Central State Asylum

 
This image is what is currently left inside the Men's Recreational Room at the Indiana Hospital for the Insane aka Central State Hospital.

I wonder what that contraption with the hood is/was - some sort of hair dryer maybe.....need to get back to Central State before they demolish the buildings...

Photographed with a Canon 5DMKII, 21MM Zeiss Lens

Bleeker Street Bakery

Only in New York kids, only in New York....

Memorial Day

Essex Junction, Vermont

'How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!'.....Maya Angelou

Udaipur, India

Boat, Udaipur Lake 

OK, so I go from the Mermaid Parade to India....what?...like this is not a perfect segue...

I made two trips to India back a few years working on a project in Nathdwara, a city in Rajasthan, western India. Nathdwara means 'pathway to the Lord Shri Krishna'. On each trip we stayed in Udaipur and each day made the 45 mile drive to Nathdwara. ...This was a treacherous drive - not so much the condition of the  road but mostly because the locals thought this was a 4 lane highway. It was not uncommon for them to pass on blind turns..I think you get the picture....

Most days we took a boat across Udaipur Lake to The Lake Palace Hotel for dinner...This hotel was the former summer residence of the royal family before being converted to a fabulous hotel. The hotel is pictured below - an image I borrowed from the WWW....

Happy Memorial Day Weekend...........
    

Lake Palace Hotel 

The Mermaid Parade

Lou Reed - Laurie Anderson

It is that time again. Mark your calendars for June 18th and the annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade - do not miss this.

The image above is from last year - the Grand Marshal's Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson.....Love the look on Lou's face...

Below find a few images from last year..... Can't wait to see what this year has to offer...

 

Christopher Makos

At some point in or about 1972 I met Christopher Makos - not sure why or how we connected but surely it must have been something involved with music. Not long after meeting Chris we did a photo session at my studio in New York. Shortly after that session I lost touch with Christopher and had not thought about him or these images until finding this print in my archives. The image above is one of two that remain from that session.

Turns out he went on to have a career in Photojournalism and apprenticed with Man Ray. Christopher is credited with showing Andy Warhol how to use his first camera and also introduced Warhol to the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Andy Warhol called Makos ' the most modern photographer in America'.

 Captured with a Hasselblad using an 80MM lens with Tri-x 400 speed film. The negative is lost and this was scanned into the digital world by JS Graphics in Chicago - thanks to Jon Scott.

High Bridge Kentucky

Spent the past two days in Lexington, Kentucky with some friends, the Fielders, Tom, Elizabeth, Graham and Vaughn. Did a bit of sightseeing and also made a few images but mostly we tooled around looking at this amazing part of the country.

Today we went out looking for images and ended up at the High Bridge of Kentucky. This is a railroad bridge built in 1876. The bridge is 275 feet high and 1,125 feet long. The High Bridge is highest railroad bridge and was designed by John Roebling best know for the Brooklyn Bridge.

Image captured with a Canon 5DMKII and a 21MM Zeiss Lens

Roger McQuinn

'So you want to be a rock 'n' roll star?
Then listen now to what I say
Just get an electric guitar
Then take some time
and learn how to play'............Roger McQuinn

Roger McQuinn, early 1970's, , co-founder of the musical group 'The Byrds'. One of my all time favorite albums, yes albums, was 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo'. Sweetheart, released in 1968, gets credit for being the first country-rock record recorded by a major artist. Special guests on this record were Gram Parsons and Clarence White. Great listen if you have the opportunity.

PS: I know some of you are receiving this blog instead of the iPhone-antics blog. There seems to be an issue with Blogger where I can not separate the two blogs and only sends the 'hsandler.blogspot.com' daily blog.  For the time being you can go to iPhone-antics and subscribe via the 'Networked Blog' dialog box on the left. Will advise when I finally get this situation corrected.

Bruce....

The Boss

 'Well now everything dies baby that's a fact
But maybe everything that dies someday comes back
Put your makeup on fix your hair up pretty
And meet me tonight in Atlantic City'.....Bruce Springsteen

Abandoned Hospital

Electrical, Central State Asylum

Long week finally coming to an end. The gallery opening went very well. Renaissance Fine Art and Design has a new location in Carmel on the corner of Range Line Road and Main Street. The new space has very large windows making it easy to see what is currently on display, and, being on the corner makes it hard to miss from 4 directions. Congratulations to Kathleen  on the move.

The Apple Store Music and iPhone Presentation could not have gone better.  It was the first time for me using the iPad2 and it worked perfectly. I was able to work on the iPad and see it on a screen, in this case a very large apple monitor. The only thing missing was the ability to watch the stylus actually touching the screen but a win win as one no longer needs to use a projector.  The personnel at the Apple Store could not have been more helpful.

