Tag Archives: friends

The Silver Star

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on
The Vestibule Cover

One of Jess’s Books

This blog should have been put up June 6, 2013

There are many people who judge their wealth by how much money they have in stocks, bonds, bank accounts, the size of their automobiles and how many summer homes they have. I’m not going to question them for the simple reason I am one of the richest men in the world. There are only 8 or 9 people who can verify that.  I became this wealthy because of great friendships.  The oldest living friend I have , since  Will Barnet has gone onto his studio in the sky at 101 years old. It now brings me to Jess Weiss my second oldest friend. The great part is he’s alive and well.  The first time I stepped into his office I noticed there was a letter from President Franklin D. Roosevelt thanking him for his bravery and next to the letter was the Silver Star, Purple Heart and several other Medals which unfortunately, I’m not familiar with.  That was approximately 20 years ago.  I said to Jess, “my God you’re a hero” and he looked at me and said,  “no I’m a coward.”  Like most true heroes they never speak of the war. They lived it and bled with it and it’s imbedded in every fiber of their being forever and probably will remain with them to the next level of consciousness. He explained he saw 3,000 men die that day and during the balance of the war about another 7,000 men.  He never elaborated on why he received all the medals he did. Jess was there for me when my mother, father, my son and my brother died. His words of wisdom, his teaching allowed me to go on and not give up. That translates into an infinite amount of money. Obviously the money is meaningless but the friendship is worth everything. So on the 69th Anniversary of the D Day Invasion I take my Beret off to my dear friend Jess Weiss. Monday he will be attending a dinner held by the French consulate and will be giving a short speech on Omaha Beach. I hope they’re not disappointed because Jess is not only one of the bravest men I know, but one of the humblest as well . God is truly in him. The French Government has just bestowed this Medal for Jess’s outstanding service 69 years ago on Omaha Beach.  Thank you my friend.  All Americans and all Frenchmen thank you.

Knight Medal of the French Legion d'honneur

Knight Medal of the French Legion d’honneur

©DiMaggio/Kalish

©DiMaggio/Kalish

David Lynch and Jess Weiss (Transcendental Meditation Conference)

David Lynch and Jess Weiss (Transcendental Meditation Conference)

Paul Laddin Sends Joe a Poem

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on

Hi to all the Ships at Sea,

There are hundreds and maybe thousands of photographers and filmmakers that make a lot more money, than I do. I’ll tell you what I’ve got though, I’m the richest man in the world because I have so many beautiful and special friends. My friend Paul Laddin is a true Renaissance man. He’s been a working artist for the last 6 decades. At one point in his career he was one of the original Madmen in the advertising business. He’s won many many awards for his talents. With all of that, he is just a regular guy and beautiful person. After a conversation we had, he sent me this poem and I’d like to pass it along. If you go to dimaggiophoto.com and click on Paul Laddin you can see some of his artwork.

Photo tip for today: anytime you’re photographing snow, always remember to open up 1.5 stops; no one wants to see grey snow and…and while you’re at it stay away from the yellow snow.

Poem by Dylan Thomas,

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on that sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Dylan Thomas

All the best,
Joe D

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Wine Gets Better with Age

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on

“I was a young lad when I met Joe and JoAnne, I was a junior (maybe) in high school, showed up at their waterfront house to interview. Thought JoAnne was his daughter, good thing I kept my mouth shut and didn’t say that. They’ve become more of my second family rather than a job, and that’s why I never truly got fired. I processed black and white film and printed,(my 14-year-old asked “whats a darkroom?”) stamped color slides for days on end, drove cool cars, traveled and sat ringside at the Cooney Holmes championship fight. Fished, moved them to the sticks and idealized all they did (almost All). Love you guys dearly, I don’t blog but that’s all”

Andrew started with both JoAnne and myself when he was 15 years old. He loaded my cameras at heavyweight champion fights. Over the years, we all became very close friends and now the relationship has grown into absolute family. He has an extraordinary family, beautiful wife, children and is extremely successful in his business. He has taken photography, his original passion, to a whole new level. He has a brutal schedule. His passion is so strong, that he will drive two hours in one direction, shoot for half an hour and drive three hours back in traffic. Not only to make a great photo, but it becomes a zen like experience.

Of course I told him he was out of his mind to do that. Thank God he doesn’t listen to me all the time. To this day, if I called Andrew and said, I have a 6 figure assignment and I need your help, he would come out of retirement, (there’s no doubt in my mind) he would drop what he was doing and join me anywhere in the world. If I told you once, I told you a thousand times, I’m the luckiest guy in the world. The following two photographs, well they need not be explained. Photo tip for today: take what you really like, turn it into a passion. You’ll make great art, and maybe take a little stress out of your life. His black and white photos motivated me to go out and shoot some serious black and white.

