Jozef Pacholczyk - Western Photographic Historical Society
Transcription
Jozef Pacholczyk - Western Photographic Historical Society
PHOTOGRAPHICA DIGEST Western Photographic Historical Society • Vol. XV No. 8 © August 2008 • wphsociety.org September Program Dr. Jozef Pacholczyk In This Issue: September Program Fall 2008 Camera Show 15th Annual Auction Results Looking Forward The Ainger Hall Photometer Snapshots Arizona Highways “The Photo Issue” From the Internet Q & A Calendar Prepare yourself for an outstanding program as WPHS member Dr. Jozef Pacholczyk will present a program on Photography in Ethnomusicology: Granada and Fez. Dr. Pacholczyk, an ethnomusicologist and pianist, is Professor Emeritus, University of Maryland School of Music. He is a collector of Leicas and Leica copies. He was educated in Poland at the Warsaw Conservatory (piano, MA), and at the Warsaw University, in the Department of Arabic and Islamic studies (MA in Arabic and Indonesian). He received his PhD in music (Ethnomusicology) at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has held professorial and administrative positions at UCLA, University of Ottawa, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and the University of Maryland, College Park. He built a graduate program in ethnomusicology at the University Of Maryland Baltimore County. He 1 1 2 2 3 4 5 5 5 6 guided 14 doctoral dissertations in ethnomusicology and his students are now holding professorial and administrative university positions in the USA, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Taiwan, Slovenia, and Croatia. He conducted field research in many parts of the Muslim world including Indonesia, Egypt, Morocco, India (Kashmir), Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkey and is the author of scholarly books and papers on various aspects of music, culture, literature, and religion in various parts of the Muslim world. As a pianist, he has given concerts in Poland, Italy, USA, Egypt, and Indonesia, and records for Ethnodisc Classical. He has been involved in photography since childhood and, together with field sound recordings, uses it extensively as a part of musical, ethnographic, and cultural documentation. For many years he taught graduate seminars in field and laboratory methods in ethnomusicology that include sound recording, photography and film/video. Fall 2008 Camera Show September 28, 2008 -1- by Gerry Whitaker & Paul Garrett The 47th Semi-Annual Camera & Photographica Show will be held once again at the InnSuites Hotel on September 28, 2008. Plans are underway for some interesting additions & exhibits to this show not often seen at the show regularly in the past. We also hope to present another interesting and informative repeat on the topic dealing with digital camera use. The show committee is contacting their members, reviewing plans and assignments, and looking for additional members to continue to spread the work load and improve show results. The best assistance that every member of WPHS can provide to the organization is, when possible, to attend our shows, auctions, and monthly meetings. Please consider showing up, getting to know fellow members, and sharing your expertise in whatever way you feel comfortable. The shows and auction are WPHS’s primary fund raising efforts and so far we have been very successful. The shows have developed, over the years, into a routine that looks like it happens by itself. Not True! Those who normally help are very loyal and dedicated, enjoy the process, and are proud of the outcome. It is a continuing process and please call if you can spend some time with us either in the yearround efforts or just a couple of hours on show day. Call Paul Garrett at 520-299-9117 or Gerry Whitaker at 520-299-9046. As we go to press it would appear that some of our west coast exhibitors/members are heading to Boston (our competing show for the weekend) and it may or may not have an impact on our table sales. Our word-of-mouth customers’ consignments are constantly building and they help generate the buying public to the shows who provide WPHS and the consignors the venue for this success. With the special exhibits being planned, the great amount of photographica to shop, and the special digital demonstration, we hope to see you on Sunday the 28th. Bring your spouse, friends, or others interested in photographica & join us at the show to browse, visit with other members, and spend a couple of hours helping make our show another success. their collection and eBay sellers saw dollar signs. Auctioneer Mike Henry kept a steady pace as helpers scurried to move items to the auction block. To all of you who attended the auction, whether you bought anything or not, we are grateful. Of course, we give special thanks to those who did buy, and to those who brought items to sell. