Light Happens: 2023

Friday, July 21, 2023

Artistic Courage

Innovation vs. Imitation

What do the following legendary artists have in common?

Impressionist painter Claude Monet

Actor Cary Grant

Film director Alfred Hitchcock

And singer Tony Bennett, who passed away today at the age of 96

Granted, they are all well-known. Most people have heard recordings of Tony Bennett, seen films starring Cary Grant or directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and almost everyone has seen Monet’s paintings.

a photo or two steam pipes on madison avenue new york

Dual Steam Pipes - New York (2023)

But these artists share another quality, a quality that I would argue is the secret to their success.

They did not imitate others.

Monet didn’t try to paint like Rembrandt.

Tony Bennett didn’t try to sing like Enrico Caruso.

Hitchcock didn’t try to make films like Cecil B. DeMille.

And Cary Grant, well, he was in a class by himself.

We can learn from emulating others, but in order to reach our potential, we need to develop our own style. Have the courage to pursue your own vision. The world needs innovation, not imitation.

Camera: Fujifilm GFX 100S

Lens: Fujifilm GF 20-35mm f/4

Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.

Sunday, June 25, 2023

Many cinemas have closed in the city. Movies used play for months in Manhattan. There were enough theaters to accommodate them and plenty of people willing to pay money each week to see feature films on a big screen.

Streaming services and high-definition televisions brought the theater experience into people's homes. There was no need to pay twenty dollars a ticket for a cinematic experience.

And then the pandemic hit. Cinemas that struggled to stay afloat before Covid now faced even more daunting headwinds.

a photo of the closed beekman theater in new york city at night

Maybe the cinemas will stage a comeback. Maybe, like vinyl records, they'll pull a Houdini and enjoy an enthusiastic resurgence of interest and support.

Home theater systems are amazing, but there's nothing like watching a good film on a big screen, listening to a soundtrack on an array of large speakers, or laughing at jokes with a roomful of delighted movie buffs.

Camera: Sony a7R III

Lens: Sony FE 85mm f/1.8

Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.

Friday, July 21, 2023

Artistic Courage

Sunday, June 25, 2023

Beekman Theater