Month: March 2010

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PALM SPRINGS ROAD TRIP

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 “Swanee”, then back to LA for the Targa California Rally. Continue reading “”

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R.I.P. JIM MARSHALL

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. Continue reading “”

A LIFE IN PHOTOGRAPHY

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 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. Continue reading “”

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DEJA VU

It might seem like yesterday, but Déjà Vu was released 40 years ago this week. It topped the US Billboard pop album chart for one week and generated three Top 40 singles: “Teach Your Children,” “Our House,” and “Woodstock. This was the first album by CSN (David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash) that included Neil Young. Stills estimates that the album took six months and 800 hours of studio time to record with multi-layered tracks and lots of overdubs in the mix. Wally Heider’s Studios in San Francisco and Los Angeles were both employed. Continue reading “”

PORSCHE 911 GT3 R HYBRID

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. Continue reading “”

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LEICA’S NEW S2

I’ve been a fan of Leica cameras since I bought a used Leicaflex SL back in 1979. Since then I’ve come to value their mechanical precision, durability and astounding image contrast and shadow quality. M2s, M3s, M4s, M6s, Leicaflexes, R4s, 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. Continue reading “”