Parmigianino and Anthropomorphism

Just before sunrise I heard the deer outside our house. I walked out with my camera set at 1/15 second and the 180 mm Nikkor -P Auto lens open to f2.8.

The first deer I saw looked at me with her neck extended. As I clicked and scared her away, I could only think about Parmigianino's "Madonna with the Long Neck" (Madonna dal collo lungo) I saw at the Uffizi.

Five hundred years have passe between Parmigianino's painting and my photo.  And yet, before my morning coffee, when I saw that deer in the viewfinder, all I could think about was this glorious painting.

May 19, 2018
© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2018

Passers-by: How to Capture Their Surprise with a 70 Years Old Ukrainian Camera

I use my cameras not only for taking photos, but to match and fit the mood I am in. It may sound strange, but the temperature, the intensity of the light and the number of people in the streets make me decide which camera to take.

Of course, it is important to get the planned shots. But sometimes, the “partnership” between the camera and me almost enjoys the surprises I get out of old mechanical cameras with questionable shutter speed and uncoated lenses from the 40s and 50s. I think there is a certain pleasure in using tools that are older that the user!

So, at an art fair, I decided to take my 1950s Ukrainian FED-2 rangefinder camera to the art fair. A couple of decades ago I bought three identical FED -2 cameras and neither was functional. As I have done with many other mechanical cameras, I “borrowed” springs, screws and a shutter cloth from each camera to build one that is fully functional. I suppose it is the equivalent to organ transplant.

The FED-2 cameras are a Former Soviet Union (FSU) design. They are not copies of German cameras of the era such as Leica and Contax. In fact they are a metamorphosis of these cameras when the best aspects of these are taken and incorporated into a new design. In short, the cameras are simple but very functional.

The lenses on these cameras, however, all Leica 39mm screw mount clones, are notoriously unreliable. But they too are a simple construct, and after ruining a few, I have learned how to disassemble, clean and adjust these lenses. However they come with no shade given the awkward aperture ring on the front of the lens, and since they are uncoated lenses (there was no coating in the 1950s) these are practically impossible to use in full sun – the glare from the reflection ruins practically every shot.

So, I learned to build lens shades for lenses that are not made to take shades. And the results are quite lovely. The serial number indicates that this lens was made in 1950 or perhaps earlier.

Here is a shot with the lens set to f8, the speed to 1/125 second using Ilford 100 ASA B&W film. I did some dodging while printing to let the violin player, the woman next to him and his sleeping dog get prominence.

And now a split second trigger depressing to get this composition. I wanted the passing-by man (or was it a woman?) exhibit the movement while the woman under the wall was immobile. I used slower speed (not sure what it was as I changed it without looking…) and the two subjects were captured exactly where I wanted them in the frame.

So, I was as pleased with the shots as I was with the camera and hooded lens. Somehow I think old lenses have a nostalgic outlook upon what we see. Or maybe it is my 1940s enlarger that prints these photos with memories of darkroom hours past!

May 15, 2018

© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2018

Free Spirits and Synchronization

It is now spring again and around the house wildlife is active all night. My dog is old and he does not hear most of the noise deer, peccary, nocturnal birds and coyotes make. But he often hears sounds that do not exist, and barks at them at various times of the night…

So, I was up before sunrise because these non-existent noises woke up my old friend.  And I made coffee, and we went out as we have done for the past 14 years.

I heard noise in the brush. Came back, took my camera and was hoping to see coyotes. With the first rays of sunshine it was clear that mama deer was visiting us again. This time with two very young fawn.  This female has been around our house over the past two years. I recognize her from the scars on her back and abdomen on the right side. Maybe mountain lion attack? Anyhow, I have photographed her before and it was good to see her back.

I whistled hoping that all three of them would look at me in synchrony. Unfortunately the young ones just did what they please and my dog, somehow, heard my whistling and barked. The deer took off and I had only one photo from the encounter.

… Then I went to a nearby lake for kayaking with the hope of taking pictures of eagles nesting in the granite dells. But I did not see any. Instead, I realized that it was my day to pursue the theme of synchronization.

Indeed, there were three ducks feeding in the shallows.  My Nikkor-P 180mm telephoto allowed me to take close up photos of their synchronized plunging.

Well, just like the deer a few hours earlier, it was not always well synchronized. Two of them seem perfectly in synch, but the third was definitely a free spirit!

Here is proof one

And proof two of my above analysis.

Sure, there were people kayaking and cormorant flying

And the rock statue of the woman was always there

But I think that the fun I had today with my search for synchronicity was worth getting up before sunrise and getting the kayak into the water.

May 6, 2018

© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2018

Conosco i Signi de l’Antica Fiamma.

Agnosco veteris vestigial flammae. Probably the only line I remember from Virgil’s works. It translates into “I recognize the traces of an ancient fire” as Dido feels passion again when she meets the Trojan hero Aeneas in Virgil’s Aeneid.
I have always liked this line, and also like its Italian version as Dante used it in the Divine Comedy. It reads “Conosco i signi de l’antica fiamma.”

… My photography is a visual validation of what I have learned from other forms of art and artistic expression. Poetry is what I have always cherished as the purest form of universal expression. But when my eye sees a scene, I convince the eye of my camera lens to understand it and place it within a certain context of artistic expression.

To recognize the vestiges of ancient flames, or at least one ancient flame, takes two. At least.
So, here are a few examples of how I cherish capturing the universal expression of remembering through the eyes of living creatures that surround me.

