Sam Vs. St. Patrick’s Day

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on March 15, 2012

To all the ships at sea. Last summer, my dear friend Bill DeSmedt, Harvard grad (he always loves to remind me, you can always tell a Harvard man, but you can’t tell him much), was kind enough to introduce me to Samuel Arun Kumar Kudumula. Sam is a test architect at Alliance Global Services and an avid photographer. He wanted to swing by to see our studio and learning center and it was a great day. He’s back in the United States, so we took the opportunity to reconnect, talk photography, and of course world politics. Any time I have an opportunity to learn from someone like Sam, I certainly jump on it. It allows me a different way of seeing, and isn’t that really what it’s all about? Visual literacy, photography, film-making, and the world.

The following photographs were generated by Sam and one of his friends.

Ralph, The Cheesecake King

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on March 14, 2012

©Ralph Mocciola

Good afternoon Marie-Vic and the rest of the photo team,

Thank you for the Link…. Marie-Vic As you know we did not win the lottery….. I think Joe’s mind was in negative territory and not positive for a win…., but there will be a next time. Here are a few of my photos of that day.

Have a great day and many more workshops with Joe. Every time I think I know a lot about photography Joe and Dylan instruct me on so much more and I realize there is so much more to learn by them.

Thanks Guys…. See you in April for another NYC photographic experience.

Ralph

There are many advantages to having students like Ralph. The first advantage is that he makes a homemade cheesecake which in my opinion is the finest cheesecake in the world. If I had a spare two or three million dollars, I would love to bring his cheesecake to the entire planet. Oh, by the way… He’s an extremely fine photographer, and getting better all the time. Now as for his ability to pick a winning lotto number, well I’m not going there… Ralph, cant wait to see you at the next photo retreat. JoeD

P.S. If it isn’t obvious, Ralph is an expert with NIK software. It’s so much fun it should be illegal!

©Ralph Mocciola

Peter of Dynalite

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on March 13, 2012

©Joe DiMaggio

When I think of the name Peter Poremba, I think light. For most of Peter’s adult life, he has been involved in perfecting electronic flash and photo-education. He is head and shoulders above all of his competitors. An extremely creative business person and always thinking out-of-the-box. His clientele always comes first. He’s also a very nice guy, has a beautiful wife and a gorgeous daughter. It doesn’t get better than that. While Peter and I were at a design meeting at Sartek with Carl Saieva, I was explaining mixed-light and how I utilize it in my photography. I did a quick and dirty portrait of Peter, which is the lead shot of this blog. It was shot with an 85mm lens, but in actuality it was done with a 11mm to 16mm zoom. I just wanted to have a little fun with the crop. Hopefully there’s a little bit to learn about perspective. I’m certainly not saying you should throw away your portrait lens! But in a pinch, one camera, one lens, two batteries, two cards, and a little imagination… Oh, did I forgot the light? The most important thing! On our trip back, we made it through Suffolk, Nassau County, and Queens in light-speed. Unbeknownst to us, we got three and a half miles from the GWB and there was an overturned vehicle and three trucks with three workmen drinking their coffee and smoking cigarettes while working on the side of the road. Peter would tell you it took 59 minutes, I would tell you it took an eternity. Then again, I’m a little older than Peter. Time is very valuable. Joe D signing off!

Dynalite’s Website

©Joe DiMaggio

Dive Light Action

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on March 12, 2012

©Joe DiMaggio

I met Carl many years ago when I was doing a lot of diving. In a short period of time, I managed to do 600 dives. I met Carl at Beneath the Sea (we corresponded voice and email up until then). He asked me what types of lights I used underwater and I told him. He said “You could use a new light.” I said “I don’t think so.” He proceeded to turn on his HID light and smash it on a counter three times with no damage. I said “You’re right, I do need that light!” Thus became our relationship. Carl is an absolute genius. As important as that is, he understands what people want and need. I would be remiss if I didn’t say he over-bills. The Sartek light below is good to 320 ft. I said “Carl, I need it for the rain!” I guess it could rain at over 300 feet. Carl is the inventor and designer of the Gr-Pro Flat Port which converts your Go-Pro into a much better camera for above and underwater usage. He modified my two super magnets to take the Manfrotto head and the Sartek light (in 30 minutes by the way). If anybody needs custom lighting, anything above or below the water, Carl is the man. It’s nice to have smart friends… I’ve head that before haven’t I? You can meet Carl March 24th and 25th at Beneath the Sea. Tell him Joe sent you.

Manfrotto Website
Dynalite Website
Sartek Website

©Joe DiMaggio

©Joe DiMaggio

: ©Joe DiMaggio

Matchmaker

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on March 9, 2012

©Joe DiMaggio

To all the ships at sea, I have never considered myself a matchmaker, but I’ve broken tradition. I introduced two of my very close friends Peter Poremba and Carl Saieva. The concept came to me about ten years ago, but it happened last year. Peter is the president and CEO of Dynalite. In my personal opinion, they’re the best lights in the world. Penny for penny, pound for pound I’ve never had a failure with them. I have units that go back over 20 years and they still work perfectly. “Made in America.” I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that peter is an electronic whiz kid and he’s never afraid of getting his hands dirty. A rare combination in this day and age. He’s also well… never mind. It’s an inside joke.

