Category Archives: Uncategorized

Dennis Wheeler, Artist in Residence

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on

     About a year ago, I had an opportunity to sit down with the powers that be at one of the greatest Maritime companies- The Oceania Cruises. We discussed the art program on board the ships and we agreed to become part of their art enhancement programs. The first thing I did is I called my dear friend Dennis Wheeler who has work in the permanent collection in the Museum of Modern Art, and I asked him to be an artist in residence at one of the new super liners. He said he’d have to think about it, and approximately five seconds later he said okay. No one will ever say Dennis drags his feet. His beautiful wife Kathi, former Director of Marketing of Departures Magazine. A dynamic figure in the world of travel and business. Dennis came into New York on his first voyage and we joined him for dinner on the ship. Dennis being Dennis, before dinner we went to five art galleries in the meat packing district of New York City. And we had an extremely light liquid lunch. I like to call it a salad. Four ounces of Kettle One vodka, three onions, three olives, a twist of lemon- looks like a salad to me! A good time was had by all. Returning to the ship, Kathi ran into one of her culinary favorites, Jacque Pepin. And an absolutely fabulous dinner followed. Life’s good. To all the ships at sea, I’m signing off.

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http://www.dimaggiophoto.com 


John is Gone

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on

     2 years ago, a dear friend said I have to blog. To be honest, it was not big on my radar. It’s not uncommon for me to put in 12 to 14 hour days and sometimes more. Working 2 weeks straight is not uncommon. So, blogging is one more obligation. Not easy. I started blogging and someone told me it should only be professional and about photography and not personal. There are a lot of rules out there that I don’t quite get. And considering I’m not big into authority and following hard protocol, I pretty much do what I want and say what I want and let the preverbal hit where it hits.  I don’t go out of my way to offend anyone. It’s all good. Which brings me to today’s blog. I have a friend by the  name of John Terraciano. And I called him around 9:30 this morning just to say hello. I received his voicemail and it seemed just a little strange. Something was not right. So, I called one of his close friends Hector Vazquez and left a message.  Hector called me back 20 minutes later to inform me that John passed away at midnight this morning. We got together at Christmas, he was as healthy as a horse, great smile, great personality, great wife, Miraim, and an extremely generous giving individual. I don’t ever remember hearing the “no” word in his vocabulary. He was always there for you and never expected anything but a thank-you. He came to one of my openings and he brought a beautiful Christmas cactus, which I’ve always treasured.  Hey, John, I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to say goodbye. Damn, I’m gonna miss you. But who knows, maybe I’ll see you on the other side sooner than anybody knows. I guess that’s the way it works, huh? Here today, gone tomorrow. On a lighter note, it’s my niece’s birthday. So, Happy Birthday. Joe D signing off.

March 25, 1911, The 100 Years Ago

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on

As some of you may or may not know, I was born and raised in Greenwich Village, New York, bouncing between 63 Carmine Street and 101 St. Luke’s Place. It was the DiMaggio’s side of the family and the Pennino side of the family. It wasn’t until 5 years ago that I discovered my grandmother and her sister worked at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. She was 16 years old and her sister was 14. On March 25 1911, the most devastating industrial disaster. Both my grandmother and my aunt made it out safely. 146 women and children did not make it out. As a photographer, every time I photograph my grandmother, there was something that was deep and troubling in her eyes. She had a beautiful smile, but that smile was always accompanied by the troubled eyes. I love my grandmother. It was unnerving to me. I never knew what she went through. She must have been terrified her whole life by that ordeal. 

“The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City on March 25, 1911, was the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of the city of New York and resulted in the fourth highest loss of life from an industrial accident in U.S. history. The fire caused the deaths of 146 garment workers, who either died from the fire or jumped to their deaths. Most of the victims were recent Jewish and Italian immigrant women aged sixteen to twenty-three;[1][2][3] the oldest victim was 48, the youngest were two fourteen-year-old girls.[4] Many of the workers could not escape the burning building because the managers had locked the doors to the stairwells and exits. People jumped from the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors. The fire led to legislation requiring improved factorysafety standards and helped spur the growth of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, which fought for better working conditions for sweatshop workers.”


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire 


Gil Clancy – A True Gentlemen May 30 1922- March 31, 2011

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on
ibhoff.com
Somewhere around 1969 I went to my father and asked him how I could get in touch with Jerry Quarry.  My father laughed and said, “you have to be kidding Gil Clancy of course.” I asked if he knew Gil and he said, “know him? – we went to NYU  together and worked at the P.A.L.”  
Gil Clancy was the first trainer to allow me first access to a training camp which was Jerry Quarry’s camp.  Suffice to say, it was one helluva education. I know I tend to use cliches. Sorry but they don’t make them like him anymore. He was a great athlete and trainer. His absolute honesty prevailed. He never took advantage of any boxer and was a true gentleman. The boxing brotherhood has lost another Hall of Famer.  Talk about irony, you can’t make this stuff up. April 1, 1961 My grandfather took me to the first Emile Griffith “Benny Kid Paret” Fight in Madison Square Garden.  Yes, to all to all the ships at sea, that was half a century ago.


