Magic

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on October 14, 2023

Photos © Joe DiMaggio

I’ve been around the world at least twice and it seems once every decade something magical happens. Last week a group of 8 strangers came together. Each person was extremely bright, talented, and lovely. I spent one full day making some amazing photographs of actress, singer and super star Quinn Lemley. Many photographers tend to have huge egos. If it’s one thing I’ve learned, I always check my ego at the door. There isn’t a person who is able to do everything all the time. In the real world it takes a team and we had an amazing one.

For this assignment, I was blessed to work with the actress Quinn Lemley – Superstar, Shani Grosz, World Class Clothing Designer, her Wonderful Social Media Publicist, Abby Sultanik, Mr. Wendall, a Super Stylist, Lorraine Altamura, a World Class Hair and Makeup Artist, Caroline Voigt, Quinn’s Amazing Social Media Publicist, Jon Mecca, an Accomplished Dynamic Photographer and Studio Manager. I’ve left the best for last – and Errol Rappaport who in the real world, is a Power Broker to End All Power Brokers. We all came together for the longest 12 hour day imaginable. My contribution was 1/8 of the creative group as the Photographer Par Excellence. I should also give credit to the Mayor’s office, the NYPD and Mihai (Michael) Pasalau at the New York Yacht Club (okay it was the Staten Island Ferry) but I do consider it my yacht!

I’ve always been a NYC kid, born and bred but as truth be known, the combination of Covid 19, my several bouts with Cancer, I’ve been away from the greatest City in the world for a while.

I’d love to take credit for our team prayer at the end of the evening but afraid I can’t. We all held hands and thanked the Universe for a great day. That team prayer originally emanated from Peter, Paul, and Mary who refused to go on stage until I and my son Dylan, who happened to be with me that one day, to gather together and do a prayer prior to their concert. It was a celebration of my 50th year photographing them.

I hope someday in the future the team and can together once again. I know that’s a big ask. But, what the hell… why not? I thank each and every one of you for your contribution to a great shoot. Remember one thing – Life is not a rehearsal – there are no second takes! Enjoy life to the fullest. I like to always say, “ Kick Ass and Take Names.” – Joe DiMaggio.

2nd Amendment, I don’t think so.

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on April 19, 2013

Hi to All the Ships at Sea,

I received an assignment from HBO to do an illustration on hand guns in America. There were approx 357 children killed with handguns the year of the assignment. The photo editor gave me carte blanche to do anything that I wanted to the photo. What you see is a multiple exposure done in the studio with a real 357 magnum with 6 dyna-lites against a clear background. Person holding the gun was silhouetted, then I rewound the film and shot the american flag on top of the silhouette (effectively, there was no exposure there) and by over exposing the corners by 2-3 stops I blew the flag out and just left the hand with the American flag wrapped around the gun. The photo won a few awards when and when people see it today they presume it was done in Photoshop, but it was done in the camera. Entitled 2nd amendment (I never put titles on work).

Two days ago the Senate knocked down the gun bill. Photographic blog, not a political blog…I must watch my language. They should all blank, blank, blank and be totally ashamed of themselves. How much money do they take on the side from gun manufacturers and the NRA? We are taking the greatest country in the history of all mankind and we’re turning it into a third world country. The English couldn’t beat us, the French couldn’t beat us, the Germans couldn’t beat us, the Russians, the Chinese, the Koreans. We’re going to destroy ourselves. anybody who knows me, I love to be happy but with what’s going on today in this world, I’m sorry, we need to get with the program. Go out and make a photograph of your wife…your children…we’ve got enough guns. If you want to shoot something, make a photograph. For the record, I own 6 guns so I am not ANTI-guns. Camera: NikonF 55micro and a grease pencil. Exposure: 1/90th of a second at 22 and 1/90th of a second at 5.6.

All the Best,

Joe D

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Goodbye Old Friend

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on January 6, 2011

Well I guess it’s time to take my Beret off for the last time for an old friend Kodachrome Film. Yes, it’s true that I’ve not shot a roll of Kodachrome in 10 years but in the beginning, I was not only weaned on Tri-X but Kodachrome I and II. When it came to color film, my film of choice for over 30 years was Kodachrome 25. I will never forget the look on the Director of Photography, for SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, John Dominis’ face when I turned in 100 rolls of Kodachrome. At the time, I had finished up an assignment photographing the Wittington Brothers, who coincidentally inherited 900 million dollars and won LeMains in their class. It was a feature piece I was working on and I did not have a drop dead deadline so I chose to shoot with Kodachrome. Another fond remembrance, was Max at the old, old B and H I had a standing order with Max of 100 rolls of Kodachrome 25, 100 rolls of Kodachrome 64, 50 rolls of Velvia 50, and 50 rolls of Fuji 100. There would be a line 2 deep at B and H at their 4 cash registers at the time. Max would see me come into the store and yell, “Sorry I kept you so long waiting, Mr. DiMaggio, your order is ready” and everybody on line got very unhappy as I moved to the front of the line. I really liked Max.

Both JoAnne and I certainly don’t have an exact count of our photo archives, but we have to have over 1 million, two hundred thousand photos. We probably will still be making scans from Kodachrome for many years to come. I guess I had this roll still lying around because it was a 20 exposure roll and not 36 frames