Fort McHenry

To beat the almost-summer humidity and heat, an outing closer to the open ocean shore seemed indicated. The breeze from the ocean cools down mind and body, and makes my dog happy. I also decided to take a 1960’s Nikkor-P 180mm 2.8 lens with me and go to Fort McHenry. After all, a classic like that should not spend much time in a closet surrounded with older lenses! A lens is made to let light through it, just as a ship is made to ride the ocean waves, not sit in a port.

Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, is the perfect place for waking dogs, enjoying the ocean breeze, watching sailboats catch the wind, and to let light pass through old lenses.

But Fort McHenry is also a very special place for learning history and even culture, because of its role in the War of 1812. Indeed, this fort defended the Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy September 13-14, 1814. While this military history marked a crucial moment during that war, the legacy of Fort McHenry is also cultural as it was during the British bombardment of the fort that Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner” the poem that became the national anthem of the United States.

During World War I, more that hundred buildings were built on the land surrounding the fort and the entire facility was converted into an enormous U.S. Army hospital for the treatment of troops returning from the European conflict.  Today, it is a peaceful park where the ocean breeze makes the balmy summers almost pleasant.

The military ships, all steel and enormously large define the skyline of the East Harbor seen from the fort’s grounds. I did not wait long for a smaller boat to pass by the big ships for a picture showing the true size of the ships. I would have liked a few clouds as background, but was happy with the cool breeze. So was my dog!

I wanted a human perspective of the moment, and a couple practicing the art of dolce far niente gave the needed softness to the harsh steel of the ships.

My old lens was focusing smoothly, as it did 50 years ago. So, wanted to capture the wind and a sailboat over small waves was the answer. The bridge as a background and a transatlantic ship lazily enjoying the Sunday at large gave me the feel of the openness one experiences when at Fort McHenry.

But to a street photographer, a picture taking session without people around just does not make for a good outing. At the bend, I saw a woman and her easel. She was facing the open ocean and the ships. A perfect line of sight for a maritime painting, I thought.

As I walked toward her, she moved just enough for me to see the canvas. I was still about 100 yards away and could not see what she was painting. But my telephoto lens could. So, as I put the camera to my face to take a picture, I saw what she was painting:
A portrait of a gypsy woman!!

I walked past her, went to sit under the shade of a tree to let my dog cool down, and could not wonder thinking about the painter. Why would one sit by the ocean, look at the ships and the bridge, but paint the portrait of a gypsy woman? Perhaps she was there for the breeze only, and the ocean meant nothing to her. Perhaps she just wanted to catch a few rays while painting.

And then, I understood: she was like me—no matter where we are, no matter what surrounds us, we end up capturing the portrait of a person on canvas or on film!
And this street photographer took a picture of a street painter as we both faced the open ocean, large ships, sailboats, and the history of the 1814 British navy attack on Baltimore....

I knew I could trust my 50 year old lens.

June 9, 2014


© Vahé Kazandjian, 2014

Women in B&W

I have taken more pictures of women than of men in the streets of almost fifty cities around the world. Somehow women seem to tell more about a city or culture then men. Or perhaps I just find women more photogenic.

I thought a collage of my favorite pictures would be a nice challenge. But how many? The number 7 has some magic to it and I went through my catalogues to find seven pictures that would represent a lifestyle, an attitude, or just the environment. Some of these street shots are already on my blog, but organizing them together seemed a fun little project.

Let’s start with Paris.

This rainy day shot with a 1969 Nikon F and 50mm Nikkor 1.4 has a warm spot in my heart. I know Paris very well and the kiosks on the Champs Elyseés remain typically a Parisian character. Over the past 40 years I have seen Paris become somehow less distinct from other cities—fast food chains, foreign car dealerships, non-French food restaurants and multinational clothing outfits somehow have changed Paris.

This picture shows none of these. To me, this is the Paris I once knew.

The sad eyes at the Mosque in Paris tell me a story I do not know. But it did not need to be a mosque nor in Paris—the feeling is deeply human, and this picture touches me.

…. Barcelona is a colorful city that I have visited numerous times. It is a very modern city, mostly vibrant at night.  Barcelona is Gaudi, tapas, salsa dance, wine, late night dinner, and endless recipes of bacalao, which is the generic name of dishes made with dried and salted cod fish. Of course dried cod is a commonly found in many cuisines of the region, under slightly different names. For example, it is called bacalhau in Portugal, bakaiļao in Basque country, bacallà in the Catalan region, baccalà in Italy, and bakaliáros in Greece.

Perhaps for all these reasons, I like the picture of the two costumed women most as a representation of Barcelona. It is unmistakably European, has an attitude, shows the balconies I love, and is pretentious!

