Special Primordial Clouds Print Offer - $25 11x14"

I have always been fascinated by clouds. Originally in black & white, and recently in color. The annual monsoon season here in Arizona can provide some spectacular skies in both the mornings and the evenings.

I started a series this year and hope to add to it every year and whenever else the heavens oblige. In honor of this new series I am offering 11x14" Special Edition Prints (8x12" image size) for a special price of $25 plus $5 S/H through midnight, Saturday, August 28, 2010. This is a great deal and you know you've always wanted one... so visit http://www.rcodaphotography.com/primordial/ and pick out your favorites today.

Remember, the sale ends at midnight, Saturday, August 28, 2010.

Cell phone "photography"

I was at the Appaloosa Library in Scottsdale with my daughter yesterday. This is the newest library in the system and one of the coolest buildings. It is one of those "green" buildings. Anyway, while we were walking in I noticed some neat geometric lines... the kind that you see often in my work. I did not have any cameras with me... so I [brace yourself] took out my cell phone and made an image with it. [horror... shock... quiet came over the room...] I did have to have Lindsay show me how to do this ;^)

OK, calm down... I only did this so I would have a visual record, remember, I'm 50 now and my memory is going south. I plan on going back with the 4x5 and 8x10 cameras to get this puppy in both B&W and color. I have actually photographed this building before, earlier this year and on the other side, with the 8x10 but haven't done the film yet. I'm saving developing for when it's a little cooler.

I have several "library" images and plans for more, hopefully producing a portfolio next year. Anyway, back to cell phone "photography".

When I was photographing the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles a couple of years ago I remembered going into the gift shop the year before on a short vacation. They had "Cell Phone Photography" of the building on display and for sale. $125 for a 5x7" inkjet print. I remember all the BS in the artist's statement about how great this work was. It was crap.

Now, after making my cell phone image I feel even more strongly about this. The image from my Motorola Razr came in at 320x240 pixels (77kb) at 72 dpi. The color was awful, too. To put this amazing image quality into perspective, my 4x5" camera's "native" resolution is approximately 20,000 x 25,000 pixels (500MB). My 8x10" is 40,000 x 50,000 pixels (2 GB) and my 11x14" is 55,000 x 70,000 pixels (3.8 GB). My smallest camera (4x5") has 6500 times more resolution! I don't even want to get into the math for the big cameras!

A color corrected (best I could do) version and a B&W version are below.

My conclusion on this subject is that I'll have to go spend tons of money on a new iPhone so I can get some better photographs! ;^)

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!"