Nightvisions, eines meiner Hauptthemen

I think that German Photographer Peter Leyendecker was/is somehow linked to the photographer in the previous post - Darius Klabisch - certainly they are kindred spirits.

Definitely worth a visit (to their Web sites, not Germany! - Oh-h, I dunno, after looking at these images, maybe Germany . . . )

Both gentlemen will be added to The Nocturnes O. Winston Links page, soon enuf!

Acid Nocturne

Speaking of the Bechers (Bernd and Hilla) - see previous post, below, I recently happened onto a photographer, Darius Klabisch, whose work resembles mostly what the Bechers work would look like, if done on acid!

See for yourself: (click to enlarge)

New Topographics, revisited

The work of photographer Henry Wessel is currently featured at SF MOMA - "Henry Wessel: Photographs" - thru April 22. No stranger to Night Photography (Google his book "NightWalk" for more info), he is more noted for his work in the West, along the lines of the New Topographics "style," if you want to call it that.

Oklahoma, 1975 by Henry Wessel

In conjunction with the show, there is a program entitled "Art and Conversation: Henry Wessel and the Social Landscape" with Terri Whitlock, curatorial associate, photography, SFMOMA. March 30, 2007, from Noon - 1:00 p.m. Koret Visitor Education. From the MOMA site: "Whitlock discusses the social subtext of Wessel's pictures. In particular, she considers his photographs within the discourse of New Topographics, an important exhibition organized by the George Eastman House in 1975 that included examples of his work. The program concludes with a visit to the exhibition galleries. Free with Museum admission."

At this time, we would like to direct you over to Joe Reifer's blog, where he is in the midst of an ongoing investigation of the New Topographics exhibition of 1975. In his journey, he has covered work by Lewis Baltz, Robert Adams, Jeff Brouws, the Bechers, and others. Definitely worth a 'look-see!'

Maybe another "Nocturnes Field Trip" - to see the show - is in order, eh?

Flash[light] Mob descends on Bay area - Part Three

Image Copyright Roberto Renzetti

The third portion of the progam for this year's Early March of The Nocturnes AlumNight/Etc. festivities involved a late night 'shoot' Sunday night, over at China Camp - never an easy task, as it turns out! Despite assurances by all the uniformed entities, we STILL had problems with staying in the park after dark to photograph (never confuse getting permission with getting a PERMIT!). It all worked out tho,' and a great time was had by all (see above image). But I would say this: "Don't try this yourselves, kids!"

So that is what we'll do for next time - "get it in writing" - we have the Liability Insurance, so that's covered, and we've done this before - our Angel Island Photo Camp, Yerbe Buena Gardens, the Joshua Tree 'Shop in the fall, etc - so we're not alien to the process. Just thought we could bypass some of this 'red tape,' somehow. Alas, that seems a pre-911 dream . . . (the BLM is even getting into the Act - for our upcoming Death Valley Workshop!)

So if there was ever any doubt as to where all your hard-earned Nocturnal entertainment dollars are going - there's your answer . . .

End of "China Camp Massacree" rant.

Flash[light] Mob descends on Bay area - Part Two

Image Copyright Dan Mitchell - www.gdanmitchell.com

This past Saturday (Full Crow Moon) nearly 40 intrepid Nocturnes took to the streets of Mare Island to photograph 100-150 year-old brick buildings, massive ship-building equipment, historic mansions, etc. - all part of our annual AlumNight event.

We will be posting work from the group on Flickr in the next few days - check back here to learn the top-secret tag!

With that green glow in the windows, what do you suppose they did in that building?

Flash[light] Mob descends on Bay area - Part One

Image Copyright Roberto Renzetti

As the East and North Bay reeled from recent earth rumblings (yeah, we felt the recent rolling Earthquake out here on Mare Island) and memories of the Zodiac re-lived (the movie stirs a lot of memories in the Vallejo/Napa area), a mob of Night Photographers fell upon the San Francisco Bay area for three nights, the first weekend of March, under the Full "Crow" Moon.

This image was part of a group shot with Tim Baskerville's College of Marin NPy course - lots of painting with flashlights at Battery Mendell in the Marin Headlands! Looks like the Zodiac was up there, lighting this scene . . .

Is there anybody out there . . . ? (part two)

Calling all Nocturnes! Well, it's that time again! - For our 13th AlumNight (now an annual) event, sponsored by The Nocturnes Night Photography Web site, at a "secure undisclosed location" in the SF Bay Area, on March 3rd.