After the Apple Store a friend took a few of us to the Indianapolis Hospital for the Insane, Central State. This hospital was originally established in 1827 and opened its doors in 1848. The hospital has been abandoned since 1994. I could have spent a few days on this location and do plan to return next time in Indianapolis - so many stories in these old walls.....More images coming...

Image captured using an Alpa Camera, 47MM Schneider lens and a Phase One P65+ medium format digital back.

Mesquite Dunes

Mesquite Dunes, Death Vally, California

'Whoever loves and understands a garden will find contentment within'.......Chinese Proverb

Peter Frampton

I first met Peter in 1976 just prior to the release of Frampton Comes Alive. The intro was through a mutual friend who worked for his record label. At the time he was living just north of New York City so I took a short road trip to capture a few images at his house.

This was one of those images recently scanned into the digital world. The original was in color but black and whtie works much better for me. The conversation to black and white was done with a LAB convertion.

Captured with a Hasselblad, 80MM lens

Greg Allman

Greg Allman

 
Can't really remember where this show was except that is was in New Jersey sometime in the early 70's. I do know that it was a show promoted by Jon Scher but that is all I can remember. This might have been the first outdoor festival where I had a press pass.....

I really like the look on the blond woman in the left background.

Captured with a Nikon F series camera, scanned into the digital world by JSG Scans in Chicago

Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum, Nokia Theater,  New York City

Busy couple of days here in Indiana. Yesterday met my good friends Barbara and Michael so we could hang the Next Step gallery show that opens this Friday at the Renaissance Fine Art and Design Gallery in Carmel Indiana. The opening is scheduled for 6PM - 10PM - come on down.

 Most of my other time is being spent organizing the Music and iPhone presentation scheduled for  Saturday, May 21 at the Apple Store at Keystone Crossing, Indianapolis, Indiana. This is the first one and my plans are to make this presentation at Apple locations across the country in the next few months. 

Today's image is Lady Antebellum who I was able to catch at their Nokia Theater (now Best Buy Theater) show last year in New York City. 

Captured with a Canon 5DMKII, 70-200MM lens

Devil's Golf Course

Devil's Golf Course, Death Valley

'Art will never be able to exist without nature'....Pierre Bonnard

Parlor James

Parlor James

Musical Group Parlor James, circa 1996 was comprised of Ryan Hedgecock (formerly Lone Justice with Maria Mckee) and Amy Allison (daughter of Mose Allison). Amy and Ryan were photographed down under the Brooklyn Bridge in an old loft - an area generally known as DUMBO.

Parlor James was one of the early alternative country bands.....

Captured with a 4x5 camera using Polaroid Type 55 film, 80MM Schneider Lens

Billy Joel

As I mentioned in my iphone-antics blog this morning I am back on the road - being particularly addicted to posting images every day I reached back and pulled this one out of the archives. This is where Lightroom earns its stripes - great for processing when on the run.

The image is from the Tokyo Dome in 1984 on the Innocent Man Tour (early Christy Brinkley era), circa 1985.

Captured with a Nikon F series camera, Ektachrome slide film, scanned into the digital world with an Imacon/Hasselblad scanner

Sun Studio

Sun Studio, Memphis, TN

Need to get out of dodge quickly this morning to start my trip to Indiana. Was cruising the archive looking for a post and this image popped up - being an Indiana type image surely this must have been planned...by someone other then me...

The shot is from the 'No Better Than This' recording session Mr. Mellencamp did at Sun Studio in Memphis.   I actually kicked myself a few times for using the Lens-Baby on this image but at the time I was really into that lens. I still use the lens but hindsight told me this should have been straight up big boy camera - one of those moments in time to look back on. On the other hand I have the image and just maybe that is alll that matters, 

That is Andy York, longtime Mellencamp guitarist on the left, Mr. Mellencamp on the right and T-Bone Burnett in the center. Was quite a thrill to watch a session at Sun....if the walls could talk...

Captured with a Canon 5DMKII and the Lens-baby Composer

King Henry

As the TV show once said, 'there are 8 million stories in the naked city, this has been one of them'. This portrait.  is a Henry, aka King Henry, a fixture in modern day Coney Island.

As with most of the characters in Coney Island, Henry appears to be from a totally different time and place, other then the year 2011. Is it Coney or is it the person. I believe that Coney Island has a way of stopping time - when I visit it conjures up imagery from special days when as a youth a good deal of time was spent at Nathan's and various other Coney iconic locations.

A friend wrote me this morning and said this image was every bit as detailed as landscape - never quite thought about these portraits in that way and I thank her for opening a new train of thought about the work. I have kept these images around for quite some time and am happy to see them in this new light.

Captured with a Canon 5DMKII, 24-105MM Lens, converted to black and white using a LAB Conversion method

Jim Dandy

Jim Dandy,. Black Oak Arkansas, 1974

'Jim Dandy to the Rescue
Jim Dandy to the Rescue
Jim Dandy to the Rescue
Jim Dandy to the Rescue
Go Jim Dandy! Go Jim Dandy!....Lincoln Chase

This song was covered by  Lavern Baker, Ann Margret, The Dovells and many many others. And it was also covered by Little Georgie and the Shuffling Hungarians....

