Tangier Island,Virginia 1972 Fisherman and Wife
maybe photographers are not really the largest group of procrastinators in the world , and maybe i just sometimes think this because i am around so many photographers…but, some photographers do have a way of "explaining" the myriad of "good reasons" why they are not doing what they would really like to do…
many come to my home or my workshops to show their work hoping that i will be able to give them a "magic formula" for success, or just please please hand over my list of "important people" and their phone numbers and surely this will lead to double page spreads and heavy coffee table books…
so many photographers have the hardest time facing the fact that they simply must just "get out the door"…whether they go next door or around the world makes no difference at all….it does not matter where the "there" is, but you cannot be "there" if you are not THERE…..
i first heard the "f/8 and be there" phrase from W.E. "Bill" Garrett, swashbuckling Editor of Natgeo from the mid 70’s to the late 80’s and by far the most SUPERPOWER editor ever at "ole yeller"…he rode a large stallion and swung a long sword….some lived in fear, some in awe….during the Garrett era Natgeo circulation was "blowing up" and money was no object to sending a photographer anywhere anytime for any amount of time…i do not know if Bill actually coined the phrase, but i think he thinks he did…whatever…..but, this "f/8 and be there" as the obvious way to make meaningful photographs, was the mantra of photoland at Natgeo…
Bill liked me or my work or both…my first essay for Natgeo, "Tangier Island" (Nov.1973),a cover story, made it into print because Bill liked it….had Bill not liked it, my life would have gone in a completely different direction…..in American football parlance, Bill sent me into the end zone and threw me a "long pass"…..i caught it….of course, i had worked so so so hard on this project for so so so little money to feed my young family , so i had gambled everything ….i had given up a "real job" and a "real salary" to take this chance with Natgeo…
in the years to follow, Bill and Natgeo became my Medici…my support system….my resource…..and my extended family for sure….this , however, did not eliminate the fact that it was still "f/8 and be there"…no amount of social graces or friendships could ever eliminate the sometimes harsh reality that i had to actually "DO IT"…
i always implore the photographers i mentor, to please please minimize the "who can i get to know" list and maximize the "here is what i will do" list….one thing i do know for sure, if you have the work, really HAVE THE WORK, your Medici will materialize….it would have done me no good whatsoever to have made a "good impression" on Garrett, had i not had the work….
all of you are now in a position to show your work in a way i never had nor did anyone in my generation have..the net….right here…right now… this forum…if you go out and do the work, you will be seen my more potential Medici’s than i have seen in my entire career….yes, yes (i can hear the excuses already) there are more of you…true….but in the sea of photographers out there , i still see about the same number of "supertalents" as in years prior…more people taking pictures, but few doing it in a special way….but if you are "special" there are also way way more opportunities…and so so much room for invention….i swear, i have never seen so much room!!!
i do not give advice to anyone….i do sometimes make suggestions.. you do need to find someone who loves you….loves your work…just one person…no, not your significant other or family/friend… yes of course, you want their support for a different reason ..but, you need a significant mentor…..i am talking about one "gallerist", one editor, one book publisher…do not attempt to "win everybody over"…pick two or three book publishers or galleries or magazines where you think your work "fits"…then find the ONE who loves you the most…a relationship is a relationship…but do not even "go there" if you have not BEEN THERE!!!
so how do you feel?? like a photographer with an arm full of great work who just needs a "break" to move forward….or do you realize your best lays out there ahead and you just must "get to it" ??
New York City, 2008 Brooklyn Bridge
HEY ALL!
DAVID MCGOWAN
Thanks heaps for the coverage of the slide show! It made me cry that BoB, James, Katharina, Erica who are the guys I have met in person and have written to for a while, have such incredibly beautiful an affecting and effective and soulful work.
And even though I haven’t met all of the others, I have tears on my cheeks ‘cos well I am so proud that I am part of this blog that produced such work, really great stuff!
DAVID ALAN HARVEY
You are a LEGEND man!