We have a number of announcements to make, much to talk about, and work (from you!) to see. All this, and a few more surprises - should be a another great AlumNight! So-o-o, if you're an Alum, be sure bring your latest work, promo pieces, 'leave behinds,' and just news of what's goin' on in your photo-life!

We are posting this notice here to catch a few of our fair-weather Nocturnes, whose email addresses may have changed since our last event - in the hope they'll catch the news here!

If you're alumni, and for some reason have NOT rec'd email re: this event - please contact us (you know where to find us . . . ) re: the details for AlumNight. Or, if you know of an Alum who fits this category, give them a buzz, won't you?

In the wee small hours . . .

Come Commit Suicide With Frank Sinatra

This Valentine's Day, while lesser San Francisco nightspots are jammed with nauseating couples and disgusting Cupid kitsch, a different aesthetic will hold sway at the 540 club: Suicide Sinatra!

In the 1950s, Frank Sinatra recorded four incredibly gloomy all-ballad albums: In the Wee Small Hours, Only the Lonely, No One Cares, and Where Are You? The Chaperone will spin the grimmest tracks from these masterpieces, along with other appropriately gloomy selections from Chet Baker, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Johnny Hartman, and other wrist-slitting characters who know what Valentine's Day is really about.

This year, the grimness will be compounded by Ashely and Windy's morbid Valentines, Best Break Up Story Contest (complete with valuable alcoholic prizes!), and other distinctly a-romantic activities. They'll also take over the 'tables 'round midnight (when the Chaperone slinks off to slit his wrists) to spin gloomy '80s music from the likes of Morrissey and Joy Division.

Needless to say, the fantasitic 540 staff will be happy to satisfy all your needs with the stuff that satisfies all your needs: alcohol. And remember, you're not just drinking for yourself--you're drinking for the bitch/bastard who's not there, so make them all doubles.

It all starts at 9:00PM sharp at the 540 Club, 540 Clement (near Green Apple), and continues until the hours grow too desparate even for the desparate.

Please omit the flowers. Because you know, in the wee small hours, no one cares.

(from The Nocturnes NightNews feed - thanks to SquidList)

Sweet Sweep Suite

So, do we think that a certain television, on a certain ranch, near a certain Texas town known as Crawford, was tuned into the Grammys last night? And what do you think a certain viewer of said television thought of the 'goings-on?' None other than Joan Baez (herself no stranger to 'shut up and sing' right-leaning directives) introduced the Dixie Chicks, who performed their hit anthem, "Not Ready to Make Nice" (NRTMN).

A great pop song, expertly tuned into a viewpoint (more prevalent, daily, I'm afraid) - the likes of which we haven't seen much of since the late sixties (remember "Ohio" by CSNY; or "What are their Names" by the same-mentioned David Crosby). And, not since Grace Slick's performances with the Jefferson Airplane have we seen such vitriol aimed at a president and an administration (also, it can said, in the group's more nihilistic period - toward a society, in general) - and the Chicks managed it without all the profanity that characterized the Grace Slick works!

As Natalie Maines (she, the author of those offending 15 words) said as they accepted the 3rd (or was it the 4th Grammy): “I’m very humbled and I think people were using their voice the same way this loudmouth did.”

Later, accepting their 5th Grammy, Ms. Maines added: "I think people are using their freedom of speech with all these awards. We get the message."

Indeed - let the discussion begin!

P.S. And was Gnarls Barkley's (DJ/producer Danger Mouse and vocalist/rapper Cee-Lo) performance great, or what!

NY Times Link to the story
And the backlash starts, yet again - here

Also, The Nocturnes:(STILL) Not Ready to Make Nice

Is there anybody out there . . . ?


Did you know that I'll be leading an introductory NPy Workshop on Mare Island this weekend - as part of the SF Bay Area Flyway Festival?

Just to see if anyone is paying attention - we MAY have two or three slots available for this special (FREE) Introduction to Night Photography (Saturday, February 3rd, from 8-11pm in Mare Island's Historic Core) and my favorite place to photograph. So-o-o, if you respond here to this post, we'll put your name on a LITTLE sheet of paper, in a BIG box, and do a drawing to see who gets the slots (provided there are any - from the participants of the Flyway Festival).

Of course, if we get a flood of registrations from the Flyway, this offer will be void. The deadline for those people attending the Festival (and we're on the Honor System here, folks!) is February 1, 2007 - we can let you know if you're one of the lucky ones to go - we'll let you know by email that night.

Stay tuned . . .