Comments for Robert Balcomb Photo Forum http://robertbalcombphotoforum.wordpress.com Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:06:13 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on About by David Cox http://robertbalcombphotoforum.wordpress.com/about/#comment-193 David Cox Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:06:13 +0000 #comment-193 Hi Robert, Just checking out your blog prior to sending you the original Mortensen Landscapes that I have for preservation work. Great Website! David Hi Robert,
Just checking out your blog prior to sending you the original Mortensen Landscapes that I have for preservation work. Great Website!
David

]]> Comment on The Center for Creative Photography (CCP) by Huy http://robertbalcombphotoforum.wordpress.com/2006/05/06/the-center-for-creative-photography-ccp/#comment-177 Huy Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:06:41 +0000 https://robertbalcombphotoforum.wordpress.com/2006/05/06/the-center-for-creative-photography-ccp/#comment-177 Dear Mr. Balcomb, The biography "Me and Mortensen". I can't wait to read it. Take care, Huy Dear Mr. Balcomb,

The biography “Me and Mortensen”. I can’t wait to read it.

Take care,
Huy

]]> Comment on About by Barclay Travis Cook http://robertbalcombphotoforum.wordpress.com/about/#comment-102 Barclay Travis Cook Thu, 20 Dec 2007 03:06:25 +0000 #comment-102 Nice to see the tribute to Mortensen. His work will live a long time. I am a 77 year old photographic artist and have a couple Mortensens screens. Been using them for years along with a couple I have made. Nice web site and the very best to you....God Bless Barclay Nice to see the tribute to Mortensen. His work will live a long time. I am a 77 year old photographic artist and have a couple Mortensens screens. Been using them for years along with a couple I have made. Nice web site and the very best to you….God Bless Barclay

]]> Comment on Robert Balcomb’s “After Series” by Harry Thomas http://robertbalcombphotoforum.wordpress.com/2006/05/07/robert-balcombs-%e2%80%9cafter-series%e2%80%9d/#comment-100 Harry Thomas Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:37:29 +0000 https://robertbalcombphotoforum.wordpress.com/2006/05/07/robert-balcombs-%e2%80%9cafter-series%e2%80%9d/#comment-100 It seems to be upgrade today It seems to be upgrade today

]]> Comment on Portraits and Pictorials by Julia Russell http://robertbalcombphotoforum.wordpress.com/2006/04/27/portraits-and-pictorials/#comment-75 Julia Russell Sat, 25 Aug 2007 00:06:11 +0000 https://robertbalcombphotoforum.wordpress.com/2006/04/27/portraits-and-pictorials/#comment-75 Although it doesn't seem to matter who the subject of a photograph is unless they have become famous as in the Mortensen photographs of Jean Harlow. I would like the people who study and or admire the Mortensen photographs to know that my mother was the model in "American Girl." Her name at the time was Rosemary Katherine Hart. She was born in Orange California on January 26, 1921, the fourth child of five, to William O. Hart, an early California Congressman and the founder of the Orange Daily News and to Elsie Clough Hart who graduated from Orange High School in 1909 and was the first telephone operator in Orange. She was a world class beauty her whole life until she died at the age of 81 in a South Coast Hospital. She was just Mamma to my two older sisters and younger brother. She was an American Girl. Although it doesn’t seem to matter who the subject of a photograph is unless they have become famous as in the Mortensen photographs of Jean Harlow. I would like the people who study and or admire the Mortensen photographs to know that my mother was the model in “American Girl.” Her name at the time was Rosemary Katherine Hart. She was born in Orange California on January 26, 1921, the fourth child of five, to William O. Hart, an early California Congressman and the founder of the Orange Daily News and to Elsie Clough Hart who graduated from Orange High School in 1909 and was the first telephone operator in Orange. She was a world class beauty her whole life until she died at the age of 81 in a South Coast Hospital. She was just Mamma to my two older sisters and younger brother. She was an American Girl.

