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STEINBECK EXHIBIT
Just home from two weeks away on a very rewarding trip. I want to thank all the people involved with making my exhibit and film at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas a success: Colleen Bailey, Deborah Silguero, Paul Van de Carr, Thom and Gail Steinbeck, Susan Shillinglaw, McIntosh & Otis, Tony Straka, James Johnston, Kurt Henze, and last but not least my wife, Andrea Wells. Thanks also to Curtis Autenreith and Chuck Miller for their support. Continue reading “”
30TH ANNUAL STEINBECK FESTIVAL
“Journeys – Steinbeck Around the World”
Thursday, August 5th – Sunday, August 8th
NATIONAL STEINBECK CENTER, SALINAS CALIFORNIA
“We do not take a trip. A trip takes us.†–John Steinbeck
This coming weekend, set out for the open road.
Your destination: The world – today and at key moments in history, with John Steinbeck as your guide. Eat, drink, and dream of far horizons. Go behind the Iron Curtain in the 1960s and wander through Moscow, Krakow, Budapest. Stand at the Berlin Wall. Visit Rome, Paris, and Mexico. See literary landmarks around the globe. Drive through the Badlands of North Dakota with a poodle just like Steinbeck did 50 years ago. Create your own journey. Continue reading “”
PIKES PEAK IN A PORSCHE GT3 “RS”
Fellow Porsche photographer and film maker, Jeff Zwart, placed sixth overall and first in the Time Attack class beating the previous record at Pikes Peak, Colorado by 38 seconds in a GT3 updated to 2010 RS specs. Continue reading “”
MORE INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES & PHOTO TIPS
“What one does is what counts, not what one intends to do.†-Picasso
“Success is what you give yourself, fame is what others give you.†-Deanne Delbridge
“In every artist there is poetry. In every human being there is the poetic element. We know, we feel, we believe. As knowers, we are like the scientist, relating through logical determination. As feelers, we are like poets, relating the unrelated through intuition. As believers, we are only accepting our human limitations. The artist must express the summation of his (her) feeling, knowing and believing, through the unity of his (her) work. One cannot photograph art, one can only live it in the unity of his (her) vision, as well as in the breadth of his (her) humanity, vitality and understanding.â€
-Ernst Haas
WEIDMAN WHEELS
There are very few wheel men in the business who are as experienced with Porsche Fuchs as Harvey Weidman of Oroville California. His knowledge is encyclopedic, and he is as down to earth as anyone I know. I recently had the opportunity to visit his shop twice and was very impressed with the care and service he provides to his customers. From repairs to refinishing, to even remanufacturing rare wheels, Harvey can do it all. Continue reading “”
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!
Here’s wishing you safe travels and the freedom to do what you want today.
Some American quotes:
“The United States are essentially the greatest poem.” – Walt Whitman
“Each generation of Americans has to face circumstances not of its own choosing, by which its character is measured and its spirit tested.” – Jimmy Carter
“The great social adventure of America is no longer the conquest of the wilderness but the absorption of fifty different peoples.” – Walter Lippmann Continue reading “”
OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHER ARTICLE
The September 2010 issue of Outdoor Photographer magazine will present a five page article with my photographs titled “50 Years After Travels With Charley.†This feature will cover my twelve year, 150,000 mile journey following John Steinbeck’s route from his 1962 travelogue. My book agent is contacting prospective publishers about my work-in-progress project, which celebrates the publication of Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley in Search of America fifty years later. Continue reading “”
DECIPHERING BEATLES STAMPERS
I’ve had some inquiries on how to decipher the small markings in the vinyl next to the label on UK Beatles LPs. You can deduce the numbering system for early EMI pressings by looking at the label and going to 6 o’clock in the dead wax (run off groove) area of the vinyl. The following holds true for all records pressed by EMI during the 60’s and 70’s. Continue reading “”
PORSCHE WINS GT2 CLASS AT LE MANS
After a three year absence from the podium at Le Mans, Porsche returned with a GT3RSR winning its class at the worlds greatest 24 hour endurance race. Factory drivers Marc Lieb (Germany), Richard Lietz (Austria) and Wolf Henzler (Germany) piloted their German Felbermayr-Proton Porsche to a two-lap GT2 win over the second-place Ferrari. With this victory Porsche bested some very strong opponents, including BMW, Chevrolet Corvette, Jaguar and Spyker. The latest GT3RSR currently holds the championship lead for both the European and American Le Mans Series, and was the most successful GT race car of 2009. Continue reading “”
HIDDEN WILDS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
In my travels I sometimes come across a slice of Americana so remote and hard to get to that it remains essentially unchanged from earlier times. As you might imagine, locations like this are becoming increasingly scarce. The only thing that keeps these communities isolated from progress are roads so treacherous that transport along them is ill-advised.
