© Joe DiMaggio All Rights Reserved
I’ve been working on a documentary film on Bobby Kyle for several years. Bobby is a world-class blues player and an extremely high energy person. The ability for a photographer to wait for peak action and not try to machine gun everything in my opinion is crucial. The photo of Bobby Kyle in the Blues Festival was shot with the 200mm 1.8 lens with an exposure of 1/2000th of a second 1.8 camera Canon 5D ISO 200 single shot.
© Joe DiMaggio
I just received an e-mail blast from Adorama Pix referencing their photo books. Both my partner JoAnne and I have made ten different books that we use as teaching tools. Making the photograph is what it’s all about. In the world of digital we very rarely see our printed artwork. Adorama Pix offers us an opportunity to use our photographs and our creative sense of design and balance. To be quite frank it’s extremely satisfying to see the photograph on the printed page. I remember in one of my high school classes, I had a history teacher that would always refer to the Gutenberg Bible as being the first work of art printed on a printing press. Here we are, 562 years later and each one of us can print our own book to our own specifications any time we want. Yes, I was dragged into the digital world kicking and screaming and that is true but I’m like a 16-year-old kid because it’s just so magical and isn’t that what photography and film making is all about? It’s all about the magic.
We are plan on taking advantage of this new promotion and if you’d like to go to Adoramapix.com Sale
Offer Expires 5/23/12. Must use coupon code “PXGD1010” to receive discount (use “PXGD1010L” for leather).
©Joe DiMaggio
The problem is with making anything world class, tremendous quality,and so reliable that it can outlast most of the patrons that use it. Like an old pair of socks or an old work shirt, I have a problem discarding old friends. Approximately in 1972, I purchased a large heavy Gitzo tripod. It virtually went around the world with me. It went to several Olympics, a World Series, major advertising assignments, and at the Apollo Soyuz. That tripod held a 400mm, a 600mm, and a 800 mm, and was the Rock of Gibraltar. About 10 years ago my studio manager complained that the tri pod was too big and to heavy. I procured a smaller Gitzo and two Manfrottos. They are fabulous tripods, but I missed the big Gitzo. Who knew 40 years ago, that much of my work in 2012 would be with DSLR’s for videos, I certainly did not. I decided to resurrect my first Gitzo as the new technology. I gave a call to Chris Brunngraber. I purchased the new 504 HD bridge, of course I did not tell him I was going to put it on the old Gitzo, and soon found out that my tri pod had a 150mm yoke. Two days later Chris sent me a 75mm adapter. WOW! how cool is that?! I am now able (with the help of Manfrotto) to breathe new life into an old tripod. To all the ships at sea, obviously I am not taking any thing away from the new technology. Let’s just call it a green thing. Wow I’m acually keeping up and recycling. Hell it is all good, go out and make some new photos, that’s the most important thing.
The first rule you learn in journalism is to stay totally objective and never become close to the person you’re photographing or writing about. It isn’t an easy thing to do. In the case of Angelo Dundee, it was absolutely impossible. I met Angelo back in the 70’s and did major stories on him for the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, and Ring… too many to mention.
I think anyone who’s been around boxing can tell you there’s a dark side, and at some point everybody either goes there or experiences it. Angelo Dundee never had a dark side. He is the epitome of sportsmanship, a true gentleman, and the ultimate motivator. He was the total package. One of the most gentle people God put on this planet. He made a perfect ambassador for the sport of boxing. I met several hundred people in boxing over the years, from the very top to the very bottom and never heard one bad word against Angelo. Whether it was Budd Schulberg, Bert Sugar, or a journeyman fighter in Mississippi, they all loved him. Angie treated everybody like they were an important person. He never forgot a name and he had that beautiful smile and those beautiful eyes. He was always warm and attentive. Did I mention his sense of humor?
Here’s an Angelo quote sent to me today from one of my students, Steve Ellis:
“Joe, just want to tell you how much your call meant to me. Really nice gesture.