… In contrast, my visits to Vienna over a period of more than a decade have always given me a feeling of people in orderly behavior, Germanic obsession with timeliness, predictable food, and great wines. In fact, over the past couple of years Vienna was voted as the most desirable city in the world to live in. Its architecture is reflected in its people; and the people’s attitude has shaped its architecture.

The cobble stone streets of Old Vienna and the evening sun give the perfect texture to this picture. Somehow it gives me that sense of order and discipline…

… Maryland and its major city Baltimore offer philosophies and attitudes where Northern and Southern characteristics mix with much harmony. Blues and classical music co-exist, Northern and Southern “Yankee” food have welcomed Middle Eastern, Chinese and Indian food without heartburn, and fishermen of the Chesapeake Bay remain proud of world leader universities.

I have already posted a number of pictures from the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, Fells Point and Canton. Today, I will add a picture I took atop a famous hill overlooking the Harbor, called Federal Hill. There is a popular park on that hill, and a lovely story behind it:

The English Colonial Settler Captain John Smith (1580-1631) was among the first settlers of Jamestown, Virginia (the first English Settlement in North America) in 1606.  In June of 1608 he sailed from Jamestown up the Chesapeake Bay for a 19-day journey that ended with a voyage up the Patapsco River and he is credited reporting “a great red bank of clay flanking a natural harbor basin.”  It became known as “John Smith’s Hill”.

In May of 1788, 4,000 Baltimoreans after marching through the City’s streets to celebrate the State of Maryland’s ratification of the United States Constitution, put a sailing ship model on wheels and placed it on top of  John Smith’s Hill. The name of the ship was the “Federalist”, and since the hill is known as Federal Hill. 

I chose this picture as the elegant lady and her hat do give a feel of the colonial years. The lines of the blurred background (thanks to my 1970s Nikkor 105mm 2.5 lens) and the posture of the woman looking down to the harbor remind me of the history behind the Hill. I wonder if she were on top of the “great red bank of clay” when John Smith saw the hill, what would he have called that hill? Pocahontas…?

… Like for many visitors, Cape Town is my favorite city/town of South Africa. It is difficult not to fall in love with Cape Town. But of all the pictures I developed from the 20 rolls of medium format film I returned with, this one from Johannesburg remains my favorite. She was on top of Signal Hill where folks in Johannesburg go to have a picnic and watch the magnificent sunsets in the ocean below. This woman was all grace, the sunset light just enough for a soft and romantic shot.  And her eyes being glued to her iPad rather than looking out into the ocean is the context to describe our times and attitudes.

… My seventh picture is from Asia, Taiwan to be precise. It is an island-country where, again over more than a decade, I was introduced to Asian cultures, and learned about Taiwan’s history and people. One of my memorable trips was to the East Cost of the island to participate in a Tuberculosis study among the Aboriginal populations.  (Most of my trips are for professional reasons, but always find time to exercise the springs of my classic, mechanical cameras…).

On this trip we were in Hualien County with an Aboriginal tribe. The region is close to the Taroko National Park which is famous for its marble gorges. The walk through Taroko National Park which covers approximately 227,336 acres of breathtaking gorges, waterfalls and flora is an experience to remember. But for me, it was the stay in a cabin in the mountains with an Aboriginal tribe that made the trip most memorable. And there, I took one picture (!) of a young woman to represent the trip….

Seven pictures of women. It was not easy to chose from the large number of prints I have, but I think they represent a bit of history, a lot of attitude, and all the fun I had taking the pictures!

As always, you decide.

June 3, 2014

© Vahé Kazandjian, 2014

Angels on my Streets!

A gloriously sunny last day of May over the city where ambulance sirens joined the street trumpet players to remind us that big cities have their old stories.  No one seemed to have stayed at home, nor had their dogs.

“I should see some interesting people” I thought, “time to take my camera for an outing.”

And I did. After a short walk, got to Fells Point, where one is expected to see the easy life. Trattorias and osterias were full, so were the Irish and Mexican restaurants.  The café trottoirs had master and dog sitting under umbrellas watching youth go by. 

But I was not the only one hanging a camera from the neck. But some seemed already tired of the walk.

   

I wanted to capture body language today. The sunny day had brought out youthfulness in all walking the streets no matter their age. My challenge was the usual one: how to capture color on B&W film… So, I needed action, attitude, and just moments out of the ordinary.

And I looked for these.

