.edu [Adieu]

"I got the call today, I didn't want to hear.
But I knew that it would come."
(Don Henley, "Heart of the Matter")

Sad to report, but U.C. Santa Cruz Extension has decided to
dismantle the Arts and Humanties Program (including
Photography Courses) at the end of the Fall quarter 2007
(actual translation: NOW) citing accumulated debt and
corrective actions needed for financial viability.
Personally (and for all you Nocturnes out there) this means
the trek to Joshua Tree for Full Moon NPy is not going to
happen in October.

This mirrors somewhat the situation with U.C. Berkeley, when they decided a few years back to close the historic Laguna Street Extension Campus, therby gutting their Photography Program and Darkroom. Now, I still teach Night Photography(over on the Berkeley Campus - major history there . . .!), but the Photography program is but a shadow of what it once was.

As Mark Citret (another instructor with the program) points
out: "It's the end of a great program that has seen the likes of Ansel Adams, Ruth Bernhard, Al Weber, Henry Gilpin, Morley Baer, among others, teaching over the last 40 years. That leaves the Northern California photography
community with no University level workshop programs."

And, finally - in what appears to be a new, cold low in
announcing break-ups, closures, etc. - the way instructors
found out about this was via a . . . PDF!

Just an email that read (in full):
"Dear Art and Humanities Instructors,

Please see the attached letter from our Vice Provost.
Sincerely,
[Letter to Instructors of A and H.pdf] "

That's it! CLICK! on this link to read the bad news.

Nocturnal Visions

A few of the "usual suspects" from The Nocturnes are featured in a group show of artists who "use the cloak of night to paint images that explore the curios of the dark." (See list below)

The site is ARTworkSF - 49 Geary. Suite 215 (Cross St: Kearny) in San Francisco; thru September 22, 2007. Opening Reception onThursday, September 6, 5:30-7:30pm.

Featured Artists:

From The Nocturnes: Tim Baskerville, Andy Frazer, Ethel Jimenez, Richard Sintchak

With: Tamar Assaf, Blazin Sidney, Bogorad, Jorin Bukosky, Will Bullas, Christine Cianci, Natasha Dikareva, John Edwards, Barbara Elliot, Jane B. Grimm, Dean Gustafson, Anthony Kurtz, Dean G. Loumbas, John Paul Marcelo, Wendy Robushi Phyllis Rockne, Ann Simms, Erengo Suto, Blake Tucker, Carol Van Zandt

Jo Farrell, Guest Curator
Matt McKinley, Chief Curator, ARTworkSF

Random Notes

"Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah"
(Original lyrics by Leonard Cohen)

More news of the Digital Nocturne (for better or worse) and various angelic YouTubes:

- Read Jim Goldstein's rant - "Why I Hate HDR: Photo Technology Porn" - Mathematics vs. Aesthetics.

- For the opposing view, see Apogee's 3-part article on the merits of HDR and the ensuing debates brought about by its use (abuse), by Jim Austin. Left brain vs. right brain.

- See some of the above-mentioned abuse here.

- On a completely different note, see Brandi Carlile on YouTube here (Hallelujah), here (Creep), and here (SONY video of "The Story").

- Finally (courtesy of TOP) view Max Roach's 'high-hat solo' as performed on The Tonight Show (date unknown) on YouTube.

(from The Nocturnes NightNews feed)

"How do you know when you're in Texas?"

This thing (CLICK! to enlarge) has me in stiches! On a recent trip fellow Nocturne Manu Schnetzler captured the images necessary to create this panoramic view of a Texan landscape.

His story (presumably he's sticking to it) follows.

"Landing in Houston early August, the first sign that we're now in Texas is the heat, and the humidity - even at 1am, in the middle of the night. Picking up my rental car, the real sign that we're in the oil capital of the US is the row of cars waiting patiently under the Avis signs.

"Like a tame herd of gas guzzlers, the red, white and blue (patriotic?) - and a few yellow (the ribbon?) - monsters are lined up patiently waiting for proud drivers to pick them up. What can a herd of Hummers stuck in an Avis parking lot be dreaming of?