This image is shot in raw, processed w. silver efex pro and Lightroom. Nova Scotia, Peggys Cove, Lighthouse.
Andrew_Coast_Stormy

©Andrew Elrich

©Andrew Ehrlich

All the Best,
Joe D

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Old Friends, New Year, Life Itself

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on
©Joe DiMaggio

©Joe DiMaggio

Hi to all the ships at sea,

I would like to wish everybody a healthy happy, new year (hey idiot, it’s the 15th-where have you been?!) Sorry guys, the last 45 days have been brutal, and I’m not going to go there today. I decided to take Saturday off, and I went to visit my former English professor/football coach, who has just been admitted to the Stoney Brook VA Nursing Home. It was the best 60 seconds and the worst 19.5 minutes I’ve ever spent in my life. I’ve loved this man for 50 plus years, and I’ve resolved myself to the fact that will be the last time I get to see him. I drove 7 miles to see one of my former assistants, he showed my three photographs that blew my head off. They were just gorgeous. He explained how he did them,why he did them, not that he had to; the photographs did not require any information, they moved me from a very negative place to a very good place. 15 miles west and an hour later, I went to see my oldest friend Pat Nap and he looked great! In the day he was a great football player and a world-class amateur wrestler, and ya know what, he still looks great today. OK-this moves us another hour and a half down the road and I stopped by to see my spiritual advisor, Jess Weiss. We had three or four emails in the last week, and three or four phone calls. His lovely bride of 38 years passed away four weeks ago. I went to see him because he’s my hero. The first time I walked into his office, above his desk was the silver star and ten other medals. I told him he was a true hero. He explained to me that he was a coward. He felt guilty that he left Omaha Beach alive during the D-day invasion and thousands of his brothers did not. Jess has written five books, I strongly recommend reading one of them or more…he’s not only a true hero, but he’s a visionary. He is one of the most spiritual people I have ever met. His 97th birthday is in two weeks and looking into his eyes, I saw a 20 year old man. Thank God for Jess. My life partner JoAnne Kalish reminds me that I’m a photographer and filmmaker and that my blogs should be about photography and filmmaking. This blog IS about communication and respect and history. That’s what photography is. I remember someone telling me, life is hills and valleys. In twelve hours I went from the highest mountain to the lowest peak and back to the highest mountain, so I guess that person was right. LIFE IS PRECIOUS. Please spend every second you can enjoying what you have.

Healthy, happy new year
Joe D

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The Great Bill Shatner

Posted by Joe DiMaggio on

Copyright Joe DiMaggio, 2003

Every time I have an opportunity to introduce Bill whether it be one of my TV shows or one of the pilots, I love to just introduce him as The Great Bill Shatner. I do that because he is not only a great actor, a wonderful director, an extremely compassionate man, a dedicated philanthropist and probably the most avid reader I’ve ever met.

Bill Shatner, JoAnne Kalish, Liz Shatner, Joe DiMaggio and Willy Brown the Mayor of San Francisco, Copyright Charles Rudnick

He is genuinely one of the busiest people in all of Hollywood. Oops, Studio City. But Bill is one other thing, he will take time out of his busy schedule and write an old friend. Charles Rudnick and I are not only close friends, but we’ve worked together on a myriad of projects over the last 25 years. Charles is a brilliant film maker,  great talent, has a beautiful family, and also stage four bladder cancer, WHICH HE WILL BEAT! I guess from now on I’ll have to introduce Bill as the Sweet Bill Shatner. JoAnne reminds me this blog is supposed to be about photography and film making. That’s true but Bill and his lovely wife Liz are both photographers and film makers, Charles is a photographer and film maker. They’ve both taught me a lot about communication and how to take an idea and put it on a piece of film.

Shatner wrote to my friend Charles:

“I hear you are one tough son of a bitch. Joe DiMaggio told me that, so it must be true. As Admiral Halsey said “attack, attack, attack” and that’s what you seem to be doing with your treatment. Good for you. I wish you well and will look forward to hearing about your next Olympics.”

Charles Rudnick, JoAnne Kalish, Joe DiMaggio and Bill Shatner, Copyright Liz Shatner

Charles wrote:

Thank you for sending your good wishes…it does mean a lot to me.  With cancer the cure is in a large way tougher than the disease.  Your Admiral Halsey was very appropriate.  I admire your grasp of history.  I am looking  forward to seeing your documentary The Captains.

I finished my first round of chemo and now have daily radiation where I’m zapped with gamma rays for 7 weeks.  I get pretty wiped out.  I have great doctors and they  are optimistic.  My family, friends and co-workers have been rallying and especially  my wife Carmen and my girls (picture of my girls enclosed). Daughters come in real handy. My best to you and Liz and your family, Charles”