The attitude and action came first. This young woman had the posture a self confident woman has. She walked with grace, with deliberate cadence, and held her cigarette just so. What I needed was to click to capture all these three characteristics which would define attitude for me.  Here is how I saw her:

Ok, next to attitude, I wanted the out of ordinary.  A rope- acrobat was setting her stage for a show. Meticulously she folded large scarf-like materials which she would use to dandle from a rope, 20 feet above the crowd. She knew I was going to take a picture or two and kindly smiled.  Her attention to detail, and careful checking of the set-up was a stark contrast to the nonchalance of everyone else surrounding her: they were just being lazy on a magnificent Saturday.

But I needed more. All these people around and no one had yet done anything extraordinary.  I wanted my 40 year old lens to capture something it had not captured yet.

The sun was strong and the skies blue.  For a second I thought my brain had overheated when there, in front of me I saw two angels! Yes, two young women, with immaculate angel wings walked by and mixed into the crowd. I hesitated for a second, and then took a few pictures.

You decide.

On the way back, I remembered a few lines from the famous poem by Pablo Neruda:

Well, now,
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little.

If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall already have forgotten you.

May 31, 2014

© Vahé Kazandjian, 2014

Post Script: I did follow the angels for a short while, and alas, they were of our planet and earth. Two young women advertising a new line of cookies… Maybe I should have not followed them.

Memorial Day in Canton, Maryland

A national and solemn holiday. Got on my bicycle, threw my camera on my back, and decided to enjoy the 90F degrees of the first unofficial day of the summer.

Around the bend, the majestic Pride of Baltimore was shipping out of the port. I could see a large number of people on board and assumed it was a Memorial Day tour of the historic sites around the waters of the Chesapeake Bay.  I waited till I could get cranes as a background to show that Baltimore is still a working port city.

A few miles away, stopped at the Korean War memorial in Canton. It is a memorial right on the ocean and I often stop there for respite during a bike ride. This time it was full of veterans, marching band, Irish pipe players, and a lot of memories. The ceremony was extremely well organized and the veterans of the Korean Wars still dry-eyed and most of them straight back when saluting the names of their brothers in arms who died in the Korean War.

Here is the picture I brought back with me. He led the show of colors, and was impeccably synchronized with the steps. When he decided to put his ceremonial sword back into the scabbard, it was a very symbolic act of peace.

At least it was for me.

May 26, 2014

© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2014

Rathyatra Chariot Parade: A Hindu Celebration of Jagannatha

I had never been to the Hindu celebration of Jagannatha, so decided to go to the 12^th annual gathering in Baltimore. The weather was beautiful with a breeze from the ocean.

As expected, there was color, dance, worship and free vegetarian food. Thousands of people, of all walks of life. They surrounded a majestic chariot covered in fresh carnation flowers where the icon of Jagannatha “Lord of the Universe”, carved in wood, was respectfully guarded and worshiped. I learned that the original icon of the deity resides at the temple city of Puri in Odishia. The temple of Jagannatha in Puri is regarded as one of the sacred Hindu pilgrimage places in India.

While in line for food, the Indian couple in front of me specified that Jagannatha is a form of the Hindu God Vishnu, and is non-sectarian. That is why all who attend the celebration are given the free food, and accepted as a fellow inhabitant of the earth paying respect to the Lord of the Universe.

So, amid all the color, singing, dancing, and the always enchanting smell of Curry from the large pots of rice and tofu, I decided to take a few pictures in Black & White.

I had to walk through the harbor and there, in a split second, an uber healthy and muscular man ran next to an older gentleman in a wheelchair. I clicked with a focus on infinity as the various stages of life seemed to be in one spot.

           

When I got to the celebration site, an immense chariot welcomed me. This picture shows the Harbor in the background through the tall masts of its sailboats. It also shows the non-sectarian and universality of the Lord of the Universe, as this non-Indian worshiper was among the ones who guarded the icon of the deity on the chariot.

There was chanting and drum beating. I decided to describe it by focusing on the young lady who was beating the drum. She was perfect for a portrait in B&W.

This boy, in his father’s lap, had the curiosity one hopes to see in those young eyes. He was mesmerized by the chariot and all the chanting. For me, I was looking at the next generation, the next worshiper, the next humility we need to have for the immensity of the universe.

As in every crowd, there is one person who stands out. This time, it was this lady, blonde, holding what seemed a century-old umbrella, and wearing a sari. She stood out in that large crowd, and I needed an angle to describe the moment. Well, you decide—I tried to put her in context yet show why she could not pass unnoticed.

On my way back, I walked  by the harbor. In a few short strides I was in a different world, where the present was what counted, and where no one chanted to the wooden icons of a deity. Most people were blond, wearing boring color shorts or T-shirts, and doing whatever they felt like doing.

The contrast between these two “worlds” was pronounced and I wanted to show that contrast. Well, it was not difficult—this couple was all in the moment and did not care what was happening around them.

