The copy of this book that I ordered arrived last evening. Great stuff! A fascinating story of Mortensen's life, his career as a photographer and teacher (he ran a school for years in Laguna Beach) and artist. The section on the techniques he used, some of which he invented, is thorough and detailed. His wonderful images are well reproduced.
Thirty bucks well spent. I needed an early Christmas present and distraction anyway. On Mon, Oct 6, 2014 at 9:55 PM, Darren Addy <pixelsmi...@gmail.com> wrote: > I find it fascinating that Ansel Adams and Weston (and the f/64 group) > continued attacking Mortensen even after he was dead. (!) Sort of > modifies my view of them. They were "purists" in most senses of the > word, apparently. Good for them, but I don't think that gives them the > right to dictateset themselves up as Judge, Jury, & Executioner of all > other photographer's work and technique. Sounds to me like what > Mortensen did was rather groundbreaking in its own right. > > As Don Henley said: "Rebels been rebels since I don't know when." > :) > > > > On Mon, Oct 6, 2014 at 8:28 PM, Bruce Walker <bruce.wal...@gmail.com> wrote: >> I know about many darkroom processing techniques and how much was or >> was not done back in the day, but, although I could see clearly that >> he'd manipulated those images, I wasn't specifically aware of >> Mortensen's work and his attempts to gain general acceptance of his >> heavy post processing. >> >> I find it quite fascinating and I thank you, Darren, for digging those >> references up. Or maybe I shouldn't thank you because now I'm going >> to be digging further tomorrow. ;-) >> >> And I'll have to get the book now too. >> >> >> On Mon, Oct 6, 2014 at 8:05 PM, Darren Addy <pixelsmi...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> It also occurs to me that Bruce (and everybody else in this "room") >>> already knew about Mortensen's techniques and history and his >>> "Photoshopping" comment was not tongue-in-cheek at all. Oh well, >>> wouldn't be the first time the joke was on me. >>> :) >>> >>> That forthcoming book "American Grotesque" has an entire glossary of >>> "Mortensen's Methods" (only the introductory page of that section is >>> in the preview PDF I linked to, above). >>> According to the Guardian article linked from Bob's first link, the >>> new book should be released sometime this month. It is only available >>> for "preorder" on Amazon here in the U.S. >>> >>> On Mon, Oct 6, 2014 at 6:50 PM, Darren Addy <pixelsmi...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>> A bit more on some of Mortensen's "photoshopping" techniques: >>>> "Figure 1.16 In his essay "Fallacies of ‘Pure Photography',” Mortensen >>>> challenged the hypothesis of Group f/64 by stating, "Purists and >>>> puritans alike have been marked by a crusading devotion to >>>> self-defined fundamentals, by a tendency to sweeping condemnation of >>>> all who over-step the boundaries they have set up, and by grim >>>> disapproval of the more pleasing and graceful things in life.”8 >>>> Mortensen etched the original negative to remove unwanted detail. He >>>> then elongated the image during the enlargement process and made the >>>> projection through a texture screen. For details about his printmaking >>>> methods, including the Abrasion-Tone Process he used to make this >>>> image, see William Mortensen, Print Finishing, San Francisco: Camera >>>> Craft Publishing, 1938. © William Mortensen. Machiavelli, from the >>>> book Monsters and Madonnas, 1936. 10¼ × 8¼ inches. Abrasion-tone >>>> gelatin silver print. Courtesy of Robert Hirsch Collection." >>>> Source: http://www.photovideoedu.com/Learn/Print/12590.aspx >>>> >>>> On Mon, Oct 6, 2014 at 6:44 PM, Darren Addy <pixelsmi...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>>> http://hyperallergic.com/58916/dreaming-in-argentina-when-juan-peron-was-president/ >>>>> >>>>> Quote from the above link: "Before discussing Stern’s work, I want to >>>>> say something about William Mortensen (1897–1965), who was both a >>>>> photographer and the author of numerous manuals and books, including >>>>> Madonnas and Monsters (1936). Born nearly a decade before Sommer and >>>>> Laughlin, and working at the same time as Edward Steichen (1879 –1973) >>>>> and Alfred Steiglitz (1864–1946), Mortensen championed photographic >>>>> manipulation over straight photography, and paid for it dearly. >>>>> >>>>> Ansel Adams (1902–1984) dubbed Mortensen “the Anti-Christ,” which >>>>> tells you how much he was reviled and feared by “straight” >>>>> photographers. In the ensuing argument between Mortensen and the >>>>> purists, straight photography won out. In his seminal study, The >>>>> History of Photography from 1839 to the Present (New York: Museum of >>>>> Modern Art, 1937), Beaumont Newhall left Mortensen out altogether. Now >>>>> that Photoshop has become ubiquitous, perhaps Mortensen’s fortune will >>>>> change." >>>>> >>>>> Also of interest (wow!) >>>>> http://feralhouse.