How can anyone be so generous? What a rare human being…
There is a song written by a Kev Carmody and Paul Kelly called ‘From Little Things, Big Things Grow’ which is the story of Vincent Lingiari an Gurindji man (Aboriginal Australian) who led a historic strike at Wave Hill Station.
Its the story of one man changing the course of a nation’s attitudes.
I wonder if some of us here would ever have had the confidence to do the work that is being done without DAH. I reckon DAH has really changed the course of a few photographic lives here…
Cheers ALL, this one is for you….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHY3vA1zKEwfeature=related
SORRY!
I think it should be this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHY3vA1zKEw
Don’t know if this will work, but have to try..
… one more VIDEO clip…
“please change your clothes in front of me…”
censored version…
LANCE R, MIKE BERUBE, DAH & more
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cRMCrfF-ak
Jarle and Lisa,
No problem, happy to help. I’m just disappointed I couldn’t shoot the whole show, but I bet someone has it.
Anyway, time to start spinning down so I can concentrate on my assignment. Got to clear my head—we partied hard!
Yes, David McG, it’s damn hard to keep a clear head around here with all these fabulous photos & videos of LOOK3!!! What an extraordinary experience for those who attended & for those of us who are lucky enough to be sharing in it thanks to the generosity of our blog sisters & brothers!
But even with all the excitement I’ve stayed true to my new project that I’m tentatively calling “From the Inside.” I now have TWO galleries posted on Lightstalkers: 1) my morning toilette; 2) to the park.
Sure would love to have feedback from anyone who has the time and inclination. David, I trust you’ll check it out when your life settles down a bit (Does it EVER???).
The easiest way to view this series is as one continuous slideshow. As of now, that’ll be 24 images. The URL is
http://www.lightstalkers.org/galleries/slideshow/13233
Thanks for your critiques/suggestions/responses/encouragement.
Patricia
Joan,
thanks…
I went back at it, some minor tweaks so far, trying to give more variety and I cut out a few of the mother/son photos as it was correctly stated by neil that there may have been too many shots on that theme. I brought in a few still life shots instead to show the texture of the environment around the people in the story..I think this right now is the best edit but as I shoot it will change…
Its not fun to cut them down, for sure but it has to be done..I still dont have a good handle on editing but I think thats more of a problem of lack of variety…as time goes on and my son grows there will be more situations/emotions/ etc to capture so it should get easier plus it will have the added depth of time which will help…
And yeah, Im definitely looking to connect the dots here: Poland-USA-Korea..the problem being money, money, money which isnt there to let me go to poland too often.
Amazing there are now so many great look 3 links to catch up on…can’t wait to see the slide show…
I’ve been feeling a little left out of the “look3 high” but tonight was the start of 8 weeks of instructor slide shows at Santa Fe Workshops. Every Monday and Tuesday at 8:30. Free of charge…Tonight’s show included Chris Rainier (Great.)
Next week includes Keith Carter and Antonin Kratochvil
(whose workshop I was supposed to take except I’m moving back into my house at long last.)
It’s not Look3 but it’s right down the street…in fact down two of the most beautiful streets in the Southwest…Canyon Road and Camino del Monte Sol…mountains all around.
Come check it out if you’re in the area.