In 1973 I was living New York City working as a 1st photo assistant by day and moonlighting as a rock photographer. I had images in Rolling Stone, Cream, Crawdaddy and Circus Magazine, some of which are no longer being printed. One day I get a call that they want a photographer to travel to Arkansas (where I can not remember) to photograph Black Oak Arkansas. Well I was the one to go and the band could not have treated this Jewish kid form New York any better. I spent two days living on their compound somewhere in Arkansas making images and talking to the band. A great experience that I have always remembered fondly.

Today's image was one of my favorites. I processed this on the iPhone to call attention to my 'Music and iPhone' presentations - the first of which will be at the Apple Store in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 21 (see poster below for shameless self promo).


Image captured with a Nikon F Camera, ektchrome slide film, scanned into the digital world using an Imacon/Hasselblad scanner. The iPhone/iPad workflow for this can be found on the past few days blog, either iphone-antics.blogspot.com or hsandler.blogspot.com.

Desbrosses Street Window

Desbrosses Street, New York City 

Back in the mid 90's I worked at a loft in Tribeca just south of Canal street near the Holland tunnel. I passed this window every day and the blinds and curtains were almost always in some state of dance. This particular day it seemed to say 'take a photograph' so I did....Two weeks later the blinds and curtains were gone.....they went to a more modern window treatment that no longer resonated for me...

That is me in the window.....but of course

Photographed with a Pentax 67, Tri-X film, scanned into the digital space using an Imacon/Hasselblad scanning device

Point and Shoot

New York City

 Yet another one from the point and shoot (no look) series. Captured with a Silver Canon Anniversary model point and shoot camera, circa 1996.

Prime Lens

Carousel Horse, Coney Island

 So I was renting gear at Foto Care a few weeks ago and Brian (rental department) said I should try the Zeiss 105MM macro F2 prime lens. Other then my 85MM Canon, which I really like, I have not had many prime lens since my old film and Nikon F days. And for that matter was not using my 85MM that much since acquiring a high resolution medium format camera.

Not being a tech type I have to say how pleasantly surprised I was at how sharp the lens was at the larger f-stops. Aside from the sharpness it was quite revealing to see how this lens handled sharpness and tonality in the out of focus areas - add that to the handling of the color in these areas and it is a new ballgame. Not really understanding the technical part of why this happens I  go by the results, which in this case are hard to ignore.

Today's image was captured with the Zeiss F2 105MM macro lens on a Canon 5DMKII. What you lose with this lens is the ability to auto-focus - if you happen to be a Canon shooter there is the 135MM which will auto-focus as well as several other choices in prime lenses made by Canon.

Coney Island

Coney Island Beach

All I can say is 'Only in Coney Island kids, only in Coney Island'...

Bicycle, Maine

Bicycle, Cushing, maine

 Another from the series 'Childhood and Other Neighborhoods'

Captured with a Canon 5DMKII, 24-105MM lens

New Hampshire

'

New Hampshire

'As soon as your're born they make you feel small
By giving you no time instead of it all
'Til the pain is so big you feel nothing at all'........John Lennon

I have avoided this image for about 20 years. I see it in my lightroom catalog from time to time but have never thought to put it out. On some level this image has always represented a sort of isolation and loneliness.

I do remember having to wear tall waders while standing in the freezing water with a wooden tripod a 4x5 camera and film holders in a backpack. Must have been in the water about 30 minutes before I finally got the shot.  Those were the days my friend - those were the days.....

Captured using a Zone VI 4x5 camera, 120MM lens, Tri-x  scanned into the digital world by JS Graphics in Chicago.

Jon Bon Jovi

Jon Bon Jovi, New Meadowlands Stadium

Sifting through the archive again this morning and came across this image from Bon Jovi opening the new Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey/New York.

Captured with a Canon 5DMKII, 70-200MM Lens....

Dr. John - Jazz Festival

Dr. John - The Night Tripper

 
"Life is a one-way ticket--ain't no second time around. Better get all you can out of life, 'fore you're six feet in the ground"......Dr. John the night tripper

Dr. John's Piano

Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi closed out the Saturday night at the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Check out the crowd of approximately 50,000 people reflected in his aviator glasses. 

New Orleans Jazzfest

Great day at the Jazzfest yesterday. Weather cooperated and I got to see quite a mixture of artists - Zydeco, Jazz, Blues, rock and roll to name just a few. For me the highlight was being in the Jazz tent seeing Ahmad Jamal one of America's influential jazz pianists - arguably the in the same league as Charlie Parker.

Ahmad is 81 years old this year and still out there doing it - if you get the chance please catch a show...

This is one of those images that I am proud to have my signature on....