But as we all know, one man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure. In this case, it’s Rick Norsigian’s treasure. Some 10 years ago he bought a bunch of photographic plates at a garage sale for $45…after haggling down from the $70 asking price. Turns out these plates are some of Ansel Adams’s thought-to-be long lost plates that perished in a fire that consumed the photographer’s darkroom in 1937. In total, Mr Norsigian has 65 plates, which have now been valued at $200 million. That’s not a typo.

See more photos from this stash in this CNN slideshow.

On the flip side, Ansel Adams’s grandson, Matthew Adams, doesn’t think they’re his grandfather’s photographs; neither does Bill Turnage, managing director of the Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust, who is seeking legal counsel and might sue Mr Norsigian for using a copyrighted name for commercial purposes. Read more here.

UPDATE 2010/07/30: KTVU in Oakland, California, say they’ve found the real photographer behind the mysterious plates: Uncle Earl. You just can’t make this stuff up, can you?

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1. Making Photographs

by Sean Leahy

During a recent vacation, I was visiting some family in North Carolina for a few days on my way up to New York City for a photography work shop and to visit some friends. While sharing some prints I had made from my last trip to New York City and Grand Central Terminal, my aunt revealed that she worked for the company hired to restore the ceiling in Grand Central, and she was one of the project managers. It reminded me to call my contact at the MTA to see if I could get another special tour while I was in town.

“You’re not going to believe this,” predicted the voice on the cell phone, “but it just so happens that I have a special tour already booked on Wednesday for a photographer from some newspaper in England. If you want, you can tag along.” I said Wednesday would be perfect and confirmed the arrangements.

I emerged from the subway at Grand Central Terminal Wednesday morning a few minutes early, so I decided to get a coffee and make one last check of my gear. I know how my host for the day operates—once we get going, there’s no stopping or going back. I was traveling lighter than usual. Whatever I brought with me was going to be on my back until late that night, so I left my 70-200mm zoom and fish-eye lenses at the hotel. I knew from prior experience at GCT that the long lens had limited value and the fish-eye was an unlikely creative choice for what I expected to see… but what was I going to see?

When I got to the Station Master’s Office, I found out that the itinerary for the day revolved around the same places I had photographed on my last tour of the terminal. “No problem,” I thought, “I can go back and try to get some of the shots that didn’t turn out, or some of the things I missed. Maybe I’ll see the same things in a different way. At least I know what I’m in for this time.” But (to my delight) the other photographer didn’t show. So I convinced my guide to show me something new. And new I got.

 

“I’m going to take you to a part of the terminal that has never been photographed before. It’s been there the whole time, but it’s also new. You’ll be the first photographer to go in there.” I was lead through a series of doors, elevators and three different security checkpoints, until we arrived at Grand Central’s new (and unfinished) Operations Control Center. I pulled out my tripod and my trusty Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 and took a few long exposures at f/16. Next I was lead through another set of security checkpoints and up a flight of stairs to what, I’m told, the press like to call the “War Room” (much to the dismay of the officials at the MTA, who prefer “Situation Room”).

 

From these locations, the MTA has communication with every train on the line and a view of every switch and from here can manage all public relations with the media. Sometime this month, as I understand it, there is supposed to be a Discovery Channel feature on Grand Central’s new OCC.

Along the way we took a detour and climbed up behind the clock that faces 42nd Street. It is the world’s largest example of Tiffany glass and it is linked directly, via satellite, to the atomic clock at the Naval Observatory in Bethesda, Maryland. I was told I’d have to go through some pretty tight places to get up there, so I left my camera bag and tripod behind and carried only my camera and a couple of lenses. Through an opening in the wall, not deep enough to be a closet, much less a hallway, an unusual door opened to a dusty space of concrete and brickwork dating back to the early beginnings of the building. It was warm and dark, lit only by a couple of tungsten light bulbs. We climbed up a couple of simple steel ladders, clearly fabricated for this location, through a crawl space, over some large pipes (of unknown purpose), and up another ladder.

 

We finally arrived at the platform supporting the gear-works of the clock behind the clock face, and I got right to work; but I soon ran into a problem: There was a lot of light coming in from the clock face, relative to the lack of light from where I was standing, and I wanted to get more detail out of the gears that ran the clock. I didn’t have my tripod, so HDR was out. I didn’t bring my hot shoe flash, and although my camera has a built-in flash, it casts a shadow on the floor when using it with my Sigma 10-20mm lens. Solution: I turned the camera upside down and shot with the onboard flash. It worked perfectly! I climbed back down from the gear platform and nodded to my guide that I was ready to move on.

