As obsessed (possessed?) as I am with the art and craft of cinematography, I couldn’t help but look more closely at the photos I recently shot with the Konica 400mm lens (see last Tuesday’s post).  Below, you’ll find a zoomed-in detail from the first picture in the group.  Extracted from the same JPEG, it has … Continue reading “KONICA 400mm REDUX”

            In my July 21 post, I reported on the new lens that had fallen into my lap – a Konica f4.5 400mm.  It was in spotless condition and I was eager to put it to the test.  Below are some results.             All photos were shot from a tripod with a Canon 5D MkII…EI … Continue reading “IMAGES SHOT WITH THE KONICA 400mm”

Isamu Noguchi (1904 – 1988) was an American artist and landscape architect who enjoyed an incredibly varied and fruitful sixty-year career.  Look him up.  It’ll take you half an hour to get through his bio and resumé.             So, it’s with no small interest that I bring you this quote.  The man obviously knew what … Continue reading “KEEP AN OPEN MIND!”

            Beyond what little I learn each week from Google Analytics, I have no idea who reads this blog.  I suppose there must be a good number of students, or at least I hope so.  Much of what I post is oriented toward people in the early stages of their career; they’re my prime reason … Continue reading “CALLING ALL QUERIES…!”

I’m often asked by students: What’s the first thing I do when walking onto a set?  Thanks to Dennis Schaefer and Larry Salvato’s 1984 collection of interviews with prominent cinematographers, Masters of Light, Conrad Hall, ASC gave a more articulate answer than I’ve ever been capable of.             “The first thing I do is quake … Continue reading “CONRAD HALL, ASC ON DAY ONE OF PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY”

John Fulton, ASC, 1945 If you’ve seen any of, say, twenty studio films made before 1966, you’ve seen more of John Fulton’s work than any cinematographer you can name.  As a career special-effects cameraman, his contributions to the believability of the unreal and the advance of filmmaking are unmatched.  They resonate in everything we’ve seen … Continue reading “JOHN FULTON, ASC”

            See Friday’s post for the background.  Meanwhile, here’s the concluding part of Herb Lightman’s January 1970 American Cinematographer article, The Filming of Medium Cool.             It’s very interesting stuff…

I know Michael Cioni.  If you’re not aware of who he is, do a search.  Among his many talents, he’s an entrepreneur, artist and most important, one of the leading technologists of our time.  I can’t recall a single thing he’s observed about image creation that hasn’t come to pass.             Below, you’ll find his … Continue reading “MY MOST IMPORTANT POST TO DATE!”

I posted about this film precisely three years ago, on August 11, 2020 (Medium Cool, Haskell Wexler, ASC and This Very Moment).  I addressed a single scene and segued into commentary on my personal relationship with Wexler.  The current post sprouted from an encounter with the January 1970 issue of American Cinematographer and the article … Continue reading “HASKELL WEXLER, ASC and MEDIUM COOL (1969), PART 1”

            Michael Chapman, ASC (1935-2020) – recipient of the 2003 ASC Lifetime Achievement Award and two-time Oscar nominee – was one of the brightest, most insightful of cinematographers.  While re-reading a 1984 interview conducted by Dennis Schaefer and Larry Salvato for their seminal book, Masters of Light, I was once again bowled over by his … Continue reading “DANGLING ANGLES”