Photographs: Revisited

Every once in a while I like to, as George Tice would say, crack open a bottle of wine and look at [my] photographs. Revisiting photographs is a great way to see things you didn't see previously, to think about new or different ways to make the print, or just plain reminisce.

Many of the great master photographers revisited their hunting grounds on a regular basis. Edward Weston moved to be within walking distance of Pt. Lobos so he could have un-fettered access to it. Ansel Adams spent a great deal of his life in and around Yosemite NP. George Tice has produced two monographs of work on Paterson. The list goes on...

I started thinking about revisiting my photographs this past week due to two things. First, one of my sisters got a new job just a few blocks from some of my early photographs in Paterson, NJ. So, I decided to look up some of the locations I used to photograph on Google Maps. I was expecting for these places to be gone... bulldozed, burned, replaced by vanilla structures. Much to my surprise (and delight) they are still there!

Foundation, Paterson, NJ, 1983 by Richard M. Coda

138 Getty Avenue, Paterson, NJ, 2010, via Google Maps

Garage Doors, Paterson, NJ, 1983 by Richard M. Coda

62 Grove Street, Paterson, NJ, 2010, via Google Maps

Garage Doors, Paterson, NJ 1983 (uncropped) by Richard M. Coda

Second, I was driving up 32nd St. in Phoenix yesterday and noticed one of my photographs has once again "disappeared" (this is the second time for this particular image). It was previously overpainted an ugly black, brown and green striped pattern. Now it is solid red and yellow. I will be sure to go back and make another image soon.

2320, Phoenix, AZ 2008 by Richard M. Coda

I am sometimes torn between photographing new locations and going back to old locations. While "change" is inevitable, I am torn between letting things be and rejuvination. Letting them be can become urban blight, which can be great for a photographer, but not so nice for the people who live nearby. Updating things can make them "plain vanilla" and visually uninteresting. Sometimes I get lucky and get both!

Work of Art

I heard the most ridiculous thing yesterday morning...

Lindsay was watching "Work of Art" on Bravo (kind of like project runway only for artists). The challenge was for a "shocking" piece of art and one of the guest jurors was Andres Serrano ("Piss Christ")... a hack IMHO. He was critiquing a piece and said, and I quote, "The piece failed for me because I didn't get it. It had to be explained to me..."

Now, wait one damn minute... here's a guy who's made his career shocking people and leaving them scratching their heads, telling us that if "he" doesn't get it then the art has failed. In that case most art fails.

We went to the Cave Creek Art Festival's "Adult" showcase (no not that 
kind) last week and there was this guy there with a sculpture 
"explaining" it to people who obviously didn't get it. "Oh, there's 
three drops of real human blood here because..." The sculpture was very "interesting" (to paraphrase my friend Joe Trevino), but, give me a break.

BTW, Lindsay had all three of her pieces (one watercolor and two pencil drawings) accepted in the Youth Division of the Visual Arts Competition in the Cave Creek Film and Fine Art Festival this year. She also had one of those pencil drawings selected as a finalist. We find out this weekend which prize she has won. Side note... the quality of the work in the Youth Division was VERY high this year. For the most past, the work was as good, if not better, than some of the Adult division work. Please support your local youth arts organizations.

I hope to start posting more very soon. Work has finally picked up and I don't have much time for photography or anything else. I also turned 50 in June and was planning a big post on that but it will have to wait. Stay tuned.

Waterfall

So now it's getting late, for those who hesitate, got no one,
But they don't understand and no one hears the sound,
It's like a waterfall, it's an illusion.

CHORUS
Love is all, waterfall, love is what you are,
Pulls you in, takes you down, it's a sad affair,
But you know as you hold back the power there without the friends
And lovers you could never go on living.

Across the waterfall that's falling evermore down on you,
Cascading through the days, and flowing on it's way,
That's how it has to be, just an illusion.

–Electric Light Orchestra

It's been a while... work has finally picked up... and I am thankful. That doesn't leave much time for photography. Anyway...

I went to Arizona Falls a few weeks ago early on a Sunday morning with the 4x5" camera. It's a very interesting place. I could only spend 45 minutes there and will go back, but these are my first images from there. One is just soft as I was trying to get a certain effect in the water with timing and just couldn't get the depth of field I wanted shooting wide open. I'll try again with a longer exposure and stopped down more.