 

“Wait.” He said, “I have one more thing to show you. Here’s what you’re going to do. I’m going to open this window, and you’re going to hold your camera outside—now, be very careful! Do not drop your camera—You’re going to turn your camera around and shoot backwards and up at the clock.” So I wedged myself into position, stuck my arm out of the window (camera strap wrapped three times around my wrist), and took a few stabs at it. In retrospect, I wish I had brought my fish-eye… Maybe next time.

After our trip through some of the more secure areas of the terminal building, I was taken down to the train platforms to get a few shots of the train and sign pictured at the top of this article. It is hot and humid on the terminal platforms, and very noisy. The day was wearing on, and I knew that my host needed to return to other functions, so I set about finding my locations and angles quickly. Sweat was already dripping down my face as I began setting up my tripod. The train and platform were to be briefly unoccupied, allowing me just enough time to get a few clear shots. To maximize DoF I used f/20 with a 2 sec. timer, MLU and a cable release. (Incidentally, the sign in that photo was backlit, so I used a couple of pocket-sized flashlights to “light-paint” the sign and balance the exposure.)

 

After I finished on the platform, we couldn’t think of anything more to go look at, and it was time for my escort to get back to work. But I still had about an hour left before I needed to move on to my next appointment. So I decided to get a few more shots of that famous ceiling. The flag that has hung above the information booth in the center of the concourse since 9/11 had been removed (something to do with some sort of promotion, I was told) so I was able to get a clear shot of the whole ceiling.

I stand by my statement in my last article, that you could spend a couple of weeks photographing in Grand Central Terminal alone and never run out of subject material. As I’m taking the opportunity now to review my photos from this and previous adventures into Grand Central, I realize there are still quite a few shot I want to go back and get. I guess that leaves me something to do next time!

More images from my forays into GCT can be found here.

Check out my related article Photographing the 7 Secrets of Grand Central Terminal, Part 1: Hidden in Plain Sight.

Sean Leahy is a vagabond musician and photographer who employs both as reason and means for traveling the world. Follow him on his blog, 43mm2creativity.

All photos: ©Sean Leahy.

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Note: Links in this article might be to one of our affiliate stores. Purchases made from our affiliates through these links will benefit Enticing the Light at no extra cost to you.

Related posts:

1. The Secrets of Grand Central Terminal
2. Must You Hand Your Camera to a Police Officer if Asked?
3. Happy Birthday, EtL!

Charles Moore was the only one to capture the arrest of
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Charles Moore, who may be best known for his photographs taken during Martin Luther King Jr.’s civil rights struggles, passed away on March 11th in Florida at the age of 79. Born in 1931 in Hackleburg, Alabama, he rose to fame after taking the only photo of 2 police officers arresting Martin Luther King in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1958. The photos of the incident were carried by The Associated Press, and LIFE magazine published one of them.

Andy Warhol Red Race Riot screen print

Andy Warhol’s screen prints were inspired by Moore’s photos of police dogs attacking demonstrators in Birmingham, Ala., in 1963; probably the most recognized photos of Moore’s long career. U.S. Senator Jacob Javits and the historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., said that Moore’s pictures “helped to spur passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964″. [1]

One of his shots was chosen as one of LIFE magazine’s 100 Photographs That Changed the World [2]. It has been said that he helped bring the 1960′s civil rights movement to the rest of the world and hastened change in some respect.

After high school and three years service in the Marines, Moore completed his formal photography training at the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, Calif. He was known for taking chances by using short lenses much of the time and getting in close to the events around him. He often appeared in the pictures of other photographers who were standing back. [3]

Birmingham 1963

 

Moore also covered events during the Dominican Republic civil war, uprisings in Venezuela and Haiti, and Vietnam for LIFE magazine, Fortune Magazine and The Saturday Evening Post. Moore published a book of civil rights photography called Powerful Days, recently reprinted in 2007.

–Peter Zack

[1] Wikipedia
[2] A Tribute to Charles Moore
[3] New York Times

Note: Links in this article might be to one of our affiliate stores. Purchases made from our affiliates through these links will benefit Enticing the Light at no extra cost to you.

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Friday morning, January 29^th 2010, I was having breakfast while perusing the usual suspects of Photography blogs, when I hit Photo Induced, curated by the tireless Damon (he’s been writing his blog since November 2005!). I was a bit behind on his latest news, because the first article that came up was talking about OnceMany.com, a 365 site with a twist.

