Dennis Hopper 1936-2010

Dennis Hopper - actor, director, Hollywood upstart and all-around raconteur - died today, after a long bout with prostate cancer. Just this March he appeared in public, to accept his 'star' on Hollywood's Walk of Fame (he had just taken a fall, smashing his eyeglasses, the day before - something I can relate to . . . ) - bandaged and looking frail, he made it there - but it was bittersweet.

 

 Dennis Hopper, as he appeared in Apocalypse Now (1979)

Hopper was also - a painter, sculptor and - not many people know this - a photographer - who published a book of Night Photography titled "Bucharest Nights" in 2005.

From The [not so] Daily Nocturne

("This is the way the fucking world ends . . ." - from Apocalyse Now)

Ancient Nocturne

This image, NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD).

Milky Way Over Ancient Ghost Panel - Copyright Bret Webster

From The [not so] Daily Nocturne

Warren Bates, Night Photographer

"I'll learn to work the saxophone
I'll play just what I feel
Drink Scotch whisky all night long
And die behind the wheel . . ."
(Deacon Blues by Steely Dan)

A flurry of emails came in late this afternoon - fellow Night Photographer Warren Bates  "died in the place he loved best" - on Route 66, in the great American desert. Ironically, he was killed in his vehicle, hit by an oncoming train. I, like many got to 'know' Warren Bates thru his NPy - in my case, thru The Nocturnes NPy online exhibit, "The Color of Night" in which his "Bagdad Train" (seen below) was a Best of Show award winner. The image, one of our all-time favorites, also appeared in our 1st retrospective: "Best of The Nocturnes Online"

Of the image, the two jurors - Troy Paiva and Larry Thomson - had this say:
Juror one: "The subtle use of added lighting merely helps describe the story rather than become the story itself. I love the double meanings, depth and movement. That little wink of yellow light on the post is just right too..

Juror two: "Wow! I love how this shot portrays the desolation of this place. There's the sign, the light trails and. well, a lot of nothing vanishing off into the distance. Excellent use of motion as the passing light trails imply that Bagdad isn't even a stop along the way anymore . . ."

Read Andy Frazer's blog for more recollections, with a link to the Las Vegas-Review Journal (he worked for them) article about Warren.

That's about all I can say . . .

("Call me Deacon Blues")