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our members, we have, once again, raised a significant amount of money for scholarships for higher education in photography. Looking Forward WPHS is looking forward to some good times and programs in the fall. In September, we will hear Dr. John Pacholczyk who is a Leica and Leica copy collector as well as a very accomplished musician. Later, Rick Soloway will be presenting a program on Photo Truvee (found photos). He looks for the unusual subjects, not just the mustaches, hats and fluffy dresses. We will also be hearing from the Center for Creative Photography. (Don’t miss their current exhibit of Lee Friedlander’s photos of American monuments.) Of course, our December meeting will be the annual holiday party. Be sure to mark the date of the Fall Show on your calendar, as well. That date is September 28, 2008, at Inn Suites. Photographica Digest is the official monthly publication of the Western Photographic Historical Society (WPHS), a non profit 501(c)3 organization which meets the first Thursday monthly. The contents are copyrighted the year of publication. It is distributed to members, other similar organizations, and posted on our website. Other photographic groups may reprint material provided credit is given to WPHS and the author and a reprint copy is sent. Membership is $20 or $5 for students per year (Jan. - Dec.) and accepted through our website or by mail. Fifteenth Annual Auction Results by Gerry Whitaker The August 7 meeting was our 15th annual photographica auction to raise money for scholarships for higher education in photography. Three hundred sixty-three lots were offered with one hundred twentysix lots sold. We had our usual tremendous response to our call for volunteers to help with the auction. Many thanks to: Jerry Day, Jo Ann Garrett, Paul Garrett, Wilson Graham, Mike Henry, Ron Kuykendall, Tom Norris, Jerry O’Neill, Rudi Punzmann, Ria Ryne, Al Schillinger, Rick Soloway, and Liz Whitaker. All of the volunteers served in more than one capacity so it was no surprise that we finished on time. The evening saw some tremendous bargains as buyers snapped up pieces to fill in a gap in Board Members Standing Committees Rick Soloway, Pres., Treas. Jerry Day, Student Support Ron Kuykendall, V.P. Paul Garrett, Shows Ria Ryne, Sec., Publicity Norwood Hazard, Tel. Tree Mike Henry, P. Digest Brian Rose, Digest Editor Tom Norris, Meetings Joyce Rose, Archivist Frank Boyle, At Large Gerry Whitaker, Consignments Phil Hardy, At Large Liz Whitaker, Program Chair Wilson Graham, At Large Tim Shih, At Large <[email protected]> -2- The Ainger Hall Photometer Photos by Robert Suomala © 2008 R. A. Suomala In the process of researching the previous articles dealing with the SEI Photometer, I came across references to an earlier “Spot” meter known as the Ainger Hall Photometer. British Patent 508122 was issued for this invention on June 27, 1939 having been first applied for on March 25, 1938. The inventors are listed as John Ainger Hall, Francis Harold Schofield, and William George Haughton Turl1. The patent document describes the invention as “A photographic exposure meter comprising in combination an optical system consisting of an objective lens for forming an image of the field to be photographed and an eyepiece for viewing same; means whereby a small part of the image plane viewable through the eyepiece is illuminated by an independent light source, means for adjusting to equality the brightness of the image of a selected object in the field and said illuminated part, and means for indicating said brightness.” The years 1938 and 1939 (remember WWII?) were probably the worst time to try and market a photographic exposure photometer that was not particularly suited for use by military photographers. This instrument was originally manufactured by the Bowen Instrument Company in England. One source -3- (Ref. 1) indicates that some of these instruments were still being hand made on special order in the 1950’s by one of the inventors, W. G. H. Turl. The Ainger Hall exposure photometer (Schematic shown in Figure 1) has an equivalent acceptance angle of half a degree and its range is just over 1,000,000 to 1. The spot intensity is effected by withdrawing the lamp, the lower part of the body pulling out and turning at the same time under the control of a spiral guide slot (Indicated by arrow in Fig 2). No spot color control or selfcalibrating feature is included, but a single adjustable wedge is incorporated for resetting the calibration against a candle flame2 in a darkened room. During the October 1945 meeting of the Scientific and Technical Group of the Royal Photographic Society, J. F. Dunn and G. S. Plant presented a paper (Ref. 2) describing an improved exposure meter based on the same commonly known principle used in the Ainger Hall instrument. This new instrument was the SEI Exposure Photometer. Whereas the Ainger Hall