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/American-Grotesque-Excerpt.pdf >>>>> >>>>> On Mon, Oct 6, 2014 at 6:41 PM, Darren Addy <pixelsmi...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>>>> Bruce is being tongue-in-cheek with his "Photoshopping" comment, but >>>>>> there was lots of photo manipulation being done in film days (and >>>>>> before) both at the negative and in the printing (as with the work of >>>>>> one of my photographic hero's Jerry Uelsmann.) I wouldn't be surprised >>>>>> if >>>>>> >>>>>> http://120pearls.wordpress.com/2013/03/25/film-photo-manipulation-b-p-before-photoshop/ >>>>>> >>>>>> http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/09/28/before-photoshop-how-photographers-have-been-manipulating-images-for-years >>>>>> >>>>>> See also: >>>>>> Faking It: Manipulated Photography before Photoshop (Metropolitan >>>>>> Museum of Art) by Mia Fineman >>>>>> http://www.amazon.com/Faking-Manipulated-Photography-Photoshop-Metropolitan/dp/0300185014/ >>>>>> In fact, it appears (from Google Books) that Ms. Fineman's book >>>>>> includes some discussion involving the work of William Mortensen. A >>>>>> footnote in her bibliography makes reference to a June 1934 "Camera >>>>>> Craft 41" article written by William Mortensen entitled "Fallacies of >>>>>> 'Pure Photography'". That might be interesting to track down. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> On Mon, Oct 6, 2014 at 6:15 PM, Bruce Walker <bruce.wal...@gmail.com> >>>>>> wrote: >>>>>>> Very cool, but I suspect Photoshopping. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> :) >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Thanks for that article, Bob. My kind of stuff. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On Mon, Oct 6, 2014 at 4:56 PM, Bob W-PDML <p...@web-options.com> wrote: >>>>>>>> Some good stuff here: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2014/oct/06/american-nightmares-the-photography-of-william-mortensen >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> B >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> -- >>>>>>>> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >>>>>>>> PDML@pdml.net >>>>>>>> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >>>>>>>> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and >>>>>>>> follow the directions. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> -bmw >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >>>>>>> PDML@pdml.net >>>>>>> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >>>>>>> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and >>>>>>> follow the directions. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> Photographers must learn not to be ashamed to have their photographs >>>>>> look like photographs. >>>>>> ~ Alfred Stieglitz >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> Photographers must learn not to be ashamed to have their photographs >>>>> look like photographs. >>>>> ~ Alfred Stieglitz >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Photographers must learn not to be ashamed to have their photographs >>>> look like photographs. >>>> ~ Alfred Stieglitz >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Photographers must learn not to be ashamed to have their photographs >>> look like photographs. >>> ~ Alfred Stieglitz >>> >>> -- >>> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >>> PDML@pdml.net >>> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >>> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and >>> follow the directions. >> >> >> >> -- >> -bmw >> >> -- >> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >> PDML@pdml.net >> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and >> follow the directions. > > > > -- > Photographers must learn not to be ashamed to have their photographs > look like photographs. > ~ Alfred Stieglitz > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > PDML@pdml.net > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. -- -bmw -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