Arizona Falls #3, by Richard M. Coda, 2010

The other two were from behind one of the falls, each with a different shutter speed. I prefer the shorter exposure (top) over the longer exposure (bottom).

Arizona Falls #1, by Richard M. Coda, 2010

Arizona Falls #2, by Richard M. Coda, 2010

I also took these all in Black & White but haven't developed the film yet. Anyway, it felt good to be under the dark cloth again and hopefully I will get to spend a little more time now that my daughter's school is out.

Prescott Chalk it Up 2010...

The website for Prescott Chalk it Up 2010 is now up and running.

Check it out... there are lots of photos and a lot of good chalk art. The local fire department took some overhead shots in Album 7, too.

And, again, congratulations to our daughter, Lindsay, on winning the People's Choice award!

Prescott

John Wayne, in progress, by Lindsay Coda, chalk on pavement, 2010

Pronounced PRES-skit. Make sure you don't say PRES-skot in town... you will be laughed all the way back to Phoenix.

Anyway, while my daughter was painting her John Wayne portrait at the Prescott Chalk it Up festival last weekend, I took an hour each day to just wander around town with my wife and grab some breakfast. During these walks I found a few things to photograph. I had the Nikon D300 with me during breakfast.

They also had great entertainment, including these young ladies.

I also brought the 4x5" and 8x10" view cameras with me, just in case. Good thing, because there were two images I couldn't pass up. I took both of these with the 4x5" on Velvia 100.

Hugo's, Prescott, AZ, 2010 by Richard M. Coda

The Warehouse, Prescott, AZ, 2010 by Richard M. Coda

VOTE!, Prescott, AZ, 2010 by Richard M. Coda

And, last but not least, don't forget to VOTE... For Lindsay by tomorrow, and in November... and remember, "VOTE THEM ALL OUT!"

Public Art...

My friend, Juan Garcia, is very interested in "public art"... not the kind that is funded my cities and states, but the kind that is sometimes legal, sometimes sponsored, and sometimes good. Graffiti, in other words. He has amassed quite a body of work on this genre and is working on a photo book.

About a month ago Juan invited me out on a Sunday morning to show me some of the places he has photographed this public art in Phoenix. Our friend Tiffany Pacileo came along as well. He has also photographed in Tucson and Los Angeles.

One place in particular he took me to was behind the Barrio Cafe on 16th Street in Phoenix. This is a fine-dining Mexican restaurant, who's chef, Silvana Salcido Esparza, has been nominated for a James Beard Award this year. One of the neat features of this place is that the owner of the restaurant has commissioned a local artist, El Moisés, to paint a mural on the block wall that lines the driveway and parking lot behind the restaurant. This mural was written up in the Arizona Republic in December, 2009.

Barrio Cafe mural by El Moisés, 2010

There are many distinct sections to the mural and it incorporates Aztec, Chicano, Pop Art, and Religious elements. One particular element that caught my attention was the Lucha libre (free wrestling) masks. These are masks worn by "professional" wrestlers of Latino descent. I remember watching them as a kid, when pro wrestling was good. Remember Bruno Sammartino, George the Animal Steele, and the Iron Sheik? Those were the good ol' days. These look almost like those Power Ranger cartoon guys.

Barrio Cafe mural by El Moisés, 2010

Anyway, we checked out a few more places, and I came across this. It is an old window or something, that has been boarded up, and had bars put up over it. Then it was colorfully painted. The colors, textures and geometry were very interesting all together.

Painted Grid, Phoenix, 2010, by Richard M. Coda

After we called it a morning I headed to a place that I had found a week earlier, on Seventh Street just south of Roosevelt, a few blocks north of Chase Field. It is an old ad on the side of a building that houses Avant-Garde William & Co. It kind of reminds me of the Babbitt's Ad that I photographed in Flagstaff back in 2008, only this time black & white just didn't work for me. Actually, I want to photograph the Babbitt's ad in color as well.

803, Phoenix, AZ, 2010 by Richard M. Coda

All of these images were shot with 4x5 Velvia transparency film.

Remember, you have until Sunday to vote for Lindsay's John Wayne chalk painting at Prescott eNews. Vote and vote often!

Vote for Lindsay!

Vote for Lindsay! The local Prescott newspaper is having an online reader vote. Lindsay can win a cash prize. Thanks for your support!