INFLUENTIAL PHOTOGRAPHERS

Photographers whose work I tried to understand from my get go: there's actually very few of them... (fair usage of samples below)

MARIE COSINDAS, below, portrait of author Tom Wolfe, for painterly perfection, commercial photography as fine art photography

 

 









Above, DAVID GAHR, (LINK for expanded ruminations)

Above, IRVING PENN covers of 2 of his photography books, fine art sensibility, unerring technical perfection for reproduction

 

Two images above, HIRO (only fair usage ones located on web) for unusual lighting choices and compositions, always

 

Above right and left, RICHARD AVEDON, directional light, easy finesse

 Below, DAVID BAILEY for prolific life work, high key contrast, and British chutzpah.

Above, KURT INGHAM, self-portrait with 4x5 view camera, 1970; below, nature study 43 years later.  Boundless creativity and expert experimentation

Addenda: lest readers deem yours truly mired in the miasma of retro fashion photographers (see juvenilia work LINK,) the most recent influence that changed in my visual style choices came via the movie The Social Network. It just plain looked different, with all possible light visible in low light situations, background, foreground, whatever, and I thought to self, I must have that look for my own work, all the light. The film was the first widely seen mainstream movie shot with RED One digital cinema cameras with low light capabilities of ISO 4,000 from a native base of ISO 800 (previously a high limit for cinema cameras!) From then on I saved for the Nikon D3S, the still photographers' equivalent with its ISO 100,000 (wherein 6400 - 12000 hitherto was considered the equivalent of Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier in The Right Stuff.) It's essentially the cost of a very reliable used car, but I now have all the light. And oh yeah, did I mention how much a cinematic look has informed my work since I first snapped a camera's shutter? 

RARE FOOTAGE unearthed of CHRISTOPHER MILK

This is my beloved, in whom I am well pleased (profane description of my better half Mr. Twister) in his first band Christopher Milk, 1970, about the time I met him, my photo above of the band performing at UCLA. They were signed to two major labels, performed theatrical rock against the grain of the times, and were reputed to have influenced Cheap Trick and The Tubes, for those outside the know.

 

Something personal and hitherto thought non-existent emerged a few minutes ago: the only extant film footage of Christopher Milk, with Mr. Twister himself bursting out of a false-front amplifier at 0:51 and nastily intimidating the audience through 1:09. Hey, you take what you can get! Unearthed by John Mendelsohn, shot by Janis Hendler, circa 1970, originally silent.

As I wasn't there, until otherwise corrected it's believed to have been the Long Beach Arena, rather a large venue. At this juncture their set featured myriad highlights/set pieces with different singers--in the above video, Mr. Twister, John Mendelsohn and Surly Ralph-- like an oldskool R&B Revue. 

If you're drawing a blank regarding this influential American cult band of the late 1960s/early 1970s go to LINK for the best shortcut to my Paraphilia Magazine photofeature on Twister's groups Chainsaw and Christopher Milk, with the most online copy showcasing the latter outside of its website.  

NOTE: link directly back to http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com if all elements such as photo layouts or videos aren't here.

We TURN TO CRIME in LOS ANGELES!

TURN TO CRIME, newest sonic assault from acclaimed Michigan guitarist Derek Stanton (pictured above left on classic Epiphone Wilshire guitar) and Ian Saylor (above right on bass and additional guitars, reverse order below) played the Pehrspace gallery, downtown L.A. Apr. 4th on their tour across the U.S. with Protomartyr and others. They were a blast of fresh air with a sui generis sonic signature, in front of film montages they provided to accompany their set. 

Like fellow noisesmiths NIN, TTC sounds always are rooted in rock music structure, so no matter how music concrete they fashion the overall racket, these recognizably are songs, lead vocals by Derek.

It makes perfect sense that Derek's sonic preferences with their echoplexes, delays and weird beats mixed and derived from an oldskool videotape recording backing the duo onstage would have evolved from his former band Awesome Color. Even in that Detroit-style/noise-power trio he experimented live, seen below utilizing a tiny practice amp as slide for his guitar. It indeed sounded as fun as it looks.

