Woody Campbell – Page 815 – 16 years of one photograph every day for the rest of my life

Sunday October 24, 2010

BRIDGEWATER, CONNECTICUT – Well I had a great plans to solve the autumn color blues today. I have friend who annually hosts a variety of lunatics who bring catapults, and who compete at catapulting pumpkins across the landscape. We headed out that way mid-afternoon but as a result of a mis-communication with my daughter (my fault) we arrived after it was over. Tough luck. Really tough luck. But I saw this barn on the way back to New York. I shot it primarily because of the complete absence of yellow, red and orange. Leica M9 with 50mm Summilux lens. Six images stitched.

On this date one year ago: October 24, 2009

This may be my favorite image from the last 12 months. The light was magical. The name of the building, Pacific Gateway Medical Center, conveyed ironic grandeur. The name of the town, Drain Oregon, suggests hair balls and the like. Wow.

Saturday October 23, 2010

WARREN CONNECTICUT – I’m suffering under the curse of a long New England autumn. That’s right, I said curse. Since September 25 I’ve posted no fewer than ten images where the main subject is New England autumn. That’s a lot of yellow and orange foliage of really dubious artistic merit. It’s not like I can discern a development of a theme – the whole is less than the sum of its parts. Autumn is a bit like a sunset: it comes around periodically for all to see. It’s unlikely that I’m going to have a deep insight, a personal epiphany or add to the richness of human knowledge and experience by photographing brightly colored leaves. I promise not to do this any more, at least not without more of a theme and purpose. But . . . what I happen to have for October 23 are images of . . . fall foliage. Here you go with number 11:

Yup. It's Fall Foliage. — Yup. It\’s Fall Foliage.

Leica M9 with 90mm Elmarit lens.

On this date one year ago i was shooting in infrared on a dull, rainy day in Oregon: October 23, 2009

Curry County Courthouse, Gold Beach, Oregon

Friday October 22, 2010

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – I picked up a painting from a restorer/framer – it’s an 18th century Italian arcadian landscape from Maria’s mother. Here’s a link to my blog entry when I dropped it off a the framer. July 19 blog entry. Anyway, I caught myself in one of the many, many mirrors in the shop. My teacher and friend Lois Connor has told me to stop doing this (I’ve got hundreds of similar images) but sometimes I can’t resist. Leica M9 and 50mm Summilux.

On this date one year ago: October 22, 2009

Thursday October 21, 2010

WASHINGTON D.C. – The James Beard Foundation sponsored a food policy conference, focusing on issues surrounding sustainability, at the Pew Charitable Trust’s offices in Washington. After the conference, taken with my Leica M9 and a 28mm Summicron lens.

On this date one year ago: October 21, 2009

Wednesday October 20, 2010

WASHINGTON DC – I flew down to Washington for dinner at Nora. Nora’s menu. Nora Pouillon hosted a dinner for some of the participants in a food policy conference sponsored by the James Beard Foundation the following day. Not much time for photography but a fabulous meal. The menu included little gem lettuces with figs and cherry glen goat cheese; deep fried soft shell crabs with soy ginger emulsion (the best soft shell crabs ever); Amish veal roast with chanterelle sauce; champagne risotto and honeycrisp apple pie.

I spent the night in a hotel near the Convention Center – a part of town that was formerly a tenderloin area but is rapidly being gentrified. Not a good day for photography but I caught this building in passing near the Convention Center with my Leica M9 and a 50mm Summicron lens. Two frames stitched.

On this date one year ago: October 20, 2009

captioNora Pouillon,Nora Pouillon,n=”Umpqua Road Oregon

Tuesday October 19, 2010

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – Antonio Monda’s birthday party. Antonio’s Wikipedia entry. At parties I work with a Nikon D700 and an 85mm f1.4 lens, shooting wide open. I never use flash. The advantage of the D700 is very, very good low light capability – it’s much better than the Leica that I use in other circumstances. Shooting the 85mm lens wide open results in very selective focus, which suits my shooting style.

Here’s Antonio and his daughter.

Here’s a part of the crowd cheering Antonio on as he blows out his candles. The woman who the focus is on is Donna Tartt. Behind her to the left is Maria Campbell, my wife; to the right is Jay McInerney.

Donna Tartt, Maria Campbell, Jay McInerney

On this date one year ago: October 19, 2009

Monday October 18, 2010

BRONX NEW YORK – Last weekend we caught an independent film, City Island, on pay-per-view, so I thought that I should drive out to City Island to find out what’s really going on there. Wikipedia entry on City Island.

According to Wikipedia “City Island is an urbanized area, reminiscent of a small New England town.” Actually I found it more reminiscent of Bushwick than Nantucket. Sort of a Bushwick-by-the-Sea. That may not be a bad thing because according to a recent Gawker article Bushwick (which is in Brooklyn) is the new center of cool.

City Island was really, really quiet – almost deserted. Bars were empty; there was no one on the street; most businesses were closed; but there were no parking signs everywhere, suggesting that the island gets crowded in the summer. The light was poor for photography. I’ll go back on a better day in season. There may be a project here. Here’s a house tricked up for Halloween. (On the Halloween theme, City Island has a spooky neighbor, Hart Island – visually a slightly sinister low silhouette to the east of City Island. It’s the site of New York’s potters field. Wikipedia entry on Hart Island) Taken with my Leica M9 and a 28mm Summicron lens.

Here’s another one – same camera and lens but stitched from three frames.

On this date one year ago: October 18, 2009