DUMBO Workshop

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on

     Thanks to everyone – it was a fun day. Thanks, JoeD, for the great workshop, and thanks Dylan, Larry and Monica, for all that you contribute to making these photo workshops possible.



                                                                                                                      ©Ann Raine

     Thanks for sending your email address and thanks for your hospitality yesterday at your firehouse. It was a great visit. Here’s one photo- more on the way later, but I really liked the way you were laughing in this one.
            Ann Raine


DUMBO Workshop

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on

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                                         ©Rhonda Griscti

Thanks for a great day. I learned so much and I have about 100 photos that I really like from the day. Below are a couple of my favorites.


     Rhonda Griscti

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                                                   ©Rhonda Griscti

DUMBO Workshop

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on

    Thanks again for a wonderful workshop and learning experience. It was truly a good day and being surrounded by talented individuals made it even better! I truly appreciate the clear cut way you spoke about photography, techniques, and stressing how everyone should be having fun. I’m very glad to have taken part of the Dumbo workshop and will look forward to future workshops with you.


      Angelica Y. Criscuolo

Sunday’s Student

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on
                               ©Stephen Wakschal

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A Photowalk is much like a photograph; having multiple elements, location, weather, access, perspective, etc.  When the elements are in sync the result is an interesting and technically correct image and when the elements in a photowalk are in sync, the result is a most rewarding experience.  This was the case with the DUMBO Photowalk with Joe DiMaggio.  All of the elements were there; Joe’s intimate knowledge of his “subjects,” his availability to answer questions, the access to locations we were afforded and the reception we were given.  As a group we benefited from Joe’s reputation within the photography and film world.  This was a full day of “photography with photographers.”  Joe’s wit and humor fostered the bond between the group and set the mood for the experience.  I highly recommend this, and and any other workshop/photowalk with Joe DiMaggio.

              Dr. Stephen Wakschal



                                                                      ©Stephen Wakschal

                                                     ©Stephen Wakschal

Joe DiMaggio (the photographic slugger) checks in to say Singh-Ray is the only filter for him

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on

“There was a time in my photographic career,” says veteran freelancer Joe DiMaggio, “when I had 30 or 40 different filters in various sizes. In those days, there were several types of black-and-white film, and two or three color films that often needed a little more pop.

“With the advent of digital, I found myself asking who needs filters anymore — especially with Photoshop? Like many other things I’ve done over the years, if I wait long enough, I’ll prove myself wrong. Turns out that my filters are often the difference between success and frustration.

“The reality is that I now actively and exclusively use what I feel are the best filters available: Singh-Ray. My relationship with Singh-Ray goes back to 1974 when I purchased my first filter to correct my underwater housing, and it worked very well. I’ve found Singh-Ray filters to be expertly crafted, and all their designs are definitely outside-the-box. Each one has a specific application. You may not need them all. For that matter, I may not need them all, but there are several I find absolutely essential. TheLB Color Intensifier is number one. Another is the Singh-Ray Gold-N-Blue Polarizer. Since the arrival of DSLR video, the Gold-N-Blue is drop-dead great. Anybody who follows my work knows that I like long exposures, very long exposures. So, the next favorite filter in my camera bag is the Vari-NDvariable neutral density filter. And I’ve also got to mention my trusty LB Polarizer.

“This Hobie Catamaran photograph above was done with a Singh-Ray polarizing filter — and Kodachrome 25 film — a few years before the ‘lighter, brighter’ version came out. The polarizer really helped me cut glare to get all the color that Kodachrome was famous for. It was taken from the top mast on a Hobie 16. Living on the sea afforded me a window of Northport Harbor. Watching the boats pass by was like a ballet of color and contrast. I made friends with one of the captains and photographed from one boat to another, but I was soon looking for a different perspective. I tried to talk one of the catamaran captains into modifying his boat for my photo. He was interested in seeing the photograph, but had no interest at all in modifying his boat. So to solve my problem, I went out and bought a brand new Hobie 16, drilled a hole in the top of the mast and mounted my camera to the mast and used a radio control tripping device. To tell the truth, John Zimmerman from Life Magazine did a photograph of a docked sailboat from the Bosen’s chair, which I always admired. His image intrigued me but I wanted to add color and motion to my version. In the final analysis, we have to thank all great photographers for the inspiration they provide us to make our own images.

“I used my ColorCombo for this image of my puppy, Ace. He’s also a big fan of my filters — he likes to lick them… although I’m pretty sure that’s not the recommended cleaning method.”

Although Joe and his partner JoAnne Kalish are based in New York and the Upper Delaware Valley, they travel the globe on various photo projects and assignments as well as operate the DiMaggio/Kalish Learning Center. To learn more about their many workshops and special events, you can visit their website.