Deer: This mama deer was near my house a few days ago. I grabbed my camera and got as close as I could with my 1970s Nikkor –P Auto 180mm lens. She did not move and kept looking at me with almost a comfort look.

Then her baby came to join. Now I understood why she was not running away. And they both looked at me for a short moment.

Peccary (Javelina): This herd was also near my house. I took a few photos by getting very close to them but on my guard because the males do attack and they have long fangs! I like this photo of the two javelin heads mixing into a unit, again with a comfortable look.

Hummingbirds: It is practically impossible to freeze a hummingbird in flight using a mechanical camera like a Nikon F2. I just do not have fast enough speed and lends to do so. But the movement can give shadows and make us think. These two were on the bird feeder and I tried to capture their flight. The hummingbird at the lower plane seems to have an interesting look…

My dog with his friend: I took this one in a small New England town where he used to visit this lady and get a tasty treat. Again, I wanted to capture that comfort in expression I like to freeze in time.

So, how does one recognize the traces and signes of ancient flames? Although Virgil’s Dido needed a new passion to remember and recognize what she had found in her husband Sychaeus, I think that old flames give us a comfort rather than new burning passions.
And that comfort is in realizing that we had the privilege of living through old flames.

April 17, 2018
© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2018

The Poetry of Looking Through the Right Angle

I was reading about the upcoming exhibit of Le Corbusier’s “Le poem de l’angle droit” (The poem of the right angle) which will be at the Architekturmuseum in Munich.

Like any creative work, this poem was written in the form of 19 lithographs and long –hand writings by Le Corbusier from 1947 to 1953. The poem, which received little attention for decades, is now considered the Swiss-French architect’s vision of the cosmos as well as a kind of self portrait.

One of the lithographs is about “Caractère” and the 7 stanzas read:

The amazons are ready

      to leave to go to come back and

             to leave again and

      to fight combat always

      soldier.

      The amazons are young

      they do not grow old.

For some reason, Le Corbusier’s  interest in looking at the world according to some angle of view and the mention of amazons reminded me of photos from Vienna.

A look at a painting of the best known Empress of Austria, the Bavarian born Elisabeth best known as “Sissi” :

A street angle of view in Old Town Vienna at midnight:

... The amazons are young

      they do not grow old.

Well, neither do the right angles of view!

April 15, 2018

© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2018

Arizona People and Venues:Prescott, Sedona and Phoenix

I had not used my 1969 Nikon F for a while, so decided to give it some exercise on a trips to Arizona cities.

Prescott: I have posted photos from this charming cowboy town in the mountains of Arizona. Since it is Easter today, here is a street photo to stay in that spirit. The woman was wearing bunny ears, which is most appropriate on this day but would be out of context for the remaining days of the year!

But Prescott is also home for national social issues and reactions. Here is a moment from the Women's March. Note that the signs do address multiple social issues.

Phoenix:  As any metropolis, Phoenix is all brouhaha of cars and people. On an early Sunday morning I wanted to capture a slow moment. This woman seems to wonder why everyone is eager to go non stop.

Sedona: A city of magestic rock structures and spritualism. On a hike in the rocks, I noticed a man who had climbed high and staying at the edge of the rock. He was more than 500 meters away, and contre-jour. I wanted to test the prowess of my 1970's Nikkor 105mm portrait lens.
Here is the complete negative:

And the cropped segment showing the man:

The imperfections on the film give a feel of a starry evening sky -- and the joy of using film and mechanical cameras.

April 1, 2018

© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2018

Skunk Pigs Near my House

I do not take wildlife photos by going into the outdoors looking for animals. But when wildlife comes close to me and exhibits behavior of sharing areas populated by humans, my camera tries to identify behavior I usually look for in street photography.

… It is now cold at night in the high desert mountains of Arizona (-10C lately) and I see bobcat, coyote, deer and javelina on a daily basis close to our house. A couple of days ago a large herd of javelina (peccary) decided to check if any of the plants near our house were edible. There were 3 large males, 8 females, and at least 6 young ones.

A peccary, is a New World Pig. While not a true pig, there are a lot of anatomical similarities. The males can be large, reaching 100 kg, and have long tusks for attacking any danger to the herd. In Spanish they are called javelina, in Portuguese porco-do-mato, in French pakira, and in English skunk pig.

… So, decided to get as close as I can to take pictures of their behavior. Their eyesight is not good, but they can pick up a scent or sound from a long distance.

The males are the most photogenic given their size and constant vigil. The photo at the top was of the dominant male who allowed me to come as close as 15 meters with my 1970s Nikkor-H 180mm telephoto. After a few clicks, he decided to let me know that I should keep my distance by showing his formidable tusks. Here is a cropped section of the above photo showing the 15 cm tusks.

The rest of the herd relied on the males to guard and continued look for roots without often looking at me. I was careful to keep an eye on the males for my own safety, and at some point could only see two males. I looked around and suddenly was faced with this moment:

Here is a crop of the camouflaged younger male who was keeping an eye on me…

There were some tender moments between male and female

 One even felt comfortable enough to ignore my presence and continue scratching!

But at some point the dominant male decided that I was intruding too much. He started grinding his tusks to make a warning sound and then the hair on his back stood up. 

That was my signal to leave them alone.

February 25, 2018

©Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2018