Category Archives: DiMaggio/Kalish Workshops

Montauk in September

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on
All Photos © Joe DiMaggio 

Four days off after a major corporate shoot and film for Galvanic Printing, see my vimeo page. Anyone who’s been to any of my workshops, lectures, or our DiMaggio/Kalish Learning Center knows that they hear the same thing over and over. Less is more. Both JoAnne and I receive many questions about the quality of photographic products. My answer is relatively simple. Whatever works for you, and whatever you can afford is what it’s all about. Let’s remember the photographer makes the photograph. One of my long-time assistants Larry Malang asked me “Are Canon and Nikon lenses better then Sigma’s?” My answer was very simple. “Canon and Nikon make great glass, and so does Sigma” One thing about Sigma glass that is really impressive, is that the lenses work very well with severe backlight. I shoot a lot of  backlight because I love it!  I took three new lenses with me to Montauk for a well deserved four day busmans holiday. The 8-16mm , the 17-50mm  f/2.8, and the 70-200mm. I use all of these lenses specifically for video. As soon as I can cut some footage, I will post it on Vimeo. In the mean time, here are a few photos that are severely back and side lit.  Utilizing the new lenses. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that they have great color and great contrast. Great shooting.

Joe D.
All Photographs Copyrighted Joe DiMaggio  ©

Backstage Passes

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on

This particular workshop will be unlike any other workshop ever conducted by Joe DiMaggio. Each team member will be expected to shoot 6 or 7 variations on the Bobby Kyle Band; an environmental portrait, an action shot and a candid. The end result will be a final selection of one great photo from each workshop participant. They will be expected to sign a release and they will be the owner of the copyright. Bobby will also have to right to use that photo for the internet, CD or DVD. The photo must not be any larger than 100 dpi. Each participant will have access to some very fast long lenses which will allow them to hopefully push the envelope. Unlike any other workshop, this one will start in the afternoon and go until quite late. The concert will start at 8:00 P.M. There will be rooms available at both Greeley Inn and a few B&B’s in the area. Please visit http://www.dimaggio-kalishworkshops.com

This workshop will be quite small and it will be first come
first serve. Looking forward to seeing you. Thanks. Joe D

©Joe DiMaggio

Gleason’s Workshop

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on

©Dylan DiMaggio

I remember the first time I walked into Gleason’s gym in 1972. The sights, the sounds, the smell- it was pretty amazing. When I was working with Sports Illustrated and Gerry Cooney, I spent an awful lot of time there in the late 70s and I decided I was going to do a documentary on boxing. Thus was born, a five year project, “In This Corner”. I brought my class to Gleason’s and it was pretty amazing. They got with the program really quickly. Several gigs of photos were done and from what I can see, some of them are very good. This may be the last Joe DiMaggio/ Gleason’s workshop in the front street location. Gleason’s, born in 1937, will be relocating several blocks away. When? We don’t know. I’d like to share a photo taken by Adrian. Special thanks to my friend Bruce Silverglade, who was kind enough to allow our class in.

A view of Gleason’s from Adrian’s perspective

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on
Student’s comment:

“Joe,

Thank you again for making such a dreary day into a fantastic photographic opportunity. I saw in you a passion for photography that I have rarely see in professional photographers and Sunday no matter what kind of pain you were in you fought on and made it a memorable experience.

The whole entire workshop was fantastic, each of the photographers were at different levels of photography, but I didn’t come away feeling one was greater than the other. The common bond for us is the love of photography and how to improve our skills. I only wish that we could have spent more time picking your brains, one day is definitely not enough. I was glad to be a part of this great day. JoAnne and Dylan were awesome, you have a great team.

I hope in the future to participate in another one of your workshops.

All my best

Adrian”

© Adrian Rodriguez






There are no miserable days, there are only great photographic opportunities

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on

©Dylan DiMaggio

Well here we are, the day after a very cold, windy, torrential rainy, Joe DiMaggio workshop with and international cast of players. With all of the adversity and all the logistical problems, I think my students kicked ass and took names. As we were starting to peel off in the early evening, someone thanked me for conducting a great workshop but I said without their participation, there is no workshop. My job is to motivate and inspire but the student is the person who does execution of the visual literacy which will result in a strong photograph. It was a small intimate group of 15. Thanks to the FDNY Firehouse Engine 205 & Ladder 118, one of the oldest fire departments in Brooklyn allowed us to not only do a photographic tour and environmental portraits but they were kind enough to have a real fire call so we all got a very up close and personal look at what these great people do to protect our lives, family and property. As some of my close friends know, I lost two firemen friends in 9/11, Terrence Farrell and Doug Miller. Many thanks to my partner JoAnne Kalish, Dylan DiMaggio, Larry Malang and of course Monica Cipnic.

Bass Guitar for Dummies

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on

Photos © Joe DiMaggio

There is no doubt in my mind I’m blessed with extremely bright and creative friends. I’ve know an awful lot of bass players in my day but Everett Boyd is special. There virtually isn’t anything he can’t do with a stand up bass or electric bass.

We did a photo session one day and I took him to one of my favorite outdoor studios called the Tunnel (or at least I call it the tunnel.) I asked him for a few different looks, and voila! We came up with the cover of Bass Guitar for Dummies Book.

Everett is now the key bass player for the Bobby Kyle Band. Everett will be one of our models for my upcoming workshop on How to Photograph Musicians and How to Make CD Covers. Soon to be posted on our DiMaggio-kalishworkshops.com site.


30 Years and Counting

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on

Back in the Apollo days, it was a great time for photographers. As a matter of fact, the comradery between photographers was equal to the competition between the photographers. It may have been the end of the golden age of photography and the very beginning of the cold, calculating, digitizing of photography. Al was never a close friend but he was, and is, a great recorder of light, action, stories, and now a very accomplished filmmaker. You learn in our business, you have to respect the competition. Respect is paramount in any relationship, or for that matter it may be the only critical part of a relationship. Al e-mailed me a multi-media show he did which is absolutely awesome called The South in the 60’s and I’d like to share it with you. I’m hoping Al and I will have the opportunity to work together in the near future. Check him out; check out his books, he’s an old school heavy weight. Joe D

Al Satterwhite –

Al Satterwhite film –

Ron Thompson, Anthony Donna, Director of Photography Time Magazine- Arnold Drapkin, Ralph Morse, Joe DiMaggio &