I was sorry to see the news about Angelo. He seemed like a really interesting guy. I remember when he was a commentator during the ’88 Olympics. During one of Riddick Bowe’s fights he was really critical about all the obvious mistakes Bowe was making. Angelo said ‘If this kid’s lucky, he’ll have a spasm of lucidity.’ I always remember that expression.
Steve”
Anyone who knows me knows that I can go on and on. I’m going to bring this blog to an end and I will revisit Angie and his memory at a later date. One of my last experiences with him is when he was kind enough to give me a few hours of his time for an interview for my documentary In this Corner.
P.S. In an interview I did with Jake LaMotta, “The Raging Bull”, he told me that he gave this kid Dundee one of his first jobs.
I can see Angie with a water bottle and a towel, cooling down Saint Peter as he’s entering the pearly gates. Rest in Peace, my friend. You’ve got a lot of champions on the other side.
Copyright Joe DiMaggio
Jono: Side lit exposure for cheek closest to camera. 24-70 at 70. iso160 1/400 of a second at 2.8. Sony Camera Zeiss lens
OK, what happens when you take a visionary from Berkley and a bright, beautiful Harvard girl and put them together? You get Julian and Elias, my nephews. I’ve known Jono Korchin for twenty maybe thirty years… oh forget it. It’s a little known fact that Jono had a hand in inventing Itunes. Gil Amello (yes, the despot of apple computers) wouldn’t exactly agree, but I’d better not go there . Jono is a true visionary. His beautiful wife has a distant relationship to the Grateful Dead and is an extremely bright business woman who managed to found a corporation called “Korchins Inc.”. Here are the two front men.
Copyright Joe DiMaggio
1/500 of a second 2.8 70mm almost into macro zone. Intentionally shot back-lit and 1/2 a stop over. Sony Camera Zeiss lens
Sony 24-70 2.8 2/50 intentionally allowed hair to blow out. Red reflection from red wall, I chose not to correct (just my preference). Sony Camera Zeiss lens
Copyright Joe DiMaggio
Copyright JoAnne Kalish
Group shots: High noon at Berkeley campus, only shade to be found. 1/250 5.6 50mm Sony Camera Zeiss lens.
I could have flew a silk, but Jono didn’t have the budget
Copyright Joe DiMaggio
Sony 24-70 ISO400 1/200 seconds f/2.8 70mm Sony Camera Zeiss lens
The day the Photographic earth stood still one second later went into light speed. I had a dual assignment to photograph Joe Paterno in 2002 for Time Magazine and my agent who had clients in Europe and Asia. We broke out all the big guns total 7 cameras. Both JoAnne and I were the prime shooters, 2 assistants and one security PA. Started at approximately 6AM shot all pre-game ceremony (lots of partying young and old) When we actually got down to game time the prime lenses were 400 f/2.8 and 600 f/4 and 35-350mm. We did the post game and turned the film over to our assistant who was getting ready to transmit a few frames before we returned to the studio. Total 7 cameras, 5 film cameras 4 of which were never loaded. The one loaded had 28 frames, the two digital there were approximately 1,000 frames. Without knowing it the third reincarnation of DiMaggio now as a digital shooter was born. The story was on Joe Paterno and he died yesterday from complications from Lung Cancer age 85. I will not comment on his dismissal from Penn State. Our son Dylan spent 4 years there and any communications I had with the administration was absolutely miserable. Oops I said I would not comment. Whatever Paterno’s sins were he was one hell of a football coach. RIP Joe I hope things are get better on the other side.
©Joe DiMaggio
©JoAnne Kalish
Every once in a while you come across a very special person. One of my student’s Ann Raine, has had an extremely versatile career. Her travels have taken her all over the world. She’s as comfortable in a high level meeting with a Fortune 500 Company as she is making environmental portraits on the streets of NYC. I’ve recently asked Anne to become one of the the new board members for our DiMaggio/Kalish Photographic Retreats, along with Brian Struble and Larry Malang.
The Dyna-lite alumni group has recently got in touch with us and requested a second advanced Dyna-lite studio workshop. We will be adding it to our 2011 schedule. For those interested date will be announced in an upcoming newsletter.
-Joe DiMaggio
© Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio 