Tag Archives: Chuck Holzner

Poetry By Dead Men

by John Thurston

In “full confession” mode, I’m here to tell you I have nothing new to offer. I have not made a single image since the Before Times. That’s more than three years without loading the camera, finding the scenes, composing the image, and tripping the shutter. It is a dissatisfying mental place to be, but I just haven’t wanted to create any images.

So from this melancholic zone, I’m reaching into my box of treasures to offer you some images from those whose work has inspired me, and from whom we will be seeing no new images. I’ll try to have some new images for y’all next time around. Continue reading →

BTS: Chuck Comes Across a Wood Nymph – St. Mary’s Wilderness

by Boris Starosta

 

Chuck Holzner was a onetime contributor to the MF3d folios, and we occasionally worked together on a project.  Here we are in the St. Mary’s Wilderness, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, about five years ago?   He joined me and my model for a fairly strenuous hike to find some nice situations where we could photograph lovely Maia, who was a champ trooping along in the woods for several hours.  We were heavily laden with cameras and snacks and water!  He brought his sputnik, I brought my sputnik plus a TL120-55 on loan from John Thurston (many thanks!), plus a couple of digital cameras, and all the necessary tripods.  Thus armed, lots of silly pictures got made.

(by the way, the tag “BTS” stands for Behind The Scenes)

KINGS OF FREEDOM by Kaun at UVa.

by Boris Starosta

Kings-0309_MFT72_PV_ In commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, this year we have a supposedly historic piece of Berlin wall grafitti art on our campus, on loan from the Hefner Collection.  It is Dennis Kaun’s KINGS OF FREEDOM.  I’m still researching the provenance of this artwork, because I’m a little bit suspicious of it, as it is clearly signed “copyright” 1990. Continue reading →

Chuck and Jet

by Boris Starosta

Where last year all you got to see were photos of Michele a couple months pregnant, here is a shot of Jet (sorry, out of focus) visiting with Chuck Holzner (of Folio II).   Jet had just started walking the week prior, and was eagerly careening around any and all available venues.

But not all is happiness in this picture.  Chuck is ailing from stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and the doctors doubt he will make it to 2014.  When I visited him here, in this photo, he was already three months into his diagnosis, and faring much better than anyone had expected.  I’m presently helping him get his photographic legacy in order, in particular his collection of MF3d Newfoundland views, a number of which he has entrusted me to mount.

At the time this picture was made, he was in good spirits, considering his plight.  Of his diagnosis and prospects, he said, “I haven’t had so much excitement in my life, in a long time!”  He went on a big road trip with his two sons (hunting in Wyoming), and has been travelling to see family and pay last respects.

This view got mounted a bit “far,” with infinity points too far apart, and even the very near foreground behind the stereo window. Not sure what happened there, but it was not my intent. Been rushed lately, which hasn’t helped.

Williamsburg Bridge

by Boris Starosta

Fuji RAP, f11 (?), 1 sec. exposure in available light, using Sputnik on loan from Chuck Holzner. Camera stabilized on walkway/surface of bridge.   Slide in folio is original film.

Cycling over the Williamsburg bridge to visit someplace in Brooklyn, I took interest in the elaborate riveted steel trusswork along the way.  It was very cold, and I had no tripod.  I placed the camera on ground and tried to stabilize it with a pocket knife acting as a shim to get the angle.  Aim and thus composition was guesswork.  I would have wanted a longer exposure/smaller aperture, but the rig was shaky, so I dared not.  Luckily, it was wintertime, so the traffic was light, and I was not reported to the TSA or other anti-terrorist authorities as a person of suspicion – it’s sad what one has to be afraid of these days.