Cape Cod

Silver Beach - just after sunrise 

Just back from three days in Cape Cod - Woods Hole - Falmouth area of the cape.

I was lucky enough to have two good friends, Debbie and Dennis, to show me around - more like driving Mr Daisy if you ask me. Debbie is a painter and Dennis is a photographer (both excellent at their craft), and, I got the benefit of their two years on the Cape as they knew every nook and cranny on the island. Apparently, and certainly not something I was aware of before this weekend, the state of Massachusetts is a strong advocate of public access - therefore I was able to see some magnificent natural beaches and wooded areas. Not to mention being able to make a few decent photographs along the way.

Short post today - just installed Snow Leopard and having so many issues - thinking about going back to 10.5.8 - nothing works and crashes everywhere...

Todd Rundgren

Found another image from the 1970's - Todd Rundgren in Central Park at Summer Stage.

Summer Stage was one of the fun New York venues every summer in Central Park. For some reason there was a large mirror that hung on the downstage end tilted down in toward the muscisians. Not quite sure but perhaps this had something to do with lighting the artists as we were still in the early days of the technical enhancements we have today. 

At any rate you can see this photographer standing in the back in a black t-shirt and jeans. Note the Pentax one degree spot meter hanging from my neck - great for determining a zone system exposure. I also counted no less then three other photographers walking around the stage - something that would never happen today.

I always said that back in the day one could never tell the artists from the audience and crew...

'True art takes note not merely of form but also of what lies behind'...Mahatma Gandhi

Roger Daltry

 After the Howard Stein post yesterday I got to thinking about some of his shows that I shot. Today's image is from Madison Square Garden, circa 1975. I believe they did a total of 5 shows in either September or November that year.

Howard Stein

OK, another one from the past, Howard Stein.

This was shot at the Academy of Music in New York, circa mid seventies. For the longest time he promoted Rock and Roll shows at The Academy of Music on east 14th street. At one point in time it was actually called Howard Stein's Academy of Music.

Finding this image brings back so many memories of the Academy of Music - the Frank Zappa Halloween shows, Frampton's Camel, Genesis when they did 'The Lamb Lies Down of Broadway with Peter Gabriel and on and on.

Howard also promoted at Carnegie Hall, did the Rolling Stones at Madison Square Garden, Janis Joplin shows, Jame Taylor, David Bowie, Rod Stewart and Cat Stevens to name a just a few. In particular I remember him promoting the Who at Madison Square Garden in 1975....He also started the nightclub Xenon around 1978.

I first met Howard when I used to hang at the Academy of Music and photograph from the pit night after night. There were different rules back then and you could actually shoot the entire show, never leaving the pit except for the rest rooms.

Howard passed away last year so for me this is a fitting tribute to a man I knew and respected during those hectic early years. He gave back more then he took and for me that is the true mark of a man......

Video Still

 Still rummaging through the boxes of film that have been sitting dormant for almost 15 -20 years.

This image  is John Mellencamp's band  from a video shoot for the 1993 CD 'Human Wheels'.

Only about 10,000 more images to work through....

Opera Singers

After several months of on and off testing, I finally am able to make decent scans at home. At a workshop several weeks ago I was told to set the unsharp masking to -120. Now I would ask how  anyone could have figured this out - except for the fact that it works brilliantly.

Yesterday I was doing some catalog work with my film archives and I found the image above. Best I can remember is they were Opera Singers - I believe they were mother and son. This image was taken in the early 70's for Zoo World Magazine based out of Florida.

If  anyone might know who these people are please get in contact with me. 

'No matter how slow the film, Spirit always stands still long enough for the photographer It has chosen'....Minor White

'Sharon Jones' and the 'Dap Kings'

This past Saturday night it was a trip to the Apollo Theater on 125th Street in Harlem. The act was Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings.  After three albums and 10 years they are an overnight sensation.  For the obvious reasons seeing this show at the Apollo was completely appropriate.

Let me just say that if you have not caught this act put it on your bucket list. Sharon Jones is a combination of the great funk-soul singers of years gone by.  Names like Mavis Staples, James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner come to mind.

Sharon and the 18 piece band put on a fabulous show. Everyone in that band are top level A team players. Sharon and the Kings do a soulful version of Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land' which had the entire audience up and dancing - rocking the Apollo....

Great live act - check them out if you can.