What a journey it’s been from there to here and back and forth. Thinking about LOOK3 from last year when I was introduced to David’s work. Since I wasn’t able to make it “there” this year as my body of work keeps me “here” in the discovery of the Gran Chichimeca-Northern Mexico and the southwest. EVERYthing is going into DOING of it. So last years inspiration from LOOK3, and Dave’s blog and this community of photographers has kept me company through out my journey and continues to inspire me to keep putting it out there;
I was inspired by David’s story of Cristo Rey Cabalgata last year in
NatGeo while traveling and photo assisting my best friend Dawn Kish. She brought it for me to check out when I was photo assisting her; we lost it on the plane and so I looked for it on the web and that’s how I stumbled into this blog world. Still the pictures remained in my mind and I was inspired to call my friend Narciso Martinez who has rides as Pancho Villa. We met last year during the Villista Cabalgata in Chihuahua in the spring when they rode through my town- a twelve day horse trek to the border. I would have to say this portrait will stand out in my life as a moment of really feeling there. In that moment of watching a tear fall through a lens I rarely ever use from afar-it was a different way of shooting for me, as I rarely shoot from afar and usually like being close up after introducing myself. What I felt is something that still unfolds for me as I do my work and put everything I have into “doing it”. if I had known how much that one little moment would unfold for me what feels will be my lifetime love for a country and the people connected to this land-before even knowing the man or the people who have now captivated my attention and love. I showed his portrait, Tears of Pancho Villa, last year at the “My Space” LOOK3 and I began my year going to to Cristo Rey with Pancho. All these dots connecting and leading me forward!!
LOOKing back over the year I see all I’ve learned and still have yet to SEE. I guess I don’t think of it as getting a break, or waiting for IT to happen, but rather more like I got to keep this boat in the current; like rowing, it sometimes needs just a little nudge- a subtle nuance of a feeling for the flow of the current- felt discernibly-other times you got to row like hell and not give up or just enough. As one of my other mentors Dave Edwards taught me when I was a young person about rowing in Grand Canyon; keep your oars in the water, keep consistent strokes, keep your angle and repeat over and over to yourself, “keep it straight, never give up! “. I think this too applies to one’s pursuit of dreams and passionate work.
I’m on a path and I just got to keep following where it leads me even when lost. Doing the work keeps me busy enough even though there’s not much financial gain for it at this time; But I’m
richer for all the amazing experiences and the way I feel within myself loving the world through my eyes. My joy is being able to
give the work back to my community and watching them SEE
themselves in a new light. I still ask myself where is this work going? I don’t know…I just keep doing it and trust one day it will be what it needs to be.
I refer other fellow photo geeks to this site, to learn and
see from this great community. So many great images,writers; story tellers. MIL GRACIAS for this wonderful dialogue. Who needs school when some of the best teachers are here? So let’s go out and do our work!! Look forward to getting to know some of you!
So if any of you find yourselves in Flagstaff,AZ or in Chihuahua, please don’t hesitate to reach me.
BUENAS NOCHES!
here’s a couple cool quotes to share.
HOLA! this is my first post. My name is RAEchel Running;I happened to discover much to my surprise my work under David’s Umbrella of the Emerging Photographers. Somehow too this has been foddar to keep me inspired to be proactive to get my work out there. I’ve been meaning to write to finally say Thank YOU for selecting my work last year.
These days I’m less likely to submit to contests as I’m having to make choices such as entry fee or gas for the Mariachi Mobile to travel back and forth across the border; or ink or paper to print on – that seems more important to me than ‘winning’ these days. I’m learning how to write grants and find ways for my work to serve a greater good; to help people understand or appreciate better this world. I want to serve my communities on both sides of the frontera; especially these days with the border issues and all the fear and hate I come home to. I want people to have greater understanding, to see connections; This seems to be more and more important to me; I have to keep it going…keep my oars in the stream…
I’ve been looking up these writers, and thinkers who inspire me to think more about my work as a photographer; duty,responsibility. My dad, John Running,a photographer would read to me and still shares his love for words; besides being one of the BEST DADS he’s one of the BEST mentors and I am proud of him for that – I’ve been fortunate to know him all my life; He has always told me to do my work and not to just get a “job”. This has always been his advice;
“No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit. ” Helen Keller
AND “Understanding, and action proceeding from understanding and guided by it, is one weapon against the world’s bombardment, the one medicine, the one instrument by which liberty, health, and joy may be shaped . . . in the individual, and in the race.”James Agee quote
I’m still young, I know that there are things to learn and I’m sure that I know still a small bite from the huge cake of photography.