Shane Rich sat down one day on a large rock in the Colorado Rockies and thought, I should start a 365…with a twist. That’s how I imagine it, anyway. The twist? He’s creating each daily photo for a different client, because he’s selling each one of them. And the price? Depends on the date you choose. On January 1^st it’s $1, on the 2^nd it’s $2, on the 3^rd it’s $3… I think you get the idea. And yes, on December 31^st the price will be $365. Not only will Shane come up with an idea for a photograph and shoot it, he’ll also send you a print.

Back to Friday morning. I thought I’d buy my wife’s birthday but it was taken. Not to be deterred, because I always like supporting good ideas, I decided to get a date for EtL. Seeing January 31^st was free, and wanting to help Shane with empty days, I booked it. Shane e-mailed me quickly to ask about any ideas I might have and I unloaded my request: Shane, you have 48 hours to come up with a single photo describing EtL. And believe me, Shane delivered.

If you want to see what he came up with, check out January 31^st on OnceMany.com. Make sure you see his other days too; and while you’re at it, consider buying a day for your business, your spouse, or even yourself! C’mon, don’t make him eat that camera…

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1. Shedding Light on Dan Phelps, from A LEGO a Day
2. Vote for EtL!
3. Justifying 15 Lies about Photography

I know several photographers who go by the axiom “It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission”. I suppose in the cut throat world where the difference between you and the guy getting paid is whether or not you got the shot, not whether or not you followed the rules, that might be valid. On the other hand, good things do come to those who play it by the book.

At the moment I’m lucky to have a job that gives me some free time in New York City several days a month. A friend, Byron, mentioned in conversation that it might be fun to go into New York’s Grand Central Terminal with a tripod and do some longer exposures. I thought that was a great idea, but began to wonder what the rules were, post 9/11 New York City and all. Once we had decided on when we wanted to go, I started making the phone calls to get the clearance we needed.

“It’s a terminal. Grand Central is a terminal. It’s not a station. It’s a terminal. Trains stop here. It’s the end of the line. The subway has a station, but Grand Central is a terminal.” Once we got that settled, I answered a few questions regarding my purpose in photographing the place. “This is your lucky day!” said the colorful character on the other end of the line. “It just happens that I will be giving someone a tour of the M42, the lowest sub-basement at the terminal, the lowest point on Manhattan Island, and Platform 61—FDR’s private, secret platform at the Waldorf Astoria.” On a second call to firm up a few details, the pot was sweetened to include a trip to a more or less forbidden catwalk above the west balcony.

When we arrived we met our guide, who looked at a schedule board and took us out to the train platforms. “Ok, follow me.” He said, “I’m going to get you set up for some great shots. I know you’re the photographers, but trust me.” I was able to get a few good ones of commuter trains arriving and about 1,000 people pouring out of each.

After about half an hour, and setting up at a few different tracks, we headed for the West side catwalk.

Our guide had to call ahead to let the security know we were going to be there. And we were told to hold on to our camera gear tightly. If something were to get loose and fall from our perch, we’d all take our last breaths before it hit the ground, and more importantly, of course, our host that day would lose his job. We were afforded ample time on the catwalk, never felt rushed, even though our host repeated that we really shouldn’t be there and we should get our shots quickly. Byron and I worked up a sweat in short order—making our shots, changing lenses as quickly and safely as possible, switching between tripod and hand-held, making use of the three open windows available to us. I used my Sigma 10-20mm most for this location, coupled with my Pentax DA* 16-50mm f/2.8. I had my Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 with me as well, for longer shots or detail work, but didn’t use it from this vantage point, or much at all for this shoot.

The special tour we were afforded was originally planned as a birthday gift for Sheryl (AKA *Bitch Cakes*) whom we now met (read Sheryl’s side of the GCT story on one of her other blogs). Sheryl is an interesting character; every day she dresses herself in 1940s and 50s vintage-style clothing, which is in stark contrast to her many tattoos. We followed our guide to a nice vantage point over the main concourse for some portraits (an interesting perk to the photographic marathon that was our day).

