California (Bay Area, Northern) New Topographic Beer and Gear

the book is good, got a lot of words to it, and I think there are some pictures as well...
though i'd never heard of Lewis Baltz, his photographs stand out, for me, in this exhibition.
I'm not attending this weekend, wish I could.
 
Thanks to all that attended. Nice to see a mix of the old guard and the new. I particularly appreciated Donald supplying a new 21mm Summilux for all those that attended. It's a shame that Mike, Kevin and Kent were not able to attend 😀

I did, however, enjoy the 30 min. hotel stay on O'Farrell St. that Mike comped for everyone. And to think I was expecting only a massage 😱

Hopefully the Blow-Up! Group survived bowling for dollars and everyone made it home safe and sound.
 
New Topographics is a good show. Nice to be able to browse through it and chat with other photogs about the pics. Yeah, Donald's 21 'lux and the Frankenfinder were the show stealers. I ended up shooting d'town for a couple of hours after John and I had a good laugh at the prices for cameras at the shop on Kearny ($995 for a CLE body. HA!)

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RayPA said:
New Topographics is a good show. Nice to be able to browse through it and chat with other photogs about the pics. Yeah, Donald's 21 'lux and the Frankenfinder were the show stealers. I ended up shooting d'town for a couple of hours after John and I had a good laugh at the prices for cameras at the shop on Kearny ($995 for a CLE body. HA!)

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Is that the store that is across Maiden Lane from the old Brooks location? p.
 
Great to meet everyone there and talk gear and photographs.

I was getting a little nervous as the Summilux was passed around and dangled over the second floor balcony 😱

There were a couple of excellent sets in the show, but mostly I was thinking how the art world embraces collections of essentially bland straight images -
that would be ignored on any photo forum or put down as a well executed record shots ( there is hope for us all ).

Donald.
 
FrozenInTime said:
There were a couple of excellent sets in the show, but mostly I was thinking how the art world embraces collections of essentially bland straight images -
that would be ignored on any photo forum or put down as a well executed record shots ( there is hope for us all )
Click to expand...

Not true at all. I would argue that the photo forum / flickr world embraces cliches too much.

The images in this show, while straight forward, are well done in so many ways. I truly believe it takes a mature eye to realize the beauty of these types of images. Additionally, you have to realize the context of the images and the concept of the project... and that it was made in reaction to the Ansel Adams style of photography (aesthetics wise and concept wise). Photography is not always only about how an image looks.
 
Donald- That Frankenfinder is the photo equivalent of a "babe magnet" (well, for rangefinder gear heads at least). You might try bringing into a bar next time you're out, you never know!!!

Sounds like everyone had a good time! I think I'm going to hit the show myself next weekend if I'm around.
 
It was a good show and the gelatin silver prints were amazing to see. It's funny as there were a few ink-jet prints right dab in the middle of the exhibit and the quality, or lack thereof, was blatant and I thought it was a shame that they were there.

I was also thinking that these images would have a lack of interest in today's world of flickr if they were photographed today. It's just too instantaneous today and it seems everything is being photographed. We are being overwhelmed by images that they would be overlooked. But the images from the exhibit are a way to look back in time & place and that's is what interests me. Additionally a record of what it used to be is so important in today's changing society of tear down & rebuild - sometimes for the worse.

Donald - thanks for sharing that Frankenfinder...never even knew that thing existed and looking thru it was an experience. I want your Summilux and was thinking of doing a quick getaway and run away with it 🙂.
 
I thought those big yellow inkjet prints were part of the 'Picturing Modernity' exhibit (?). Anyway, they just seemed so dead on the wall, especially after the endless procession of luminous silver prints.

I was impressed by Walker Evans' (my fav) influence on the photographers included in the New Topographics exhibit. It seemed most had worked with him, mentored with him, or were inspired by him.

I think someone else mentioned Baltz in this thread. His photos looked great and contemporary. Adams and Wessel's photos looked good too. I thought it curious that Shore chose to enlarge his 8x10 format submissions this time around when originally he had contact printed them.

I remember seeing images from this exhibit back in the late seventies/early eighties, and back then it seemed pretty revolutionary. It obviously has lost a little bit of that zing. I think that it helps to try to get one's head into that time/era of photography when seeing this show.


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p.s. BTW, Paul, that's a classic Flickr thread. I've had that bookmarked. I love showing it to people.
 
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