David,
I want to ask a question: the first photo in the post, from Tangier, did you set them up to sit like that, or was it a ritual to drink a cup of tea/coffee? What do you think about setting up the pictures (I mean if we talk about travel photo or documentary photo)
thanks in advance.
suryo
David and all…
(i’ve said it before) it’s awesome what you’re doing here… and it’s great to read all your comments/reports from Look3, see all the photos and videos and blogs… (and now waiting for the slideshow…)
now i want to go out and shoot (again)… make photos. i said to David, in Lisbon a couple years ago, that i love photography but i stopped taking photos… now i don’t (even) know why… and now i want it so bad (or so good)… but i’m almost like Cathy with her new house project, i have so many things to do (before)… an economics exam in two weeks… a cultural planning thesis… work on a monthly local agenda, copy-editing for a site, write three reports on promotion of cultural activities and somewhere in the middle, a trip to Dublin, with my love and my 11-years-old stepdaughter (also my love…) and i haven’t found a place to stay, yet… and i miss running so badly… than, i promise, i’ll go search for my old contact sheets and negatives to have something to show and i’ll pick a camera and start taking photos for me and you.
um forte abraço para todos,
Carlos Filipe
PS. with next stop in Perpignan for Visa pour l’Image, you may want to read this (long) interview with Jean-François Leroy made by Claire Baudéan, Caroline Laurent and Lucas Menget, at http://aphotoeditor.com/visa.html and more at http://www.visapourlimage.com/
SURYO….
the photograph from Tangier Island was not a “set up” situation….this man and his wife sit there in the kitchen every morning having their coffee….for this story i became so close to many families and could knock on their door at almost any time….being accepted by the community at large (850 population) was the key for this story to work….
i like both fiction and non-fiction writing and the same for photography….
however, the photographer who is submitting work for a journalistic publication has the obligation to NOT set up situations….in the U.S. photographers are often fired from publications for altering the “scene” either on location or in photoshop….however, outside of that world, anything goes….and even in the last China issue from Natgeo were at least two “fiction” photographs used to make an editorial point, but they were so labled as being artistic works by a conceptual photographer…
creating “fiction” but trying to sell it as “fact” would be the only problem….otherwise, there are “no limits”….
RAECHEL RUNNING..
so nice to have you here….i am a long time admirer of your father and his work and have enjoyed seeing some of your work submitted for the EPF …..
i will be driving across the U.S. for all of july photographing families….i hope we will meet on my trip….
many thanks for writing and i do hope we will meet soon…..
my warmest regards to both you and your father……
peace, david
Well, I’m happy that everyone had a good time and here’s a big shout out from me and and Lucky and Pozzo and Estragon and Vladimir to all the emerging photogs who managed to get something done while we’re stuck here waiting for what’s his face. Nothing to be done about that, I guess.
Mr Harvey, congratulations on the blog’s success; when I first came here all you had up was a photo of a young woman stabbing a birthday cake and I thought, ah well, another site for the slasher flick fans and their nerdy friends, but that was an abberation, I think, just you feeling your way towards the audience you knew was out there. It’s always nice to see someone work hard and succeed at something. You’ll go far, just as soon as you stop all this running around, settle down, and get a real job.
from my LS post:
LOOK3 was lifting. where to begin? there are so many elements of this event that are great: meld with old friends, shake and nod to new ones, celebrate those that couldn’t make it (bob, tommy, and more), flow through a vast sea of fine photography, be challenged, learn, express, share, drink, toke, swim naked, watch the sun come up, hugs good-bye, until next time, take care and godspeed… breathe.. LOOK3.
there are way too many names from this blog to give shouts to as i’ll surely forget someone and feel bad about it.. i’m so so glad to have shared some time with all of you.. it’s such an upstanding crowd that it’s a little scary. and the beauty is, we’re all here still.. right here!
best,
lance
Right here, maybe…but it all ended too soon for my liking and somehow I am feeling a bit alone about now…
see Bob, there is the silver lining..you can’t suffer the withdrawal from something you never knew. sigh..
