Category: photography

Bill Diodato and Max the Studio Mgr at Hallmark Institute of Photography

Commercial photographer, Bill Diodato and his studio manager, Max, lectured at Hallmark Institute of Photography. Bill also signed his book, Care of Ward 81, which came with a gift box of images he had distributed to select clients as a business promotion. Both be HIP graduates.

Hard to sit through five hours of looking at his images, as compelling and creative as they were; even he had to say he was  tired of showing. But listening to his rap that mixed the craft and business of commercial photography made the presentation overwhelminly rewarding. He brings sharp wit and sharp focus to every job. After more than 20 years on the job, he has little left to prove about his skills, so he is trying to turn out more images that reflect his art, as opposed to his client’s tastes and desires. His is a route to which we all aspire.

Max works way too hard, 80 or so hours a week and doesn’t shoot at all. But to most students at Hallmark, that doesn’t seem too steep a price to pay for the experience needed to take the lessons learned to a more professional and saleable level. While Bill doesn’t seem to like the work for free concept that interns in many fields have to endure these days, the pay for assistants ain’t that good. You can barely put food on the table and pay expenses. Time to move on dude, just like the boss did and see if your eye behind the lens making pictures is as good as your eye in the monitor fixing them.

Northampton MA

He remembered me from a street shoot. I didn’t recognize hem. Sort of put me off guard, so I didn’t inquire how he got to Northampton. I be better known in the street, than in the studio.

He didn’t usually like to have his image shot. But liked my style. Used to hang out near Harvard Square. Visited art galleries. Likes collages.

Got kicked out of a wet shelter the night before for getting in an argument. “Been on the streets for 24 years…. You go to those places and they got druggies, junkies and drunks. How you not going to have an argument?”

Heisler LIkes to Teach Photography

Heisler lectured in the morning on Tonality by showing the works of several photographers, some known to me, and some new to me: Ansel Adams, Richard Avedon, Julia Margaret-Cameron, Irving Penn, Charles Sheeler, Grant Mudford, Ralph Gibson, Edward and Brett Weston,  Edward Weston, Karsh and someone named Missone. He loves them all and decribed, with youthful glee and enthusiasm, their works and how they use blacks and whites to make their images.

Needed to shoot something to clear my head and refocus. Watching the masters can sometimes make you feel that you have nothing to add, so why bother.

Went outside. Warm and bright. No Adams like mountains or Avedon models to shoot. Greg was on his way to lunch. He stopped and pointed to the warehouse across the street and said, “looks like a Mumford to me.” I had thought about it, but there was ice between me and a good shot. I trudged through the snow to avoid the slippery pavement, took my shot and went back for lunch.

I imitated, for sure, but why else do we look at the past?

Heisler Teaches Texture

So, I left this morning to school while the fog covered Greenfield.

So, I left in the mist, arriving in Turners Falls without visibility. Saw a classic–Steichen. Showed it to members of my class. One laughed it off.

Lindsay Adler lectured on fashion, social media and creativity. She made success sound reachable. Young, smart, creative and cute, she has arrived in the fashion capital of the world at an early enough time to make a mark and leave without any. Has control of her life at a time when many haven’t yet figure theirs out.

I told him I had a Steichen in his lecture. Told me I had to wait. He, too, didn’t see mine, butI’d be patient. At the break, I showed him my missed shots from Lindsay’s presentation. We remetered. “Don’t trust the meter always…trust your eye….” Then he metered the shot, showing me I was off from a tenth, which should have been a twenty-fifth or thirtieth. Much betta.

Greg Heisler Teaches Time Management at Hip

After advising to do as he says and not as he does, Greg Heisler outlined the habits of successful people. Identify the urgent and the important. Work on relationships (not necessarily exclusively through social media), prepare, stay healthy (more important as you age), set goals (realistic ones), and sharpen your tools. THIS IS THE TIME TO DEFINE WHO YOU REALLY ARE.

Its about time for me!

Deerfield Village Fieldtrip

So, we go to Deerfield Village to shoot. Place has a spot in American history, but now, probably best known for the prep school and the stores which tourists visit in fairer weather.

No better place for a photographer than a graveyard, even if your hands are freezing, the ground is icy and crunchy, and there is a dealine.

After a quick lunch, back out.

Different partners.

Different places and depths of field.

 

Using Their Camera with My Eye

So, we received our equipment and started to shoot.

Just into the hall, trying to find some perspective.

In the afternoon, a backlit.

A practical where you metered and then shot DT running across the studio. I clutched. I clutched. Got to be able to work under pressure. Didn’t set my ISO. Then didn’t prefocus. Hand and brain didn’t work together. Forgot all about Zen and the Art of Archery.”

First time in the commercial studio. Transformative. Didn’t think I would like it. But for a change, not having something that didn’t move, which you can light anyway you want, once you know how, can change the way you look at your camera; it was fun. Got to have fun.

 

Hallmark and My Dreams – 1


So, I be in Greenfield, starting another part of my life. Sharon’s home. At 10:00, or so, she said she had done ok with the separation due to school – ate well, did things, felt some tender and loving thoughts that resulted in a phone call and voicemail which I missed while washing the tub. On my own, but not really; she directs me from afar, advising me to care for myself and my surroundings.

Needed to drive safely and arrive in tact and on time. Nothing more important than being safe and healthy for school and our reunions. Who does this? We be flying blind; building a relationship by being apart, so we can be together and interesting as we get ready for the ubiquitous hospital bed.

Had the three pages of Jay Maisel’s Monster that I got at his workshop in 2010. Had done some of the exercises, many of them, but hadn’t focused on his semi-rhetorical questions. Put simply, he asked, “why do I do this?” I know and I don’t know, you know. Put a camera in hand and I am me and so many of these other peeps who stared through lenses. I don’t see if I don’t see an image; it is like when I was an attorney, which I am not anymore, by choice, when everything that I saw was a case of American injustice.

Here we go. I gots so much to see and learn. I be going to learn my strengths and weaknesses. Who knows, they may not be the ones I think. I know I love to shoot, but I also like to see the prints (I brought almost all of my best portfolios). I don’t know what my ultimate goal is. I know I want to learn lighting and posing/shooting studio portraits. I can talk to the subjects; I cannot shoot people whose attentions I don’t have. Is that true; who knows. Yup. I wish I could draw, but I would do anything to shoot and print big.

I have given up all my outside interests other than my wife and my health. I have to make this work, you know. Photography is the thing that dreams come from.