward to having a signed copy of this. Though I do have to wonder how much overlap there will be with the content in Parisians?"

Mike replies: I asked Peter for you, and he said there's "very little" overlap. He estimated off the cuff that at least 80% or 85% of the pictures in French Kiss are not in Parisians.

Andreas: "I like Peter's photography and also purchased a print of his photos in the past (also a kiss-photo ;-). Also, I find it a good move to self-publish and bypass the publishing industry. But I don't understand why this is brave, considering that it will certainly sell out in a short time. And I don't mean this cynical but as an honest question."

Mike replies: Well, you're probably right—it will most likely prove to be a good investment and end up being profitable (see the post after this one for a positive update). But producing a high-quality book can be a minefield, and the investment is all up front—it's just not easy for someone who has never paid much attention to money to drop tens of thousands of dollars into a project that has no absolute guarantee of returning to break-even. After it proves to be a winner it will seem like an easy decision, but anyone who self-publishes a photo book—as anyone who has done so can tell you—still has to climb pretty far out on a limb. Maybe "brave" is overstating what it takes, but it is not for the faint of heart.

Peter In Portugal

A nice short film about our friend Peter Turnley in Portugal, on a Portuguese website, Público; reader John Krill sent me the link.

The interview must be very new—Peter's in Portugal right now, and I notice that one of the pictures featured at the end of the interview is one that I know he took just the other day.

Mike
(Thanks to John)

Original contents copyright 2013 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.

TOP's links!

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

Ed: "Nice little feature on Peter. He's probably right, photography is about life, most of the time. Or about what's become of it these days. I like the way he shoots, never sneaky, always in the open and in full view of the public and with a lot of Aretha Franklin in his mind."

Manuel: "Let me put this into context, Mike: Público is a portuguese newspaper which employs the best portuguese photojournalists and is very seriously focussed on quality—which, of course, includes photography. Reading this newspaper can be nothing short of a revelation when it comes to knowing the work of the greatest photographers. (And, of course, Peter Turnley is a great photographer, entirely worth Público's attention.) Not only they publish great photographs, but they often publish rather interesting articles on photography. It's a newspaper that's worth reading, and even more so because of the sheer quality of the photographs they publish.

"As you see, that's as far removed from the Chicago Sun-Times affair as you can imagine...."

Happy Valentine's Day!

L'Esplanade de Trocadero, Paris, 2012. Photo by Peter Turnley.

Happy Valentines's Day to everyone...from those who are in love now to the lover in those who don't have one now. Peter Turnley's wonderful picture above (taken with either an M9 or an M-Monochrom) is from a small set of his pictures published today at PDN (née Photo District News). They come from a large project of new and old work with the working title of "French Kiss," most taken in Paris, centering around the theme of love and affection, that will become a major new book approximately a year from now. We will of course keep you updated!

Have a great day, and gentlemen, here's your warning: don't forget flowers.

Mike
(Thanks to Peter)

Original contents copyright 2013 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.
A book of interest today:

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

Ben Syverson: "Before I even scrolled down I knew this was Peter...wonderful."

Chaz L: "I'm not enamoured of everything that Peter does, but this picture is just wonderful. A modern classic and the perfect complement to Valentine's Day. Thanks for showing this one, Mike."

Peter T.: "Tango and photography. My two favorite activities, together."

Roger Overall: "This is such an evocative photograph. It captures location so beautifully, and suggests romance through the ages. The way the slender physique of the lady in the foreground suggests youth (the common association with romance) is contrasted with the more mature couple on the left. Love is for everyone, and for life, the photograph says. Of course, this is one interpretation: the one I want to read into it. Isn't that the great thing about photography? We take what we want from an image by giving it our own story."

Jlsalvignol: "The magic of classicism: Framing, Timing, Rhythm. Here is Paris. Merci Monsieur!"

Twin Photographs

By Peter Turnley

An amazing twin story.

This morning, I was looking at my brother David's Facebook page and I came across an astonishing coincidence, if you can call it that. I saw that he had posted a photograph he had made of a man drinking a glass of wine at a bistro in Paris in 1973. As I looked at it, I realized that I had photographed the same man, in a different bistro, when I first went to Paris in 1975.

One has to think about the chance of this happening. In a city of more than 10 million people and a seemingly infinite number of cafés, not only did we photograph the same man, two years apart, but both of had come across the guy in a different bistro, and both of us photographed him at a bar counter with a glass of red wine...wearing the same coat. I must confess that after a life of experiencing the often unusual realities of being a twin, with a brother that also spent a life in photography and who is also a world-class photojournalist, this discovery really has me shaking my head with amazement.

Photographs by David Turnley (above), Paris, 1973, and
Peter Turnley (below), Paris, 1975.

If you'd like to see more about some of the rather surprising and amazing aspects of our twin lives and careers in photography, have a look at this "60 Minutes" piece  from CBS called Double Exposure.

Peter

Original contents copyright 2012 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.
A book of interest today:

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

Jeff: "Have you considered that you may have photographed his twin brother?"

Vincent: "Never underestimate the compulsion of french people to hang around in bars. I can say: I'm one of them."