ok, Dad akaky and Sister erica…this goes out to u….just return from a night with mrs. b of wine and discussion and walking and tonight we forgo meditation for something else….so, Dad brings up my beloved samuel b. so,ok, for him…and Erica: for me, there is a silver lining in everything…but u should know, im still only a yogi, so i suffer withdrawal from everything, even things i never new…
for Papa Akaky:
“…The tears of the world are a constant quantity. For each one who begins to weep somewhere else another stops. The same is true of the laugh. Let us not then speak ill of our generation, it is not any unhappier than its predecessors. Let us not speak well of it either. Let us not speak of it at all. It is true the population has increased…..
…Astride of a grave and a difficult birth. Down in the hole, lingeringly, the gravedigger puts on the forceps……
…I don’t seem to be able… (long hesitation) to depart….
…Such is life.”–s.m, wfg
——————————————
for Sister Erica:
It would be good to give much thought, before
you try to find words for something so lost,
for those long childhood afternoons you knew
that vanished so completely -and why?
We’re still reminded-: sometimes by a rain,
but we can no longer say what it means;
life was never again so filled with meeting,
with reunion and with passing on
as back then, when nothing happened to us
except what happens to things and creatures:
we lived their world as something human,
and became filled to the brim with figures.
And became as lonely as a sheperd
and as overburdened by vast distances,
and summoned and stirred as from far away,
and slowly, like a long new thread,
introduced into that picture-sequence
where now having to go on bewilders us.
CHILDHOOD, r.m. Rilke…
lastly:
Be careful what you pretend to be because you are what you pretend to be.–Kurt Vonnegut
so it goes ;))))
hugs
b
ALL– For those of you who were not able to make LOOK3, definitely try to make it next year. While I could only make the last day it was sooo worth it. Amazing experience! Definitely filled with LOVE, PEACE and wonderful PHOTOGRAPHY! It was incredibly inspiring to be among the Gods! So F/8 = Be there at LOOK!
DAVID– Thank you for your generosity and bringing this blog community together. Words cannot describe what an amazing person you are. This experience charged me so much. Thank you!
PANOS– You were exactly as I pictured and have one of the nicest hearts on the planet. And yes — we must believe in world peace. We must, we must!
Jessica N, Tim & Bill M– Thanks for your wonderful generosity and welcoming spirits at dinner.
George S.– I was so excited to get to see your stunning work on the the big screen. It appropriately belonged there and was fun to hear your stories about the behind the scenes of making your photographs. Thanks for sharing!
Maryann G– Thank you for asking Jim Nachtwey the questions everyone has always wanted to know. This was the best interview I had ever seen with him and the work you do at Time is incredibly appreciated.
Steve M– Thanks for everything and I really hope to make your India workshop in the Spring!
Jim N– Thank you always for your kind words and your generous, lovely spirit! I wonder how many lives your work has touched and saved. :) How about them sand dollars…
Martin G & Alyssa– We’ll have to share more wine again in some other box seats.
David Mc & Chris– Great to meet you both!
Anton– I missed you?! What about the lyrics? :)
Bob– Next year, next year.
Link for some pics — all shot with an iPhone
http://lindatheworldpeacephotographer.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-05-28T15%3A32%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7
Peace-
Ooops. wrong link before. This has LOOK3
http://lindatheworldpeacephotographer.blogspot.com/
LINDA O!!!!!!
JAN & DAH is the best sequence from LOOK3!
Fabulous stuff!
Now I really am sorry I live on the other side of the world!
Cheers
LINDA O :))))
please, remind me next year about the world short film festival and send me advance warning and i promise you marina and i meet…i’ve always been known to keep my promises…sometimes it just takes me some time ;))…my wife can testify :)))
next year, i promise
hugs
b
DAVID McGowan:
Thanks for posting the video of the presentation. I wish I could have attended, so it was really nice to feel a little more a part of it by seeing the presentation. Just like being there!—even straining for a view past old curly top! (only teasing ;)) Thank you.