Next we were taken down on a rickety old service elevator to the super-sub-basement level of the terminal, known as M42. We arrived as our guide was telling us the story of a plot to sabotage the railway during WW2. The M42 was a super secret level to the terminal that wasn’t on any of the design plans. Few people more than those who actually worked down there or those who built it knew of its existence. During WW2, if you were to find your way down to that level, without the proper clearance, you’d have been held there till the end of the war. Hitler came to know of its existence, though, and launched a plot to sabotage the AC to DC converters kept in the M42 by pouring bags of sand in them. This would have effectively crippled all troupe movement along the Eastern Seaboard. So, if you were caught holding bags of sand when those doors opened, you’d have been shot on sight. The CIA, however, was aware of the ploy, and the would-be saboteurs were caught before they could perpetrate their crime.

The M42 is a large, cavernous room, nearly 3 stories. About half of the floor space along its main concourse holds the current converter grid, while the other half is dedicated to preserving the old machines, for the sake of history.

Upon re-emerging on the ground level of the terminal, we picked up some hard hats and headed outside, crossed a couple of streets and entered into an unassuming little side door at the Waldorf Astoria. It was about 90°F (32°C) outside. Our guide told us, when we returned it would feel like 70°F (21°C)! Down a couple of long stair cases, and we arrived at what was FDR’s secret platform below the Waldorf on Track 61. The area was quite disheveled, more like a construction site than anything that would reveal its rich history. Tracks ending, bare earth, partially finished wooden paths, bare cement and steel foundation works. You can hear commuter trains passing on nearby operational tracks just beyond a retainer wall. The heat was oppressive. Sitting in this environment, quiet and unassuming, is an old rail car with the markings “MNCX 002”.

There seems to be some conjecture as to whether or not this car actually belonged to FDR, but I’m perfectly happy to believe it did. I whipped out the tripod and took several long exposures (20-30 sec). On this one, I used a pocket sized flashlight to add a little more light to the ID markings. We emerged from below the Waldorf, and, as predicted, the 90° heat at street level felt like a cool, breezy 70°F (21°C).

Through it’s many renovations over the last century, a sense of history has been maintained at Grand Central Terminal. While it is a fully functioning rail terminal and subway station with all of the modern amenities, many items of historical significance have been preserved. In the Biltmore Room (aka. The Kissing Room), located near Track 42, you will find one of the original schedule chalk boards. Instead of simply tearing it down and destroying it, when they upgraded to flip panels and later LCD displays, it was encased in glass and left to stand as a testament to time.

This dedication to history and attention to detail goes beyond what one might expect. During a renovation in the mid-90’s, they restored a service elevator (the one that took us to the M42 level). The paint had chipped away over time and use. They restored the paint to its original colors, even though only employees would ever be expected to see it, and only a few of them.

You could probably spend a couple of weeks just shooting the sights associated with GCT alone. Be sure to bring your wide angle lenses to capture the grand scale of this icon of New York City. Inside the terminal I shot 800 ISO almost exclusively. You’ll need at least that if you want to hand hold, and some pretty hearty image stabilization, or use some sort of camera support, like a monopod or tripod.

Shooting with a tripod in Grand Central is absolutely no problem; just call ahead to get the clearance you need to do so. Be prepared to answer a few questions about who you are and your purposes in photographing the place. Upon arrival you will be issued a “Special Pass”—a sticker to be worn identifying you as having special clearance to use the tripod and/or other large/professional camera gear and the station’s security detail will be notified of your presence and clearance. You’ll find the staff is friendly and very helpful. But one word of advice: It’s Grand Central Terminal, don’t call it a “station”.

You can see more of Sean’s photos from Grand Central Terminal here.

Sean Leahy is a vagabond musician and photographer who employs both as reason and means for traveling the world.
All photos: ©Sean Leahy.

Related posts:

1. The Secrets of Grand Central Terminal, Part 2
2. Happy Birthday, EtL!

Text and photos by Yves Marchand & Romain Meffre.

At the beginning of the 20th Century, the city of Detroit
developed rapidly thanks to the automobile industry.

Photography partners Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre present a superb set of images exhibiting the decay and abandonment one would normally associate with a natural disaster. Please see the slide show on their webpage.

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Even though I am not a dedicated comic follower, I still fondly remember the hours I spent as a child, hidden away in my room reading Spiderman and Batman comics. I also had a large collection of 2000 A.D., which fellow Brit readers might remember. As I grew up, other activities required my time, but my love for the characters that inhabited those comic book worlds did not fade and I always looked forward to any new film based on a comic superhero. Most of the time I was met with disappointment, but every now and again a director who truly understands the comic will take the helm and create a memorable movie.