]]> Comment on About by Edward S Carmick http://robertbalcombphotoforum.wordpress.com/about/#comment-20 Edward S Carmick Fri, 23 Feb 2007 04:34:53 +0000 #comment-20 Would you do a Mortenson style portrait of my wife witha texture screen? Thanks, Ed Carmick Would you do a Mortenson style portrait of my wife witha texture screen?

Thanks,

Ed Carmick

]]> Comment on Robert Balcomb’s “After Series” by Larry Lytle http://robertbalcombphotoforum.wordpress.com/2006/05/07/robert-balcombs-%e2%80%9cafter-series%e2%80%9d/#comment-3 Larry Lytle Wed, 05 Jul 2006 22:49:41 +0000 https://robertbalcombphotoforum.wordpress.com/2006/05/07/robert-balcombs-%e2%80%9cafter-series%e2%80%9d/#comment-3 Sam, Of all Mortensen's students, I have always felt that your work comes the closest to capturing the feel, both technically and emotionally, of his later images. For that you are to be congratulated. Through all the changes, you are keeping a photographic process alive. I know that you're trying to teach others to keep his techniques going. In this time of digital photography's dominance, this is going to become more difficult. The paper and chemistry are becoming more limited in availability, if they are available at all. It is a shame. Yet, I think it's not the process that is as important as the ideas, and the emotional content of the work. Perhaps how it's done is not as important as what is done. If we are so concerned about the process, it seems that we are violating Mortensen's philosophy about "getting the picture." In a sense, we become like Adams, fretting over how the image was produced, that it maintain some kind of obscure, technical photographic integrity. When all we are really reaching for is a quality or emotional content that is separate from how the photograph was made. The reaching for that emotional quality is how I see you carrying on Mortensen's legacy. It's plainly there in your work. Try not to get despondent that a paper, or a type of film is no longer available. As time went on Mortensen lessened or abandoned some of his processes in favor of others. But, the content of his photographs stayed the same. You are truly taking up the torch of Mortensen's work while clearly making your work your own. That is a difficult thing to do. Don't give up. Even after all the years that you've been an artist there is still so much more for you to say and do. And so, I want to say, thank you for everything you have done to this point and everything that is still to come. Sam,

Of all Mortensen’s students, I have always felt that your work comes the closest to capturing the feel, both technically and emotionally, of his later images. For that you are to be congratulated.

Through all the changes, you are keeping a photographic process alive. I know that you’re trying to teach others to keep his techniques going. In this time of digital photography’s dominance, this is going to become more difficult. The paper and chemistry are becoming more limited in availability, if they are available at all. It is a shame. Yet, I think it’s not the process that is as important as the ideas, and the emotional content of the work.

Perhaps how it’s done is not as important as what is done. If we are so concerned about the process, it seems that we are violating Mortensen’s philosophy about “getting the picture.” In a sense, we become like Adams, fretting over how the image was produced, that it maintain some kind of obscure, technical photographic integrity. When all we are really reaching for is a quality or emotional content that is separate from how the photograph was made.

The reaching for that emotional quality is how I see you carrying on Mortensen’s legacy. It’s plainly there in your work. Try not to get despondent that a paper, or a type of film is no longer available. As time went on Mortensen lessened or abandoned some of his processes in favor of others. But, the content of his photographs stayed the same.

You are truly taking up the torch of Mortensen’s work while clearly making your work your own. That is a difficult thing to do. Don’t give up. Even after all the years that you’ve been an artist there is still so much more for you to say and do. And so, I want to say, thank you for everything you have done to this point and everything that is still to come.