PANOS:
You post so much here I am often unable to keep up. The video was was the first time I have been able to see your work in a condensed form. Do you have a link to a tight edit of your stuff? Or even to the edit that was shown at the presentation? Cheers.
DAVID:
Just wanted to check in and see where we stand with the “assignments” project. I seem to remember it should be in around this time?… Obviously didn’t want to bug you during Look3, and have been pretty slammed myself, so have waited until now to put new gallery up. (Will add link to the link page too).
http://www.jameschance.com/edit2
It includes all the images people have shown interest in after the last edit—around 26 I think. (Thanks again for your opinions folks!). Due to the general busyness all round I am sorry we haven’t been able to communicate in more detail regarding specific image choices and the tone and pace of the work in general. I hope there will be the opportunity to do so before this is finalised?…
I have grouped the images in to similar types to try and make the process a little easier. I may have been pushing it hoping to cut this down to 13 images max, so am happy to expand a little if necessary.
ALL:
New post on my blog if anyone is interested… Just a small piece of work shot during a couple of days on the “holiday” part of this trip… No biggie, was not planned and invested little time and effort—we were trying to take a break!! But the plight of this little island moved us, so we spent a couple of afternoons putting this together.
We had some technical issues with the blog at first (hence this little story being posted late). But we are up and running at last. We hope to be posting more regularly now with current work, so please drop by occasionally if you have the time.
One question: I have split the blog into sections “main” Blog, Photos, and Video (coming soon). Do people think this works? I wanted to have a separate area for images, so viewers can just check out photos if this is their preference. You will see that the “main” blog is the standard type thing with images and pictures.
Same applies to the video section (when it gets there) It will be a space purely dedicated to short video clips. All this means a bit of clicking around to see/read different stuff. Is this too much!?
http://www.jameschance.com/multimedia/jctextblog/textblog.php
Still gutted to have missed Look3 and met some of you. Thanks for all the updates!
James
Geez turn your back for 5 minutes and all of a sudden the world’s gone arse up , theres something cool my mate Matthew Newton’s been doing lately , NOW! LISTEN UP YOU MOB! THIS IS FOOTBALL!
http://www.roarfilm.com.au/
Having trouble uploading the web gallery… Will try again in an hour or so… Will keep you posted.
James
YAAAAHHHH!!!!
Matt Newtown’s footy doco is just fabulous!
And so is James Chance’s blog!
Wow what talented guys!
(And ladies I can vouch for it, they are both cute as!)
Got it!!
http://www.jameschance.com/edit2
James
(cheers Lisa)
Hey Dave, nice picture of Kate and I there. I must return the favor and post one of you and Jim (not a threat ;-)
Hi Dave!
It was really great to meet you the other weekend. I am quite excited to see myself on your site. Your photographs are awe inspiring, but I am equally inspired by your words. I am not a photographer, but your advice and encouragement in this post is still relevant. Thanks!!! ;)Hope to run into you again.
Best,
Kate
i loved this post.
saludos!
Back to Paris, and the net!
Not sure if I will ever catch up with everything posted in one week. Bit by bit, most likely… uncompletely… not quite…?
:-)
David, in time-honored “DAH blog” fashion…: I have sent you a mail.
I did not pick up which day you arrive in Paris, but looking forward to meet soon, and how!!!
Thank you David for a well written and honest piece.
a new post for an aold thread …
http://hydeimages.com/marketnights/index.html
YOUNG TOM,
Great light and color; I like 7 & 11 best. Is Seattle naturally that angle and why are you posting at the end of an abandoned thread? Inquiring minds want to know!
I’m trying to find out the history of the quote or phrase, “f/8 and be there” for a specialist I work for.
He thought it was originated by Edward Stechen.
If you know or can point me in the right direction to search, I’d appreciate an email.
I won’t be able to get on this blog site regularly, if at all
Thanks
Debi Delaney
debiroy@illinois.edu