Or the universe.

May 25, 2014

© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2014

About the lens: I took the pictures of the celebration through a 1976 manual focus Nikon Nikkor 105mm lens at full aperture of f=2.5. It used to be the lens of choice for portraiture, and I decided to do “portraits” in a crowd of thousands, worshiping the Hindu deity Jagannatha, in a harbor near the Atlantic Ocean, in Baltimore.

San Francisco Honesty

… Where I am, most people sit on their balcony and watch the sailboats go by. I like to do that too, although having a book next to me does keep me from wondering when the next sailboat will fill its sails toward the harbor of Baltimore.

So, this morning I picked up a book I had read before. It was about uncertainty and truth. To be honest, I was not sure why I decided to read it again.

… The wind was just right, and the page I opened had a most telling example about ambient misconceptions and uncertainty. It read:

“While most of us believe that the sea “smells of sea” because of iodine in the sea weeds, the actual odor molecule is dimethylsulfide, DMS. “

Hmm, somehow that is not as romantic as iodine which I thought I smelled from the ocean under my balcony.

Then, I found the following statement about a certain law of contradiction-- quite obvious yet sometimes ignored:

”The Law of Contradiction tells us that a proposition cannot be both true and false.”

… I put the book down, waited for another sailboat, and then wanted to think of a simple example in daily life to represent this law.

And I recalled a picture I took in San Francisco. Voila! This man, in his honesty, had made it clear, with no uncertainty, what his truth was!

I did not need to read that book again.

May 17, 2014

© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2014

Riyadh, New York, and Architectural Musing

On a recent trip to Saudi Arabia, I was told that street photography was not a national pastime.  Further, in a country where the latest and grandest of all products are actively sought, my 1960s Minolta Autocord Twin Lens Reflex camera would be an even more singular oddity than my interest in street photography. So I was told.

I had hardly time to find out, though. Teaching at the King Saud University and King Khaled University hospital in Riyadh, I did not have the time for any photography. Except one Saturday when in the middle of a scorching hot day, decided to see Riyadh.

Needless to say, there were very few people in the streets, as it is after sunset that the weather is more clement for being out. But I had a couple of ideas for my trip.

First, I wanted to see the Kingdom Center. I had seen images, and its architecture seemed most unusual. But most pictures I had seen were taken with a telephoto and I wondered how one would capture the tower with a 50mm lens.

Second, I wanted to visit the less-affluent sections of the city to have a feel of the diversity.

And I was able to do both.

…. According to Wikipedia, “the Kingdom tower is a 302.3 m (992 ft) skyscraper.  It is the world's third tallest building with a hole after the Shanghai World Financial Center and the Tuntex Sky Tower in Taiwan. The building is situated on 100,000 square metres site with car parking for 3,000 vehicles.^”

Of course, the “hole” is the intriguing part. What does it represent? The pictures I had seen did not help me decide.  So, I went to the bottom of this majestic structure and looked up.

And it hit me! From my angle, it looked like a male Bedouin without a face!! Possible?  Here is what I saw, and my 50mm lens did as well:

I was not sure if it was the intent of the architect Richard Tenguerian, and Armenian born in Aleppo, Syria, to depict the silhouette of a Bedouin via this 992 ft tower. But it sure looked as such to me.

… Then I went to the less-affluent parts around the city. Again there were very few people in the streets but these three ladies, next to a stroller and under the street sign gave me the opportunity to characterize what I saw.

Amazingly, a week later, when I developed the medium format film in my darkroom and looked at the wet negatives under the red studio light, I immediately saw the shapes of the tower in the posture of the first lady next to the stroller. Do you?

… But there was something else brewing in my mind.  I am not an architectural forms photographer, but years ago I had taken a picture of the Twin Towers in New York, and I realized that the Kingdom Center was the only other picture of a tower I had ever taken.  The Twin Towers picture I took, with a 1969 Nikon F and Nikkor-Q 200mm lens, was at sunset and had large birds flying by it. I took it from the top of Empire State Building, Midtown Manhattan in 1999. Thinking back about it, the birds seem to have a chilling prediction of the towers’ fate!!

So, I went back to find that picture. The 35mm negative showed scratches but I did not correct or eliminate. Here it is:

This picture of the Twin Towers was published (hence has a registered copyright) on page 92 of my book “Alla Prima” (2002) published by the American Literary Press. The ISBN is 1-56167-724-8 at The United States Library of Congress.

… I could not resist thinking what would have happened if the Twin Towers had a “hole” in their design like the Kingdom Center…

May 13, 2014

© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2014

The following Wikipedia link gives more details and a picture of the Kingdom Center

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Centre