Photography

“What can possibly be different today?”, I ask myself. Then I look outside the studio window and slightly down. Incredibly, the roof is now a garden/ forest where there was debris and a lonely branch just three months ago (small photographs). It is clear what lies ahead. Even for this building- constructed like a fortress as a tire factory ninety two years ago, it is back to the earth eventually.

“The virtue of the camera is not the power it has to transform the photographer into an artist, but the impulse it gives him to keep on looking.” - Brooks Atkinson

BT

“When people look at my pictures I want them to feel the way they do when they want to read a line of a poem twice.” - Robert Frank

I had the impulse to bring my camera along to lunch today. After all, we were going to eat ‘al fresco’ at the Boardwalk Cafe with it’s uninhibited view of Lake Erie. Actually, its more like you’re eating in the lake or on the lake rather than at the lake. The cafe’s outdoor tables are right on what was the dock for the former automobile and paper warehouse, Quay 55, which was built in 1929 and abandoned in 1974.
So- about the impulse to bring along the G10- I had it in my hand and then I succumbed to the resistance and put the camera down before leaving for lunch. Given that fact, I was not at all surprised that while finishing up eating the bountiful and fresh garden salad, I was absolutely struck by the impression of Lake Erie framed by the umbrella and the railing, along with the graceful hanging planters.
As I pulled out the Blackberry Storm II to see if it’s fixed focal length lens could ‘capture’ the scene as seen, one of my lunch companions pulled out his new HTC Droid Incredible. I immediately snatched it from him to make some comparison files.
Above are the post production results, after some basic PS color balance and exposure adjustments. Both ‘cameras’ product decently large files, however the Incredible’s is larger. Both produce acceptable file quality, although the Storm II falls a little below acceptable and the Incredible is amazingly above acceptable in quality.
Overall, this quite unscientific test definitely inspires camera envy in the phone category!

BT

“…the pepper is beginning to show signs of strain, and tonight should grace a salad. It has been suggested that I am a cannibal to eat my models. (referring to his famous photo “Pepper #30″)” - Edward Weston

Recently photographed (and eaten) at Chef Jonathan Sawyer’s Greenhouse Tavern… Congratulations Chef for being named one of America’s Best New Chefs for 2010 by Food & Wine Magazine!

BT

What better way to sum up 2008 than to celebrate a great project.

The calendar entitled ‘Caring Spaces’ was made for The Cleveland Clinic. Photography began in July and wrapped up in October. Graphic designer and art director Irwin Krieger requested that I create images based on the Clinic’s art and architecture throughout the system.

This fun and challenging assignment kept us on the move for several weeks. As we would scout each location- Euclid, Hillcrest, Huron, South Pointe, Marymount, Fairview, Lakewood, Lutheran, Children’s, and the main campus, the themes developed- many of them very surprising, such as the award winning sustainability program at Huron Hospital.

I would have never imagined that this neighborhood institution would be a leader, under the direction of Gus Kious, in practices that

promote the reuse of what is normally considered to be waste and of neighborhood responsibility, including a community garden and CSA (community supported agriculture).

The facade of the new Miller Pavilion provides huge opportunities to view the July Cleveland sunset in reflection. The curved curtain wall presents a symphony of color each evening this time of year.

The reflecting pool and fountain in the adjacent grand entry to The Clinic tells a similar story- light of color, shimmering. These rich impressions are quite a contrast to the starkness of the Miller interiors. Pallets of white and grey are used exclusively inside giving few way-finding clues. The exterior park-like public space leading from Chester Avenue to the Euclid Avenue entrance, however, creates a sense of place, scale, color, and texture.

Hillcrest Hospital’s newest addition has barely been started. We found, though, that there was a lot to offer here in Mayfield Heights, especially towards dusk, on this chilly autumn afternoon. This hospital, in the news recently as the place where a middle aged surrogate mom gave birth to multiples for her daughter and son-in-law, is constantly changing- renovations and additions going in faster than can be followed!

Finally, Euclid Hospital was an awesome destination- the views of Lake Erie, including the park bench on the title page (see above) are both comforting and energizing. The hospital, well know for it’s rehab services, is a north-shore institution with a rich history of community service.

All of the other hospitals we visited and photographed- Children’s, Lutheran, Fairview, South Pointe, Marymount, and Lakewood provided more wonderful impressions to feast upon. Let me know if you want one of the calendars and I’ll make sure you get it!

We are, of course, grateful to all of our clients and for all of the opportunities in 2008. We’re looking forward to a healthy and prosperous 2009 for everyone!

BT