Something So Right...

Like any new venture (well, at least that I've been involved with) most everyone around me has a tendency to look a bit askew at me, and I can see on their faces that old look on their face, as if to say,..."just what the hell is he up to now"???!!!

Let me, for the uninformed, tick off a few....

Let's see.. not necessarily in order of appearance....

Decided I wanted to make a living with my camera (foolish me)

Got hired by the NY Post as a staff photographer right after the strike of '78

and then left three years later

Started a photo agency (miserable experience-no computers, no nothing 'cept a Telex)

Got hired by the NY Post again....

Left again three years later (what IS it with me, huh????)

Spent four years at Globe Photos (that was... interesting!)

Burned out shooting celebs, while covering Ivana Trump at the Plaza,

got me a ticket to FLA, moved the family down there so I could be a

Photo Editor at the GLOBE

(that was really interesting, except the marriage didn't last Florida...

Started a new photo agency in 1995 (PHOTOlink)

went full time with it in '96 (foolish me)

After 16 years in South Florida, got rid of the condo, packed the car, came back

to my hometown of NY (that was wonderful), except for dealing with State Taxes

for the first time in 16 years!), and oh yeah, froze my tush off last winter. I was, after-

all, used to cooking an egg on the sidewalk for 16 years. A cold spell in Miami lasted

maybe two days...

Started a podcast.. (that was reallly..... hmmm, well, cool!)

I could tell everyone thought I was off my rocker (I keep telling anyone

that has a heartbeat that I've been off my rocker for years-nothing new there...)

Whispers around town: Where's he going with this?

What's up with that podcast?

Well, it would be nice to pick up a few paid sponsors for some bus money...

six episodes under my belt now, and, like, all of a sudden, I'm not feeing like

the butt end of a Laurel & Hardy joke, along the lines of.."another fine mess

you've gotten (me/us) into!

Getting very positive responses from everyone. One agency owner in LA loved

the interview with Arty Pomerantz - said he wanted to hear more from Arty! Part 2 coming!

You see, it's about crossing lines... or thinking outside the box...

The guests like it-they get a free plug or two), and these mostly unsung

people get a chance to tell their side of things without fear of being put

on the spot ( I very much follow the Larry King style, and go out of my way

not to be at all confrontational; whatever my guest does and does not want to

talk about is ducky with me....

Field of Dreams; If you build it, they will come. Very slowly, I seem to be (well, I hope)

breaking down any fears that people in our field have about joining me and chatting

about this very unique line of work. I mean, if an LA photo agency owner tells me he

really liked the Pomerantz episode, then I just know I'm doing something right.....

I hope some more of you in the business give me a chance, and say yes when

I write you, and get over your hesitancy and join me for a show. The majority of you

have quite a tale to tell, and I think the listeners are really enjoying the stories of

your collective experiences.

Y'all aren't shy about stepping up to get your shots; please don't be shy about

coming forward and sharing your stories with me and the burgeoning audience.

Give me a chance. And make sure you tell that story of when you...... yeah that story!

Where Am I going with this? You can't get there from here!

The drums beat. The natives are restless, but taking notice. Last night during an event, I'm hearing that there was a bit of talk about The Art of Celebrity Photography Podcast, and just where was I headed with this....

Where am I headed, eh? That's like someone asking me where do i want to be in five years. The answer to that one is : "I'm still working on tomorrow!"

Ok. So. Let's do a little bit of forensic analysis, shall we?

Been a celeb shooter for 34 years, 12 of which I was married. Been a photo editor, celeb shooter, a former hubby, and have been running an agency for 15 years. I mention my ex-hubby status for a reason; back then, I had someone to vent to sometimes... was able to tell about some of my (mis) adventures of the day or week (once forgetting to load film in the camera during a press conference!).... but at least i still had (to a degree) a sympathetic ear.

Now, since we're talking forensics here.... I've noticed a.... peculiar thing. Sometimes... well, make that more than sometimes, when a potographer gets on the phone with me, the

married ones... well, they do go on... and talk, and talk... you get the idea.

One of them was going on and on so much, I asked him two questions outright:

1- was he married?

2-did he talk to his wife this much? To wit, without hesitating for a heartbeat, he said no.

AHA!!!!!! the game's afoot! What upheaval has derailed him???

My point: photogs are talking amongst themselves during the red carpet

about the podcast (that is good). They were talking about me (that was.. ok_

They weren't talking trash about me (that is always good). They were rhetorically)

asking where was i going with this (That is.. well.. not really a bad question!)

Answer: Same as above. Still working on tomorrow! The show: no clue. BUT.....

There are some things i do know (contrary to popular opinion!)

It's a fair guess that many of the photos are in a relationship or married.

It's a fair guess that the photographer can't always vent about his work, furstrations

or any and all of his feelings when he wants an ear.

Sidebar: When I did my first interview with photographer Fernando Leon, I asked

him if his agencies really talked to him, encouraging him, talking about the quality

if his work (good and bad). Also, didn't miss a beat and said no.

So it occurs to me that for the most part, the (celeb) photographer who is out most

nights, still can't get any respect!!!!!

So, from a non-partisan position, I am giving the celeb photographer the chance to

vent, to talk about what i consider a very unique form of photography; it's greatness,

it's frustrations, it's rewards, it's decline.

It also doesn't take rocket science to understand that there is a huge audience of listeners

who also want to know about the energy, glamour (don't role your eyes, you jaded photographers!) and excitement about this special kind of shooting.

The podcast is about you for a general audience, and a professional audience. No state

secrets here need be given out. It's more about the laughable situations, the ironies of it all, and how your skill comes through in such difficult circumstances.

All you have to do is dig around and listen to any of Weegee's audio interviews

about covering "moidas" (murders), and how the "stiffs" he knew weren't going

anywhere fast, that make me want to do this audio podcast.

Perhaps, through listening to your experiences, one could learn that you do

deserve respect for a difficult job well done.

Use this opportunity to try to set some fallacies straight (you are a nice person!)

Use this opportunity to promote yourself in a positive light

I mean, if no one else is going to pat you on the back and say well done,

you might as well do it yourself!!!!!!!!!

How's that for some fine forensic analysis???!!!

Episode 6 of "The ART of Celebrity Photography" now live!

Please take a moment and leave a comment!

I'd love to have your feedback. Please share

your thoughts.

Old Photographers Never Die, They Just Fade Away

Yes, I'm taking liberties from General Douglas McArthur, who, when fired by President Harry Truman, gave a speech from the rostrum of congress.

Yet, the title does apply here. Sure, many of us know the larger-than-life names from bygone eras such as Weegee, Henri Cartier Bresson, et al. Many a lesser name have toiled at newspapers and magazines without nearly as much recognition, and many of them were excellent photographers.

A long time ago, I picked up a catch-phrase that I still strongly believe in: "Think in panavision, not in tunnel vision". I try to do that everyday. And I'm trying to do that with regards to "The ART of Celebrity Photography", as it's not just about the present, but, as I have said on a few occasions, we must continue to delve into our past to help us understand where we are in this game today.

The photographer I'm interviewing tomorrow falls into the category of many a forgotten names that have been superseded by the current generation. You will have to wait until the podcast goes live to find out who my guest will be, but what I can do now is tell you that he is currently 79 years old, moved away from his native NYC and now lives quietly on the west coast,

and has some interesting distinctions in his bio, to-wit:

Frank Sinatra once took a punch at him. (Ol' Blue Eyes didn't want him around when he was romancing Ava Gardner), Judy Garland threw a towel at him (she was in a rush to be with Ali Khan), in an interview with Otto Preminger which he had to cut short, the film director asked, "Are you bored with me?" He was the first to appear at Anne Bancroft's Greenwich Village apartment to capture the actress's reaction to winning the Academy Award for "The Miracle Worker" in 1962. At the Carlyle Hotel in New York City, President John F. Kennedy borrowed change from him to make a phone call.

Who is this man? He's a veteran photojournalist with more than fifty years of experience using his camera to tell the news, and he can tell a story behind virtually every unforgettable photo he has ever made. And he used the same talents when he would photograph celebrities.

I, for one, am really looking forward to this interview; a slice of photographic history that helps bring things into perspective.

From hia Bio:

He served as a former President of the New York Press Photographers Association. So good was he with his craft that when crime disturbed Gotham's sleep during the late 1960's, the new york cops didn't summon Batman to the scene. They called him. When they did, he would excuse himself from the company of Walter Winchell at Lindy's, or Leonard Lyons at "21" or Earl Wilson at Toots Shor's, and head over to the scene of the crime. There he would use his zen-like calm to "make" his photos.

His images remind us that sometimes the most moving pictures of all don't always move.

Of Blogs, Podcasts and New Media

I admit, sometimes I'm late to the party. I remember years ago, while I was living in Miami Beach, I got to be friends with a few of the lifeguards at the beach, and when they heard about

my business, they started talking greek to me.... the Internet; how to go to a page you'd have to

type these slash marks, emails had to use an @ sign.

I looked at him like he had three heads! Who had time for that??!! Not me! I had work to do! Foolish me... look where we all are today with the net.

Fast forward. Forget the old ads from American Express cards, about don't leave home without it!. Now, with an iPhone, that is tool I don't leave home without. emails, faxes (yes, although a legacy technology, it is still being used), photos, web surfing... you know it all these days, I don't have to enumerate.

So, I've had the idea of The ART of Celebrity Photography since my days in Miami Beach, but never did anything with it. Why not? Who knows. Perhaps lazy, as it takes time away from the business to start it up, but finally, after so many years, I decided to get moving on it.

Five episodes in now and I'm having a great time with it. Reception from the listeners is good, reception from the photographers is good... a rewarding feeling to create something new.

It's a bit difficult to get some of the photographers to sit down and talk about this type of work,

but I'm hoping the current episodes of the podcast will help break down the apprehension of doing an interview. After all, it's no secret that the photographer that lives this life works damn hard, and they are, if anything, under appreciated.

It''s been suggested that newspapers are legacy media. That is hard to get out of my mind, yet, there may indeed be truth that suggestion. So here I am, trying two, not one, but two (count 'em!) new media concepts. Time will tell, but it sure is interesting to finally breathe the podosphere and the blogosphere... like diving into that cold ocean; brisk feeling, to say the least.