I think this is what happened with Watchmen, the seminal graphic novel by writer Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons, directed for the big screen by Zack Snyder.

I confess that while I knew about the book well before the film (surely the blood-stained smiley face is embedded in most people’s consciences), I didn’t read it until after I saw the film. This was a purposeful decision, as I wanted to see the film with fresh eyes, and then delve even further into the story by reading the book.

But it is the imagery of the movie that this post is about, this being a photography blog and all. I was blown away by the camera work in the film, most of which was inspired by the comic illustrations themselves. Moving images created from static ones, and an imaginary, alternative reality brought to life through the talents of many artists (not least of which Larry Fong, director of photography).

To come full circle and return the flesh and bone characters to the confines of 2-dimensionality, Zack Snyder hired New York photographer Clay Enos. Mr Enos had the enviable task of being on the set of Watchmen during production of the movie, with the job of documenting the process through his photography. While doing this, he conceived of a personal project photographing the characters in between takes. 220 of these photographs have now been published as a book, Watchmen: Portraits. Mr Enos has kindly made some of these available on his website.

The stark, contrasty B&W, likely inspired by Rorschach and the inherent dichotomies that support the story, works marvellously well in Mr Enos’s capable hands. I could keep on going, but I suggest you just enjoy the view.

All photos: ©Clay Enos.

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Landscape and wildlife photography Marc Langille, who you may remember from this interview, tells me that he has organised a couple of workshops during the month of September 2009. The first will take place from the 17th to the 20th of Sept. and has two spots left open. The second is still filling up and is planned for the following week, 24th to the 27th of Sept. All information can be found here.

The workshops will take place in Torrey, Utah, which is right beside Capitol Reef National Park, sandwiched between Dixie National Forest and Fishlake National Forest. If you followed those links, I dare you to not want to go. And Marc has timed the first workshop to coincide with the likeliest time for Fall Colours to be at their peak best.

For those not familiar with Marc, he is an award-winning photographer who excels at outdoor photography. You can browse his gallery here; I happen to love his hummingbirds, but couldn’t help posting further down his photo of two elk males fighting in the early morning mist.

The workshops will center around landscape photography, but there is likely to be plenty of local fauna around to satisfy those wildlife photographers out there. Luckily, Marc is an expert at both, so no matter what you find, Marc can provide you with knowledgeable advice on how to best photograph it.

I’m off to see how many air miles I have and whether they’ll take me all the way to Utah!

©Marc Langille

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1. Shedding Light on Marc Langille
2. F-BoM May 2009: Pixelated Image
3. F-BoM February 2009: Shutterfinger

So what do you think have been the most iconic photo journalistic images from the last 100 years? Today is the 20^th anniversary of Tiananmen Square and it got me to thinking about the images that have riveted you the most.

Photo: Stuart Franklin

I would have to suggest that the man standing in front of the tank is one of the most important. Maybe because we know nothing of his fate. Is he alive today? What happened to him that day?

Possibly one of the most important images because he is standing up to overwhelming odds on his own. It speaks to the power of the camera. We know nothing about this person and the only record of the event is a single image taken that day. An important piece of history recorded forever and a reminder of the political system he and his fellow citizens must endure.

Photo: Robert Capa, D-Day

Photographs can capture symbols and events leading to the freedom we often take for granted so easily. It’s an odd coincidence, that this is also the anniversary weekend of the D-day landings, that gave us in the west the freedom to go take photos of anything we like.

Photo: Nick Ut
Maybe it’s this image that changed how many have looked at the violence of war.

I would like to hear your suggestions of what you think are the most iconic photo journalistic images of the last 100 years.

-Cheers and good shooting –Peter Zack

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©Rus Anson

Every now and again I stumble across a photograph that makes me stop in my tracks (so to speak). I’d say that makes it successful, wouldn’t you? The photograph above is one such image. The photographer is Rus Anson, a student at the Academy of Art in San Francisco, USA. She’s more of a fashion photographer, which is not really my thing, but I can appreciate quality when I see it, and Rus has a knack for producing it. She has also managed to develop her own style (not to be confused with look). Quirky, whimsical, rummy… those might be some of the terms I’d use to describe it; I think her series My Circus epitomises her vision rather well.

Rus has a bright future in the industry if she decides to pursue a career in Photography. Remember you read about her on EtL first

More Beautiful Suicides here.

UPDATE (March 2010): It looks like Rus closed her old blog down and the beautiful suicides are gone. Makes me wish I had posted more of them. Her current blog is here.

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