]]> Comment on Robert Balcomb’s “After Series” by Stuart Vail http://robertbalcombphotoforum.wordpress.com/2006/05/07/robert-balcombs-%e2%80%9cafter-series%e2%80%9d/#comment-2 Stuart Vail Sat, 10 Jun 2006 15:38:12 +0000 https://robertbalcombphotoforum.wordpress.com/2006/05/07/robert-balcombs-%e2%80%9cafter-series%e2%80%9d/#comment-2 Adams probably <i>would</i> have hated this work. His contribution to photography is truly great, but it's too bad that he and the likes of Beaumont Newhall and Group <i>f</i>-64 had to attack Mortensen as they did. From their Manifesto: "Group <i>f</i>-64 limits its members and invitational names to those workers who are striving to define photography as an art form by simple and direct presentation through purely photographic methods. The Group will show no work at any time that does not conform to its standards of pure photography. Pure photography is defined as possessing no qualities of technique, composition or idea, derivative of any other art form. The production of the 'Pictorialist,' on the other hand, indicates a devotion to principles of art which are directly related to painting and the graphic arts. "The members of Group <i>f</i>-64 believe that photography, as an art form, must develop along lines defined by the actualities and limitations of the photographic medium, and must always remain independent of ideological conventions of art and aesthetics that are reminiscent of a period and culture antedating the growth of the medium itself." No problem with that. However, efforts were made to denounce Mortensen's work and the man himself, even to the extent of labeling him the "antichrist," discouraging museums from acquiring or exhibiting his prints, and making sure his name was not included in photography compilations and history books. Sounds to me like the <i>modus operandi</i> of the current administration! Adams probably would have hated this work. His contribution to photography is truly great, but it’s too bad that he and the likes of Beaumont Newhall and Group f-64 had to attack Mortensen as they did. From their Manifesto: “Group f-64 limits its members and invitational names to those workers who are striving to define photography as an art form by simple and direct presentation through purely photographic methods. The Group will show no work at any time that does not conform to its standards of pure photography. Pure photography is defined as possessing no qualities of technique, composition or idea, derivative of any other art form. The production of the ‘Pictorialist,’ on the other hand, indicates a devotion to principles of art which are directly related to painting and the graphic arts.

“The members of Group f-64 believe that photography, as an art form, must develop along lines defined by the actualities and limitations of the photographic medium, and must always remain independent of ideological conventions of art and aesthetics that are reminiscent of a period and culture antedating the growth of the medium itself.”

No problem with that. However, efforts were made to denounce Mortensen’s work and the man himself, even to the extent of labeling him the “antichrist,” discouraging museums from acquiring or exhibiting his prints, and making sure his name was not included in photography compilations and history books. Sounds to me like the modus operandi of the current administration!

]]> Comment on Robert Balcomb’s “After Series” by Ted Harper http://robertbalcombphotoforum.wordpress.com/2006/05/07/robert-balcombs-%e2%80%9cafter-series%e2%80%9d/#comment-1 Ted Harper Mon, 08 May 2006 19:34:34 +0000 https://robertbalcombphotoforum.wordpress.com/2006/05/07/robert-balcombs-%e2%80%9cafter-series%e2%80%9d/#comment-1 Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful! I have so many superlatives that I don't know where to begin. Perhaps at the beginning... It's gorgeous and will take me some time to review completely.  I will. Although your application of computer technology is awesome and beautiful, I'll jump to the chase and leave those details 'til later. Of greatest interest to me, and I'm sure to others as well, is the masterful way you, Robert Balcomb, have captured the essence of William Mortensen's body of talent.  You deserve the highest praise as a Master Portraitist. I enjoy viewing and studying your photographs, particularly of people, and I know that each one has required much concentration and many hours of effort. Thank you for carrying on with something few others could attempt. I like your artistic pictures -- they are more than mere photographs. Ansel Adams would hate you! Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful! I have so many superlatives that I don’t know where to begin. Perhaps at the beginning…
It’s gorgeous and will take me some time to review completely.  I will. Although your application of computer technology is awesome and beautiful, I’ll jump to the chase and leave those details ’til later. Of greatest interest to me, and I’m sure to others as well, is the masterful way you, Robert Balcomb, have captured the essence of William Mortensen’s body of talent.  You deserve the highest praise as a Master Portraitist. I enjoy viewing and studying your photographs, particularly of people, and I know that each one has required much concentration and many hours of effort.

Thank you for carrying on with something few others could attempt. I like your artistic pictures — they are more than mere photographs. Ansel Adams would hate you!

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