I

Smelly Tongues, 
with two guitarists trading off lead vocals amidst interesting lighting were one of the opening acts.

Bauhinia 2013

The Bauhinia Orchid Tree in our front yard produced its normal abundance of blossoms despite this year's arid winter. Blooming lasts for at least three months. Happy visitor amidst foliage seen below...

READY TO DIE by IGGY and THE STOOGES

I haven't played and replayed a release like I have Ready To Die by Iggy and The Stooges and still obtained enjoyment anew since... well, the Age of The Titans a la Sticky Fingers or Exile on Main Street by The Rolling Stones.

Fond as I am of the title tune with its lyrics' innate simplicity contrasting over the noisily complex, hardest rockin'  Stoogesound, the final two songs, multi-guitar-textured slow ones "Beat That Guy," and "The Departed," the latter a military melancholia evolved from "Ron's Tune" first heard at Ann Arbor's Tribute to Ron Asheton in 2011 (photo of its debut below with an emotional Iggy Pop  and guitarist James Williamson on Weissenborn steel guitar) are the ones looping in my head for infinite hours. There are musical parts that sound like acoustic guitar layered upon steel guitar interspersed with electric. Sublime. 

To quote In the Hands of the Fans filmmaker Edwin Samuelson, "I think James Williamson went to the same crossroads as Robert Johnson. There's just no other way to explain it. I don't know how someone could be away from the guitar and music biz for 30 years and just pick up where he left off. Amazing."

Actually, Ready To Die by Iggy and The Stooges remains a home run for all its players, Iggy Pop, Scott Asheton, James Williamson, Mike Watt, Steve Mackay, Scott Thurston, Petra Haden on violin plus background vocals, Toby Dammit on percussion and all three members of Toronto band Three Metre Day on lap steel, pump organ and violin. 

Forty years after Pop, Asheton, (the late) Asheton and Williamson roared into music history with "Raw Power," 3/4 of the same crew has followed it up spectacularly with modern but signature sound production by Williamson. Fresh, fun, crazed, inspirational, loud or contemplative, they've all defied every categorization imaginable with this work, even that of being my own superannuated age...

Also, check out Ken Shimamoto's excellent ruminations on Ready To Die here: LINK and LINK.

                          Back cover of Ready To Die with band photograph by David Raccuglia

Preview listen: LINK 

BRITISH CAR SHOW, Van Nuys, Calif., 2013

Top photo: Sunbeam Imp; below left, beloved of Sarah Palin-- a Bristol; right, my brother ogles a SoCal surfer-styled woodie sidecar coupled with a Triumph motorbike: room atop only for a boogie board in this instance.

April 14, 2013 proved an appropriately  overcast day to best showcase assorted Britmobiles in this year's Queen's English All British Car Show and Automobile Jumble (organization- LINK) at leafy Woodley Park, Van Nuys Calif, event free to the public. My better half Mr. Twister, my brother Randall and I were there with cameras amongst the throngs thrilling to assorted U.K. rides, racing cars and motorbikes amidst piped in British Invasion rock.  

Below, two Lotuses, (Loti?) the right one similar to that of The Prisoner's KAR 1. (Patrick McGoohan is still missed...)

Above left, beloved of Richard Thompson balladry although his song highlighted the Lightning, a Vincent Black Shadow motorbike; right, me bro and I and I, photo by Kurt Ingham.

Above left, reflective Lotus closeup; right, an iridescent Mini Cooper sure to bring smiles.

Below, my better half Mr. Twister, right, with our automobile insurance agent, an MG enthusiast. 

Left, Triumph Sprite; above- royal British Pembroke Corgi kisses, photo by Kurt Ingham

ROY WOOD, 1974, bagpipes

Roy Wood playing bagpipes in

Wizzard live, Santa Monica

Civic Auditorium, 1974.

