The Palm Springs Photo Festival has been fantastic. Thanks to all the reviewers and seminar presenters for a very informative week! Special thanks go out to Russell Hart, Christopher Robinson, Tony Bannon, Mary Virginia Swanson, Jane Brown and Michelle Dunn Marsh. Next stop on my road trip is LA for a car collection photo shoot, then Tucson to see MVS, then back to LA for the Targa California Rally. Look for a future article in Excellence magazine on this pre-’75 sports car adventure.
A witness to ’60’s rock history and one of the greatest Leica M photojournalists, Jim Marshall passed away in New York City yesterday. He was 74. His photographs of Jimi Hendrix at Monterey, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, and The Beatles’ last concert in San Francisco in 1966 are legendary. He was well known for capturing decisive musical moments and was the chief photographer at the original Woodstock festival. A strong personality with a solid business sense and great stories to tell, his is a dying breed in still photography. He may well be the end of an era.
(I pulled this image of Jim Marshall’s brassy black enamel M4 and Leicavit off the web - author unknown)
Porsche enthusiast John Straub recently posted this video on his cool car blog http://www.johnstraub.blogspot.com. It’s a wonderful Aston Martin piece produced for UK’s Top Gear and could easily be applied to Porsche’s new Panamera. Offering high production values and an emotive quality, this short movie set to Eno type music is very inspirational to me. Thanks to this video and others, including a recently viewed piece on Venice by photographer Peter Martin, I’ve added a Canon 5D Mk II DSLR to my equipment bag and have begun creating my own HD video clips set to music on my Mac Book Pro. Stay tuned…
I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to live a life that has allowed me to pursue my passion. Photography, words and music are an integral part of my core being. Reinventing myself within these disciplines as my life unfolds is where I am at today. No doubt, times like these are challenging and they will probably continue to be so. However, I feel it’s very important that we identify those paths that will work best for each of us in the coming years ahead. Honoring the process that defines our lives is integral to our future success. In my opinion, this is the most exciting time ever to be a photographer (and I’m speaking from the perspective of a traditional rights-managed stock photographer of 25 years). Recently emerging technologies have made new tools available that will allow expression with a newfound clarity and impact that was not possible before. These same technologies may also allow us to retain value in our work even under the pressures of an increasingly competitive marketplace. Many creative artists today are balanced on the edge of a precipice, and jumping into the unknown is always the hardest thing to do. Yet I believe it is possible to continue on the life path that we have chosen for ourselves with a leap of faith. It will take courage and confidence, but my hope is that remaining a full time visual provider in the future is not only economically viable but a social necessity. Godspeed,
Only 12 days remain until the 2010 Palm Springs Photo Festival, an intense week-long event for professional, emerging and advanced amateur photographers. Founded by Hoessein Farmani and Jeff Dunas, this annual program provides several levels of education and continues to inspire passion within the photographic community. Sunday, March 28 marks the event’s first of six days of portfolio reviews and workshops. I can’t wait to head back to California next week and check it out:
The current issue of Excellence magazine features my article and photos on Gib Bosworth’s early ’70’s Kremer 911 ST recreation. This is a stunning build with correct body, Viper Green graphics, livery, interior and motor. If you are a hot rod or Porsche fan, you can check it out here:
I’ve been extremely busy traveling for the past week or so and have finally had a chance to catch my breath. My first stop was the Literature Fair and Swap Meet in Los Angeles. Lots of great friends were there to hang out with - including Curtis Autenrith, Chuck Miller, Cris Huergas, and Ray Crawford. Thanks to everyone who stopped to say hi. While I was in the area, I hopped a ride to San Diego and photographed Mike Gagen’s amazing ‘74 RSR look 911 in the Anza Borrego wilderness. Look for a future article in Excellence.
HOUSTON’S FOTOFEST
Currently I’m in Houston, Texas attending FotoFest. Showing my book mock-up on America, Imagine A Nation, has been quite the exprerience. To all the reviewers I met with over the past five days, please accept my sincere thanks. Your feedback was amazingly inspirational to me and I appreciated your valuable time and consideration. Special thanks go to Arthur Meyerson, Hossein Farmani, Karen Sinsheimer and Mary Virginia Swanson for their incredible assistance in lending support to my project. I owe inspiration to Diana Edkins for this photo. Next stop is The Palm Springs Photo Festival in two weeks. Please stay tuned for more to come…
The Porsche GT3 R Hybrid race car debuted at the Geneva Motor Show today. This unveiling occurs 110 years after Ferdinand Porsche developed the world’s first hybrid automobile, the Lohner-Porsche. Porsche engineers decided to expand on previous designs by creating a very modern high-tech hybrid. Instead of batteries, braking energy is stored in a flywheel generator that can spin up to 40,000 rpm. Power from the generator is available for six to eight seconds following each charge, much like last year’s Formula One race cars. When the driver wants the extra boost (as much 160 horsepower) a button is pressed on the steering wheel and the stored power is directed to electric motors on the front wheels. This comes in addition to the 480 horsepower generated at the rear wheels by the GT3 R’s 4.0-liter six-cylinder engine. Besides adding power for accelerating and passing, this efficient hybrid system can also save on fuel consumption, thereby potentially reducing fuel weight and the number of pit stops. While you won’t be able to park this car in your driveway (it’s intended for LeMans endurance racing in 2010), it is based on a production 911. A future 911-type hybrid for public consumption - like the prototype 918 Spyder - is “open for discussion,” said a Porsche spokesperson. Intelligent performance indeed.
I’ve been a fan of Leica cameras since I bought a used M3 rangefinder back in 1980. Since then I’ve come to value their mechanical precision, durability and astounding image contrast and shadow quality. Leicaflexes, M4s, M6s, R6s and R8s have passed through my hands over the years. With each succeeding model, the innovations have impressed just as much as the consistent “look” provided by the superb German optics. Leica has just introduced a brand new Leica S-system that combines 35mm handling with a medium format digital sensor. The first of these S2 cameras and lenses are just now being delivered, and I hope to test one soon. Reports indicate this is a supremely capable professional tool with quality that approaches the latest digital Hasselblad. Unsurprisingly, the S2 carries a price tag that rivals the quality of the images it produces. This landmark camera joins the venerable Leica M9 full sensor 35mm digital rangefinder and compact fixed lens X1 to bring the German based Leica Company firmly into the 21st century. For more, visit Leica’s website:
