Blog on Blog

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on June 13, 2011

I was in a pre-production meeting last week with an old client, a new creative director, and a young lady who was in charge of social media. You know what? They didn’t teach us this stuff in school. It’s downright amazing how fast things are moving. Trying to keep up is a full-time job. Actually, that’s not a bad idea. We need to get 2 or 3 interns- one for blogging, one for tweeting, and one for starting the car in case somebody puts a bomb in it. On that note, to all the ships at sea, we’ve got another blog! Here’s the link.

http://www.blogjoedimaggio.wordpress.com

The Student Becomes the Instructor

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on June 8, 2011

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Joe,

Well, next year it’ll have been 30 years since I loaded film into your Nikons at the 1982 Indy 500. It was a complete thrill to finally be able to work the other side of the fence after growing up at the track each May tagging along with my Dad. Of course things have changed a bit since then. In addition to the digital revolution, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has undergone a major facelift and is a World-class facility. I started shooting the 500 for Reuters in 1990 and have been back ever since. Last year, I had the honor of having my college-aged daughter, Ainslie, join the family “business” and become the 4th generation of Millers to pick up a camera at the 500. Back at the 1982 you captured the memorable image of the Johncock/Mears finish, and who knew that 24 years later in 2006 I’d repeat the feat by capturing the Hornish/Andretti finish that would appear double-trucked in SI as well as the NY Times.

Peace,

Geoff Miller

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Geoff,

I am so proud of you not only as a photographer but as one hell of a fine human being. There are very few young people that would give up their bed back in the day so we could get to the Indy 500 at 5 A.M. to beat the traffic. And like many of my assistants, you did so much more than just load film into my Nikons. Without your help, that photograph would not have been done. It’s something that I’ve been aware of my whole life. We tend to think we work in isolation. We tend to think how important we are. But the same way that Rick Mears would say “It’s a team effort”, I say the same thing. We worked as a team. Your work is amazing. You deserve everything that you get and some more. And who knows- maybe in the next couple of years, we’ll have an opportunity to work together again. Keep on shooting and remember the first rule of photographing racecars: Never turn your back on one.

Thanks,

Joe D.

All photos ©Geoff Miller

Watch FX Drama Lights Out January 11 10 PM

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on January 11, 2011

Photos ©Joe DiMaggio – Lights Out Photography and filmmaking are unlike any other means of communication, where sworn competitors can come together and work on one project and have an amazingly great time. I guess it takes 4-5 decades to truly understand the camaraderie between your peer group. I spent quite a bit of time at the studio with my dear friend Johnny Eye, (John Iacono) who you may remember was named photographer of the year at the Lucie awards for Lifetime achievement in Sports. Someone asked me, how do I feel about that? I said I’m ecstatic for him; if anyone deserves it, Johnny does in spades! He deserves 3 lifetime awards. Being good is one thing but being great over 40 years is pretty hard to do. Tune into LIGHTS OUT and see if you recognize any of the Extras. Each one of us played a very difficult part – photographers ringside at a heavyweight championship fight. Wow what a stretch! It was a lot of fun!

Time to Re-Boot

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on October 6, 2010

The whole concept of social networking sometimes leaves me in a tizzy. I’ve been told that when you put things out on the internet, someday it may come back and bite you on the ass. That has not bothered me from day one. So why start worrying about it now! Many photographers and filmmakers who have joined me at the Learning Center know that I like to have a work station outside, especially in great weather. In the Fall, the upper Delaware Valley can be gloriously beautiful, with vibrant colors and crisp air. It is a great time to be alive. But every once in a while, there is an instant and severe LM storm. In my dear friend, Bill DeSmedt’s book “Singularity” there is a passage, ” When all else fails, re-boot.” So here I am re-booting. As soon as I figure out how to upload the HD video, you can see some of the outtakes, which are pretty funny! By the way, which way to the life boats? To all the ships at sea. Signing off
Joe D.