instrument relied on calibration with a candle flame in a darkened room and depended on stable battery voltage between calibrations, the SEI provided a photocell and rheostat that allowed for calibration at any time. During the discussion that followed, Mr. Ainger Hall described the possible problems that the SEI might encounter by the introduction of a rheostat, photocell and ammeter. Some of Ainger Hall’s other remarks were recorded as follows: “He thought when he designed his instrument that the twenty-five percent accuracy, which meant about seven percent voltage on the lamp would be a great trouble, but to his surprise using an ordinary unit cell, he found he had not yet used a cell so long that needed any change. He usually took the cell out of the instrument for safety’s Snapshots political figures, artists, and writers. Modotti also served as a model for Weston; some of this exhibition’s most entrancing photographs are of Weston’s partner and muse. A small selection of Modotti’s own Mexico photographs will be featured in the exhibition as well. This exhibition, drawn from the collection of the Center for Creative Photography also includes archival materials – letters, journals, and personal snapshots - that deeply enriches the story. “…the ultimate end, the print, is but a duplication of all that I saw and felt through my camera.” —Edward Weston “a consummate technician with a marvelous eye for formal beauty” —The New York Times “Weston brought a conscious Modernism to the genre of photography and helped elevate it in the public mind from the status of snapshot to that of art.” —The Arizona Republic Phoenix Art Museum Norton Photography Gallery August 9, 2008 – November 15, 2008 Full of striking compositions, dramatic still lifes, and exquisitely beautiful landscapes, Phoenix Art Museum presents an artistic exploration of Mexico seen through the lens of one of the twentieth century’s most influential photographers, Edward Weston. Edward Weston: Mexico examines a variety of Weston’s early and rare photographs revealing his devotion to the ideals of art, his progression toward the modernist style and his passion for love and life. This stunning collection of 60 photographs displays the local culture and scenery of Mexico in the 1920s – a rich period for the arts known as the Mexican Renaissance. Weston used a large camera to create technically accomplished black-and-white photos rich in detail and markedly abstract. Mexico allowed him to experiment with new subject matter, such as still lifes and landscapes, making this period one of the most pivotal of his career. A Career Transformed in Mexico Born in 1886, Edward Weston began his career practicing a popular photographic style called Pictorialism, creating portraits and nudes. The pieces with minimum contrast and soft-focus had a dream like quality. In 1923, an uninspiring and stagnate commercial portrait business prompted Weston to relocate to Mexico with Modotti. While there, he created innovative work exploring a modernist aesthetic characterized by sharp focused portraits, abstractions, and richly textured still lifes. Weston’s work was met with praise and recognition in the midst of the vibrant Mexican artistic culture. Inspired by a Love Affair Weston spent roughly three-years in Mexico with his lover, Italian-born actress Tina Modotti. The powerful photographs in this collection visually tell the tale of his passion for both Modotti and his new environment. Modotti played a crucial role in Weston’s Mexican experience. She had visited the country before their move and together Modotti and Weston set up a commercial portrait studio as an income source. They explored the cultural climate of their new country, making friends with leading sake when it was in store and he had always lost the battery before it changed from the first calibration”. My experience with the SEI photometer verifies Ainger Hall’s comments regarding battery life. References: 1. J. F. Dunn, Exposure meters and Practical Exposure Control, The Fountain press, London, 1952. 2. The Photographic Journal, Vol. 85B, 1945, pages 114-119. Notes: 1. John Ainger Hall, 10 Kitson Road, Barnes, Surrey. Franicis Harold Schofield, of 8 Seymour Road, Hampton Hill, Middlesex. William George Haughton Turl, 15 Cambridge Road, Hampton, Middlesex. 