Thursday, March 27, 2014

Time Machine

©David Sorcher 2014

I was shooting the Gatsby Gala, a roaring twenties themed party for the Junior league, when there it was, sitting on a pedestal as a party prop, a time machine to another century. Despite the era it was meant to invoke, many may not realize that the Speed Graphic was actually in production in some form from 1912 all the way up until 1973. Though the 35mm camera has been around nearly as long (the first Leica prototypes date to 1913 and went into production in 1924) press photographers looked to the Speed Graphic as the main workhorse of the trade for years and it was common equipment for photojournalists well into the 1960s. Well many at least. They were bulky, heavy and slow and only allowed a single sheet of film at a time (later adapters held six sheets). Still, many press photographers like Weegee made their mark with these bigger format camera. The great and ever combative documentarian W. Eugene Smith, however, was fired from Newsweek in 1939 because he refused to use anything but his 35mm cameras. Smith was convinced these smaller, faster roll film cameras were the future of photojournalism. But these big, beautiful beasts, the dependable Speed Graphics, still held their place in the battery of photojournalism for more than two decades after that before the industry finally accepted that the compact and stealthy 35mm cameras could indeed produce acceptable quality images for print. 
As the last rays of the setting sun glinted off this classic machine and cast my shadow against the wall i felt like i was caught in a moment between time. I raised my camera for a shot. There i was photographing this piece of photographic history with my Nikon D4, skipping entirely past the era of 35mm film cameras with my digital wonder in hand. And what comes next? Putting aside the advent of instagrams from smart phones which may begrudgingly have at least some journalistic applications, where do we go from here? Cell phones certainly can't do the full job of the photojournalist today. I find myself already exploring the possibilities of the new generation of mirrorless cameras. Though much smaller by comparison to the Speed Graphic, my D4 is still a bit of a beast in its own right. As someone who cut his photographic teeth street shooting with a handy little Leica rangefinder i miss the days when i could raise my camera to take a shot without everybody noticing the equipment first. The size of most mirrorless cameras bring a bit of stealth back to the shooter and perhaps will allow me to slide under the radar again in places where a full-size digital might be a bit of an albatross around my neck.  
Certainly professional camera equipment will continue to evolve. One can only wonder how long our full-size digitals will hold sway in the field before the next new thing takes over. Yes, i do resist change, especially when i am so heavily invested in the present paradigm. One thing for sure…technology evolves exponentially. It moves faster with every decade, every year, every minute, every second. It is extremely doubtful that professional digital cameras in their present form will hold out as the mainstay of the industry anywhere near as long as the more than half century reign of the Speed Graphic. That remains an accomplishment worthy of note.      

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Behind the Woodshed


OK, perhaps not quite the "woodshed", but it sounds so much more poetic than "garage", doesn't it? After working up a morning restaurant shoot yesterday i found myself being summoned by the early inklings of spring and the desire to do something a bit more creative with my camera than beer and burger shots. Not really feeling like venturing far, i turned to my own backyard and found myself being lured back behind, and eventually up on to, the garage.
(Be sure to click on images for an enlarged gallery view)  

©David Sorcher 2014

It was the first time i had been up on my garage roof. Though not really a great height it provided a unique perspective that i had not viewed before. I found myself thinking in polyptychs again, specifically diptychs, piecing together final images in my mind as i shot. 


©David Sorcher 2014

The spot behind the garage is a convergence of three garages with this huge tree stump at the center. We had the rest of this tree taken down after the top end of it broke off and pierced the roof during hurricane Ike in 2008. I have mused about carving its remains into a great wooden throne. 

©David Sorcher 2014

There was a feast of texture to be found in the late afternoon sun atop that stump as shadow flowed into line and line back into shadow.

©David Sorcher 2014

I am very much a fan of the single image and the decisive moment. Still, i find the exploration of polyptych presentations very exciting as an alternative way of seeing and interpreting my world. From the crown of my garage i can show multiple viewpoints of the same experience, hopefully in a manner that is compositionally cohesive as a singular entity. 

©David Sorcher 2014

Piecing together polyptychs is like connecting puzzle pieces, connecting lines and forms, paying attention to alternating colors/tones and directional flow and, of course, maintaining some kind of contextual relationship between the separate images to ensure that together they work to leave an impression of singularity.  

©David Sorcher 2014

Forgotten fences stretched and intertwined with a bulging tree trunk seemed best conveyed here in classic b&w and singular image form.  


©David Sorcher 2014

I'll leave you with this shadow-self portrait from my perch atop the stump. It's so nice to get a higher perspective on the world at times, even if it is only a small step up. Maybe i'll try my house roof on the next nice, sunny day in the neighborhood. 



Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Slippin' Through the Alley…

©David Sorcher 2014

Ah, the finicky weather of March. Yesterday it was sunny and 70ยบ, today it's in the thirties and raining. So glad i got outside when i did. Cincinnati is a town with some great alleys. My neighborhood of Northside in particular has some of my favorites. These alleys once saw a lot of use as back entrances to homes, but now they are largely ignored. I continue my exploration of Northside down some roads less traveled by…

©David Sorcher 2014

Of course, i need to get to an alley first. With the late afternoon sun providing some nice light and shadow play i found some images along the main drag of Hamilton Ave. hard to ignore. 

©David Sorcher 2014

I was drawn by the color combo here, almost a primary relationship (though the dress on the right is a bit green/blue). 

©David Sorcher 2014

Park Chili is a bit of an institution in Northside, though i must admit i have never eaten there. But i do love the architecture of this building and its classic signage. 

©David Sorcher 2014

As i was crouching to shoot the hood ornament on this rusty old Jaguar the car owner called out to me "Hey, why are you taking a picture of that car?" I gave him the only answer i know, "Because i'm a photographer." It seemed to satisfy him.

©David Sorcher 2014

This was my target alley, one i have never walked before, but had taken notice of the night before. It just seemed inviting, don't you think?

©David Sorcher 2014

These alleys once provide off street access to homes, but that access has mostly been sealed off, i suppose for security purposes. Driveways and gates are now walled or fenced off. 

©David Sorcher 2014

Old garages stand mostly unused and in disrepair. 

©David Sorcher 2014

Nature meets metal and loses. This old tree trunk clings to the chain link fence it grew up into as it now rots away.

©David Sorcher 2014

Another old garage that might now be used for storage, but is no longer used for vehicles. 

©David Sorcher 2014

Re-purposed Coke bottles hang is a backyard as bird feeders. 

©David Sorcher 2014

Northside native artwork decorates a post. A totem or a warning?

©David Sorcher 2014

Where there is an "in" there is also an "out" and i found a few more images on my way home from the alley shoot. 
©David Sorcher 2014

My parting shot for the day of the Park Cafe and now shuttered old Safe-A-Lot store. Contrails in the sky seemed a prediction of the gray, cold day to follow, but there was surely a sense of spring in the air this day.  





Monday, March 10, 2014

Diverse By Design

Last week certain showed the level of diversity that is sometimes involved in my work. I have often read that in order to have a successful photography career the trick is to specialize, but frankly i just don't know how that is possible in journalism. Within a week's time i shot men's Roller Derby, The Eagles concert, breaking news of the illegal Greenpeace action at P&G headquarters, a school board debate on arming teachers in schools, the Bockfest parade, food shots and interiors for a restaurant opening and finally back to Roller Derby action, this time with the women's team at their home opener.

©David Sorcher 2014

First, men's Roller Derby. The Cincinnati Battering Rams are a relatively young team, but they looked strong in this match-up with the Chicago Bruise Brothers. You can view my full gallery of the game HERE.

©David Sorcher 2014

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I've never considered myself much of an Eagles fan, but their history and number of hit songs cannot be denied. Many of you probably know how much i enjoy shooting live music regardless of the genre. Frankly i am concentrating so much on the images that i hardly hear the music anyway. This was a sound board shoot, which none of us concert shooters are very fond of, but i had the luxury of using a 200-400mm zoom which took just a little bit of the pain off that restriction. You can see more of this show HERE.

©David Sorcher 2014

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I was very excited to shoot for Greenpeace again and had a great time shooting the unfolding drama of activist on the P&G towers as they hung giant banners on the building deriding P&G's use of palm oil from Indonesian rain forests while hanging from climbing gear. You can see more of this shoot HERE.

©David Sorcher 2014

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On Thursday i was called to cover a special school board meeting in Boone Co. on a plan to arm teachers in some Kentucky school. There were speakers on both sides of the issue, but in the end the board chose not to follow through on the plan. You can see more of this shoot HERE.

©David Sorcher 2014

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I shot the annual Bockfest opening on Friday, certainly my favorite beer-centric festival in Cincinnati (yes, we have quite a few). You can see more of this shoot HERE.

©David Sorcher 2014


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I cannot speak for the food or drink, which i have yet to try, but Dick's Last Resort made for a very colorful photo shoot on Saturday. You can see more HERE.

©David Sorcher 2014

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And finally i came full circle Saturday night back to the flat track of Roller Derby, this time with our women's team at the Cincinnati Gardens. I've been a big fan of this sport (especially the grrrls) since it began here in Cincy and will always jump at the chance to shoot it when offered. See more HERE.

©David Sorcher 2014

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So there you have it, my week in photos. I hope you enjoyed it as much as i did. I am sure that many photographers are quite happy and secure in their speciality fields, but there is something to be said for not knowing exactly what might be next on your plate…and i wouldn't have it any other way. :-)