Carl Saieva is a design engineer, a lighting pioneer, and a world-class cave diver. Carl has an amazing ability to put his hand on his chin, make an instant decision, and then go to his workbench and build a prototype in a couple of hours. It is truly magic. For purposes of this blog, I will intentionally keep the exact build specifications hush-hush. What I will say is when you put two very bright people in a room together for a mere eight hours, sometimes you come up with a much better mouse trap. Wow, It’s great to have smart friends.

Dynalite’s Website
Sartek’s Website

©Joe DiMaggio

Shatner’s World, We Just Live in It

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on March 5, 2012

©Joe DiMaggio

Ever since I gave Bill his big break as my co-host on the Photo Safari, he’s setting the world on fire. That’s me trying to be funny. Bill Shatner needs no help from anyone to be absolutely great. He is genuinely one of the most talented people on the planet. Great actor, big and small screen, thoughtful director, an accomplished writer, one of the most avid readers I’ve ever met, a mensch when comes to being a husband and a father, and a damn good friend. JoAnne and I were in the front row for Bill’s last New York performance last night. He was nothing short of out-of-this-world. No-one should be surprised.

Black Bear Film Festival and Historic Milford Theatre

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on March 5, 2012

Both JoAnne and I had a great meeting with Jerry Beaver the other day. We talked about all things film. Jerry is a wealth of information and he had some excellent advice on a couple of projects that JoAnne and I are involved in. Creative criticism, creative critique, creative advice. The key word being creative! It also makes it very easy when you respect someone.

Jerry, come by anytime. See you at the Milford Theater soon! JoeD

“Jerry Beaver – A native Pennsylvanian born in Gettysburg and raised in Harrisburg, who attended the Mercersburg Academy, Jerry has lived in Pike County for 29 years. A casting director for film, theatre and TV commercials; his firm has been active in Manhattan for 25 years where he is known for discovering many now-famous actors. Jerry founded the Black Bear Film Festival in 2000 and purchased the Historic Milford Theatre. He lives in Shohola, Pa.” ~Focus Media

©Joe DiMaggio

Electra Glide in Blue

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on February 29, 2012

The first rule at the University of Missouri School of Journalism: Great photos don't need captions. This is the first time I can remember wanting to do a caption. While on assignment in LA. I'd stay at Gary's studio. About 5:30 in the morning all I could hear were fire engines, alarms, and a TV reporter commenting about a fire. I walk past Gary's bedroom and he was reading the LA Times. I asked him what was going on. He said "Nothing, It's just the crack house on fire again next-door." We both went through his bedroom window to the roof and this is a portrait I did of Gary. 35mm Nikon F2. His camera. Now you know why I don't write captions... They're too damn long!

To all the ships at sea. I’ve never gone to Websters unabashed dictionary to look up the definition of nostalgia. I was shooting some B roll for my documentary “In this Corner” and all of a sudden, something grabbed me. To be brutally honest, I don’t know what brought it on, but I thought about one of my all time great friends, and a true great artist, Gary Nichamin. Gary and I were friends from 1972 until the day he passed away very close to his sixtieth birthday. Gary did all of the photography for Chicago, The Beach Boys, and Blood Sweat and Tears. He was not only a great photographer, but a fantastic art director. Truly an amazing human being. Gary was not a teacher, he was a doer. Thinking back on all the times we spent together, Gary was always teaching me to push the envelope photographically. As a photographer, he had two Nikon F’s, one with a 35mm and the other with an 85. That’s it! Simple, straightforward, and always generated some great stuff. Netflix delivered Electra Glide in Blue last night. Gary would tell me a story about him and my best friend Mitch Phillips discovering Nick Nolte as an extra in Electra Glide in Blue. Gary absolutely stole one of the scenes in a mental institution. It ripped my heart out. We miss you Gary. JoeD

Scary Man, NIK

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on February 28, 2012

I had an opportunity to do a story on Scary Man. This is an environmental portrait that was originally done on Kodachrome 64 which I recently converted to a digital file. As you all know, I am not a Photoshop maven and I do believe less is more. The new term is a “worked” photograph. This is minimalistic NIK.

I finally got the NIK programs installed and decided to play with one digital scan. That was at 8:30 in the evening. By 3:30 in the morning I had tested all of the software and was starting to bleed from my eyes. While bleeding I had a huge smile on my face. I was like 14 all over again – my first day in a darkroom. These programs are absolutely awesome. They are simple, straight forward and easy to use and even an idiot like me can make them work. I don’t impress easy but I’m impressed.

George’s Son

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on February 28, 2012

“My name is Matthew (Skrba) Savacool. I am 42 years old. George Otto Skrba was my biological father and although we never met in our lifetime, I don’t resent that fact nor do I have any grudges against him for us not being closer.. I served for years in the Marine Corps and luckily never had to endure the physical and mental horrors of war that George did.. I am empathetic to what he must have gone through…. He seemed like a thoughtful and talented human being and I only wish I could have gotten to meet him before his passing..

-Matt (Skrba) Savacool”

I just received this comment and I felt it was necessary to make a second post.