2. I tried this with an SEI photometer using a cheap store bought candle and it works, but the flickering of the flame makes it a chore. Initially the standard of luminance was that of a special spermaceti candle weighing six to the pound and burning at the rate of 120 grains per hour or 2 grains per minute (The sperm whale was named after the milky-white waxy substance, spermaceti, found in its head and originally mistaken for sperm. This substance was used in making candles of a standard photometric value). As the requirement for a more precise standard became necessary, the term “candela” was adopted -4- to differentiate it from the term “standard candle.” Initially, the candela was defined as the luminous emission of a Planckian radiator, a type of blackbody, at the temperature of freezing platinum (2045 K). This correlated roughly to the light emitted by a typical candle, making it a more precise measure. In the late 1970s, it was determined that the experimental difficulties in creating a Planckian radiator at such high temperatures made the existing definition of candela less than desirable. Breakthroughs in radiometry allowed scientists to have a more specific definition, and so the current hertz/watts definition of candela was adopted. It is technically defined as the intensity in a given direction of a source that emits monochromatic radiation of a frequency of 540 x 1012 hertz and which has a radiant intensity in the same direction of 1/683 watts per steradian. Personally I rather like the idea of using a real candle since this seems to produce results accurate enough for practical photographic purposes. exposure. Street price approx. $1600, available in October. Graflex Flash Ever wonder what happened to all those Graflex flash guns once the electronic flash units became affordable? Check out this website: <http://members. aol.com/yodashous2/building.htm>. Star Wars fans are probably paying more for the handles than photographic collectors. It seems the original “Light Saber” was made from a Graflex flash handle which has made them much sought after by fans seeking authentic Star Wars props. Just when we thought they were totally useless. Need More Memory? Arizona Highways “The Photo Issue” Don’t miss the September, 2008, issue of Arizona Highways. It is “The Photo Issue” and there are some incredible photographs included. One interesting article is “Digital Versus Film” by Lawrence Cheek with some spectacular photos by George Stocking and Lawrence Cheek. There are also wonderful black and white photos, but poor printing (failure to match color and shading on photos requiring more than one page) detract from them. An article by Jeff Kida provides tips for shooting fall color. All in all, it’s nice that the magazine recognized the art of photography that has made it an enduring feature in Arizona. Q & A by Jerry Day What c1948 35mm camera that was So spring-motor driven and priced at $700 was discontinued in 1950? From the Internet Canon EOS 50D Pre-Photokina 2008: No surprises to hear that Canon has launched the much anticipated EOS 50D, an upgraded version of EOS 40D. On the surface it looks almost similar to its predecessor. However, there are quite a few significant improvements: fifteen megapixel CMOS sensor, faster DIGIC 4 processor, 3.0" VGA LCD monitor with Live View mode offering 3 AF modes, ISO sensitivity expandable to 12800 and an HDMI connection for high Quality Image viewing. It also includes a new Quick Control screen which shows the most commonly used settings and Creative Auto mode for automatic focus and Answer: The 35mm Foton camera by Bell and Howell was priced at $700 and then reduced to $500, but it still was a marketing failure. The spring driven motor could take six frames per second. This unusual camera and accessories are probably worth more today then the opening price in 1948. What comapny made the c1939 4x6.5cm rollfillm camera named Futurit? The company name means ‘cable factory.’ And Now -5- Photo courtesy <http://wphsociety.org/b_bellhowell_foton.htm> SanDisk has introduced the Extreme III 30MB/s Edition line of SD High Capacity (SDHC) memory cards. Featuring a 50% speed boost from previous 20MB/s cards, the new card makes it possible to record 39 6MB images while shooting at 4.5 fps complementing the new range of DSLRs. In addition, they are also capable of operating in temperatures ranging from -13 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit or -25 to 85 degrees Celsius. PHOTOGRAPHICA DIGEST PO Box 14616 - Tucson, Arizona 85732-4616 - 520-529-5072 28 R E MB 008 E T SEP ALL 2 HOW F S RA E CAM WPHSOCIETY.ORG UPCOMING SHOWS AND EVENTS SEP 4 13 21 27-28 28 PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID TUCSON AZ PERMIT NO 5 MONTHLY MEETING Visitors Always Welcome (Always the 1st Thursday Monthly) Thursday, September 4, 2008 WPHS MONTHLY MEETING Photo Fair, San Jose, CA Camera Expo, Carson, CA Boston, MA 47th WPHS FALL 2008 SHOW Pima County Medical Society Building 5199 E Farness Drive (From Grant Road South on Rosemont then East on Farness Dr.) OCT 2 WPHS MONTHLY MEETING 4 WPHS 4TH Quarter Board Mtg 19 Camera Expo, Carson, CA 6:00 Consignments presented, buy, sell, trade tables! Social time – refreshments. NOV 6 WPHS MONTHLY MEETING 23 Camera Expo, Carson, CA 7:15 ANNOUNCEMENTS – SHOW & TELL Bring your Leica or Leica Look-a-Leica DEC 4 WPHS ANNUAL MEETING AND CHRISTMAS PARTY 7:30 Jozef Pacholczyk — Photography in Ethnomusicology -6-