WISTERIA 2013 2.0 and signs of spring

 Digital futzing with the few wisteria blooms of an arid winter...

Below, my horse Indy attempting to converse; a three day old Quarter horse foal and mum seen through a fence,

 

  
and a Paul Klee-ish pattern emergent from cable tv disruption.

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SELF ON THE MEND

 I don't display my face on Facebook

for reasons of personal irony, but herein 
and above would be yours truly as of a couple
of days ago in our back yard with my arm and
leg on the mend (see prior condition LINK.)
Guest photographer, my better half: portrait 
of "his bitches" above; below, an avian

 guest and apres session panorama.

RON YOUNG with The Blue-Eyed Devils and Little Caesar

The Blue-Eyed Devils are an informal supergroup of top tier musicians associated with Unison Music Group (label and studio) which itself associates with Johnny Depp, Cher, Joe Perry, Adam Ant, Motorhead, L.A. Guns, the late Whitney Houston and tons more notables. They brought their mutual adoration of oldskool funk, soul, R&B and Motown with  unbelievably tight dexterity at same to The Joint last month with a fortified set of sterling covers (see below. Also see LINK.) First two photographs above, singer extraordinaire Ron Young gives his all, soul-wise, then everyone chimes in.  Hot stuff live!

Bruce Witkin grooves
The Joint

Joey
Malone
brings
the funk



 

 


It takes a whole lotta beat to really power this genre's groove. Keyboard player Kevin Laurence alongside congas Devil Bruce Carver and the rest of the band joined drummer Rob Kloner for percussion in the set's crescendo of funk, R&B and soul. While band members remain bereft of cloven hooves, at some gigs there purportedly are horns for these Devils...

 
(Below left, 
obvious devilishness 
afoot with Rob Kloner)

The Blue-Eyed Devils' set list (best I reckon):  Play That Funky Music-Wild Cherry / 25 Miles-Edwin Starr/ Who's Makin' Love-Johnny Taylor/ I'll Be Doggone- Marvin Gaye / Change What You Can-Marvin Gaye / Groove Me- King Floyd / It's Your Thing- Isley Brothers / Clean Up Woman- Betty Wright / Ain't No Woman Like The One I Got- The Four Tops/Yes We Can- The Staples Singers / Sing A Little Song- Sly and the Family Stone / Fire- The Ohio Players / Can't Get Next To You- The Temptations / Cloud Nine- The Temptations / Rocksteady- Aretha Franklin 
In the immortal words of Sly Stone, dance to the music! which The Joint certainly did.  Testify!

Above, Ron Young switching gears to Little Caesar with concomitant instant audience rapport at the Whisky A Gogo. Little Caesar powered through this high-octane warmup gig for its forthcoming summer tour of Europe which includes a prestigious Sunday gig lined up for the Donnington Download Festival 6.16.13.  England and the Continent definitely have embraced LC's robust hardest rock, raucous tattooed Americana the second time around.* Altogether great band every single gig.

Above, Ron outlines decline inside the "American Dream"

Below, Loren Molinare, before and after the storm hit. Like Ron, Loren also shares dual membership in another topflight band, in this case the legendary Detroit-L.A. punk pioneers THE DOGS (see LINK for 40-year history and LINK for info and current releases.)

 

Joey Brasler in action, with emotion

 Above, Tom Morris also in action launches drum attack in his original Gram Parsons & The Fallen Angels t-shirt!

 
Below, blue collar cool with bassist

Fidel
Paniagua

PHOTO OPS:

  Backstage camaraderie at both gigs--

top, Loren Molinare, Evita Corby and Ron Young at

The Blue-Eyed Devils gig 3.14.13, The Joint, Beverly Hills;  below--Jeff Justin, Julie Sher Molinare, Loren Molinare, Trace Paniagua and Renee Young congregate after Little Caesar gig at the Whisky 3.21.13.
 * For copious Little Caesar history click LINK, and their own website LINK for tour info and newest releases.