Digging through the ancient archives of unprocessed and forgotten negatives again. Taken in January on a warmish day when snow melt was producing some pools of water. In Yosemite National Park, where I was interacting with Ansel Adams and other photographers.
Yosemite Reflection (1973)
We meet a young traveler from Brazil in Yosemite National Park.
An instructor draws freehand type for a cover layout at a book design workshop. Yosemite, 1974.
Taking a break from his teaching at the University of Florida, Jerry Uelsmann came to Yosemite in California in early 1973 to instruct at an Ansel Adams workshop. Here are a couple of images — from previously unprinted and forgotten negatives — I recently re-discovered from my time there (and find more on Jerry here):
Jerry Uelsmann Steps Into A Liquid Reflection of the Yosemite Landscape
…
Jerry Uelsmann Grips a Tripod as Jack Welpott’s Bronica Looks Away
On the occasion of his 73rd birthday, Bill sends along this morning’s self-portrait, noting that some time adjustment may be needed on his device.
UPDATE 8/23/21: See Bill and His Watch with No Hands
UPDATE 9/6/21: See Bill’s 73rd Birthday, Reimagined
In the course of my renewed communications with Jim Friedman, I happened to recall an incident concerning his mentor, Minor White. In the summer of 1973, my sidekick, Bill, and another friend, Mike, and I were making the rounds of New York City’s art museums. At one point Bill and Mike decided to sit and rest awhile, so I took a few photographs of them and the human traffic in front of some windows, then went off for a few minutes to explore another room. When I returned, Bill told me that someone had photographed them as they sat there, from much the same vantage point as I had done a few minutes earlier. One of my series of photographs taken of them on that day, never previously processed past the negative stage, I have now re-discovered and show it here:
(facing camera center, left to right: Mike, Bill)
Fast forward a few months after we have returned to Los Angeles: One day I visit Bill and he tells me of reading a magazine where he saw a photograph of Minor White, and recognized him as the mysterious photographer that day back in New York. So Bill does some research (pre-Google!) and writes to Minor — I think it was via MIT, where he was teaching — asking him if he was in fact that shooter, that day. A couple of weeks later, White responded, not only with a confirmation that he took their picture, but also enclosed a color slide of the result.
Turns out that the letter and the color slide are no longer in Bill’s possession (but we have some idea where we might be able to find them), hence the shaggy dog aspects of this story: I cannot (yet) show the Minor White version of my image above, although Bill tells me that it is similar in composition and scale. If we are successful in locating these items, I do intend to make a follow-up to this post, so that Jim can take a look. Maybe; stay tuned.
Another view:
Take One
Take Two
…
Lunchtime, during my GAO years, when I was working in the downtown LA office rather than on a job site or flying around the country, often meant strolling to nearby quick food eateries like Philippe’s or those found on Olvera Street or many other neighborhood ethnic destinations. One day in February 1972, a few of us walked past City Hall on our way to the Kosher Burrito (a most wonderful and inexpensive source of burritos featuring ingredients such as corned beef). In 1971, if memory serves, Charles Manson had received a death sentence, but the death penalty was about to be overturned by the state Supreme Court. Manson supporters, some of the Manson Girls who had not been criminally charged, were keeping a vigil outside City Hall, where I photographed them on my way to lunch.
[originally published as a WhileBusy post on January 27, 2017]