I recently came across such a location on my last trip to California. Continue reading “”
NATIONAL STEINBECK CENTER FINE ART PRINT EXHIBIT
I am pleased to announce that I have been honored with a 40 print photography exhibit at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, CA during this year’s Steinbeck Festival weekend August 5-8. In addition, I will be presenting a multimedia film that will also be playing in the Center’s theatre during this time until October 22nd. My humble thanks go to the Center’s Executive Director, Colleen F. Bailey, and Curator, Deborah Silguero-Stahl, for their support of my project. Hope to see you there! Continue reading “”
THE EARLY 911, FILM AND VINYL – PART 3
So why do those who cling to artifacts from the past continue their quest for experiential freedom? Well, for one there is a considerable amount of “feel†connected to these arguably archaic hobbies of vintage sports cars, film and vinyl. The pursuit of these involvements is more art than science. It’s not pure instrumentation and technology that will get you all the way there. Intuition and a willingness to be open to a non-black and white world are often necessary to achieve that elusive bliss these fans strive for. The pay off is a feeling of satisfaction when the visceral pleasure of playing a great LP, using a mechanical rangefinder, or driving an early Porsche 911 well is truly experienced. Even ordinary tasks become part of the appeal of caretaking something so old, unique and inherently valuable. Continue reading “”
THE EARLY 911, FILM AND VINYL – PART 2
My history with cameras is remarkably similar to that for early 911s. I learned to photograph and develop my own black and white film in 1979 with a German made Leica M3. That first rangefinder camera led to the use of numerous film-based Leica cameras and lenses, which have a smoothness and mechanical precision missing from many other models. I still love using the Leicas for their purity, quiet shutter and silky film advance lever. However I’ve made Canon digital SLRs my choice for most subjects since photography has become my profession (and Leica discontinued its SLR line.). Continue reading “”
THE EARLY 911, FILM AND VINYL – PART 1
You’ve probably read enough analogies of sports cars, fine cameras and luxury audio equipment in high-end lifestyle magazines to get the idea that journalists are passionate about these in a big way. I’m not immune and vinyl records, Leica rangefinders and Porsche 911s have been a primary fascination of mine since 1964. That’s when I bought my first LP, was gifted a camera, and was introduced to the early 911. I immediately fell in love with the feel and sound of the long playing record, the shutter advance of the film camera, and the Porsche 911’s hooligan nature with its air-cooled flat six barking a nasty exhaust note. School and financial obligations kept me from fulfilling my dreams of ownership for a long time, but I promised myself that someday I would have a top notch analog stereo system, a Leica M series rangefinder, and a pre-‘74 911. Continue reading “”
THE BEATLES PART 4: Bargain Pressings
The vinyl resurgence has brought many older music fans back to their turntables and a younger generation into the wonderful world of records. Large art work and the visceral experience of listening to vinyl is the payoff for many. If you are on a budget and want to acquire clean LPs of this Beatles title at a reasonable cost – there are some options for you. Continue reading “”
THE BEATLES PART 3: Choosing a STEREO Pressing
The White Album is probably most familiar in stereo, so that’s where I’ll focus most of my attention. The recently re-mastered CD of this seminal album sound very good. It’s a little compressed for my tastes, but successful as a very clean transfer of what it must be like listening to The Beatles in Technicolor. Just be aware that the quieter songs are mastered louder to more closely approximate the dynamics of the rockers, so purists may be a bit shocked by the changes due to limiting. The previous release may be preferred in this instance. Continue reading “”