"I think I'll stick to my compact car."

(Thanks to Greta for the title)

Random Notes

"And we speak of things that matter
In words that must be said.
Can analysis be worthwhile?
Is Photography really Dead?"
(with apologies to Paul Simon, "The Dangling Conversation")

News of the Digital Nocturne, the Language of NPy, and accidental notes:

- Quite a lively discussion recently on theonlinephotographer re: tone-mapping (isn't that something that Jack Casady is famous for {:<)} - again, with the musical references!) initiated by The Nocturnes printer, Rob Reiter of the LightRoom, Berkeley, CA.

- Another take on coaxing that extra little bit (or a lot) of detail - "Hidden in the shadows" - this from Brian Chapman's blog.

- Joe Reifer continues his translation of the language of NPy - on his blog.

- A couple of good books - re: b/w work and digital printing - also mentioned on TOP.

- There is a rather ominous post on, once again, TOP.

(from The Nocturnes NightNews feed)

Meet The Nocturnes / Meet the Press

It's been a banner couple of days for nocturnal reading, of late!

First, we received word that an interview with our own Tom Paiva is now available online at MAGNAchrom.com in their Night Photography Issue. You have to register, but it's free for a huge PDF of the entire issue.

Next word is, that the July/August issue of Architecture Boston is devoted to the "night" - with an article on "The Tradition and Technology of Night Photography" penned by our East Coast affilliate, Lance Keimig. Lots of PDFs here as well - Lance's piece is entitled "Shooting the Moon."

Finally, none other than the Victorville Press (CA) ran an article about Troy Paiva's desert excursions with a camera and cadre of illuminants.

Can you match the article to the image of author above?

Look for the promised follow-up to the "Long Moments" post below - in the next few days . . .

(from The Nocturnes NightNews feed)

Long Moments . . .


Continuing with the theme here - Musician/artist/composer/futurist Brian Eno -
- premieres his "77 million Paintings" for three nights only (June 29-30, July 1) at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco's museum district. Sponsored by the Long Now Foundation, the self-generating ambient sounds and visuals ("Visual Music") Eno presents are part of a world tour that bears little resemblance to his rock'n'roll days with Roxy Music. Read the full SF Gate article here. Our favorite Eno quote from article: "I can't bear the rock music tradition," he says. "So much of stage work is connected with the presentation of personality. It's about, 'Oh there he is, that's him,' and I've never been interested."

Still more info about the project here, and at the official 77 site.

All of which got us to thinking (seriously!): about the "slow movement" (be it food, 'de-stressing,' reducing the frantic pace of life, in the creation of art, etc.) and Night Photography's relation to that idea. Call it the "long moment" (with a nod to Henri Cartier-Bresson's"decisive moment"), the compressed moment, "these small hours" (with some tasty Rob Thomas to follow soon), or these expansive moments (as in long, time exposures) - it's all related to photography (light) - over time. And, which is more important: the light, or the time?

More to follow . . .

(from The Nocturnes NightNews feed)

"Take a picture here . . . "

Photo by Graham Nash

"This land is the land of ours, this river runs red over it.
We are not your allies, we can not defend.
This is where they walked, this is where they swam.
Take a picture here, take a souvenir.
Cuyahoga
Cuyahoga, gone." (Cuyahoga lyrics by REM)

In a special issue of American Photo magazine (July/August 2007) Guest Editor Mark Seliger hightlights various musicans-turned-visual artist (and vice-versa). A natural course, we thought, here at The Nocturnes! Now on newstands everywhere.

Still Lost . . .

It's not like he needs the press, nevertheless certified Nocturne/Raconteur Troy Paiva has a one man night photography show simply called "Lost America" installed at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. Some 33 pieces in the exhibit, it runs there thru July 15th. More info here.

"It was forty years ago today . . . "

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, released 40 years ago today (in the U.K. - U.S. release two days later) coincided nicely with the "Summer of Love" here in San Francisco - "now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall."

Tho' not the first "concept" album (Frank Sinatra did "In the Wee Small Hours" - one of The Nocturnes faves - in 1955), Sgt. P. is considered one of the most influential albums of all time.