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Today I heard from Rachel at the Cancer Council office. My application for a fundraising event has been approved! Really happy to be finally accepted and receive some support  from them so that I can raise more funds to aid the fight against cancer.

Couple of other developments over the last two weeks. I received an email from a girl in the Philippines who wants to use the idea behind Dollar Portraits for a local charity, Rock Ed. I was very excited for her and we will be working together in the future. More photographers are welcome! I’ve also received some financial support from a film lab which will enable me to take more photos. Another business has donated business cards which are going to the printers any day now. It’s all happening I tell ya.

I’ve taken a few good pictures. I often wonder if they were an accident or whether I’m any good at this thing. There’s an age old debate about whether the camera takes the pictures or the photographer. If you ask me it’s a little bit of column A and a little bit of column B.

The frustrating thing for me is happy accidents. You can pretend all you like and play at photographer. Compose, meter, adjust, post-process all you want. Take your photos. And somewhere in between press the shutter randomly and a week later when you develop your film find out that the one photo you didn’t intend to take was the best one of the lot. It’s a lot like a kick in the nuts from your mother.

I feel like that photographer.

An action shot with a 4×5. You have to pay respects.

Camera 4 x 5 Speed Graphic

Film Kodak

In front of 60,000 air show fans Chet Derby was performing stunts in a biplane. For the final stunt Derby was carrying out an upside down loop-the-loop, leaving a smoke trail which 3 B-29 Superfortresses were supposed to fly through. Derby was an accomplished pilot having trained countless Army Air Corp pilots. At the time he was a crop duster and flew air shows for extra cash. He would do all sorts of stunts including a wing-walker. His stunt on that day came 5 feet shy of ending his life as the B-29’s came in too early.

Bill Crouch was also a pilot and and an off duty attendee at the show. He worked for The Oakland Tribune at the time and was taking pictures of the aerobatics. He was trying to get an artistic shot of the stunt plane Derby was flying. He thought the smoke circles against the blue sky were interesting and wanted to include the plane. He composed the shot as best he could when the B-29’s came screaming across the sky with their four engines each roaring at full power. With little time to spare he recomposed and took this shot as Derby flew upside down and missed the wing of a B-29 by 5 feet.

It has been two weeks since my last installment, longer since last I posted any work. I’m on a bit of a holiday, a break, taking a rest you see. I’m not sure how long it’ll be but I planned a month off.  Could be more but I’ll do my best to continue with these installments consistently.

Camera 4 x 5 Speed Graphic

Film Kodak

Lens 127mm

Shutter & Aperture 1/100 @ f5.6

George Herman Ruth (The Babe) is an American baseball legend of the roaring 20’s. I’m sure there are many of you that have never seen a baseball game in your life but you still know the name and the legend. His records stood for decades, some broken as late as the 70’s. He hit home runs on demand, womanised, trained with hot dogs and beer, loved kids and brought joy to many fans.

Many years after retirement fans came together to honour The Babe on the 25th anniversary of Yankee Stadium, 13 June 1948. He was ill from cancer and his body language showed this. Shoulders down, heavy head, using the bat as a cane he stood and received a thunderous applause from a packed house.

Nat Fein was the photographer behind this well thought out winner of the 1949 Pulitzer. The Babe standing apart from the players, hunched over, almost a ghost of the strong record making machine of his earlier years and yet still a man of men. His legendary number 3 worn with pride for the last time. The number was to be retired and Fein knew this. The impact of the number did more for this photograph than any front on could have. It was the last public appearance for the number and for The Babe. He would die two months later on 16 August. He will live on in stories and in this photo forever.

I must apologise for missing a week. I was too busy to even post a draft last week. I’ve actually been very busy this week as well but I’ve made the effort even though it is a rushed one. I hope you enjoy it despite my whinging.

Camera 4 x 5 Speed Graphic

Film Kodak

Lens 127mm

Desperation. It grips every one of us at varying levels. How far would you go? Could you imagine shooting a police officer at the age of 15 and then taking a hostage?

Frank Cushing was working the photographic beat one Summer afternoon. He was waiting to photograph a couple of victims of a hold up. In the car next to him a police radio put out an alert. A police officer had been shot, a hostage was taken and it was right down the street!

Frank abandoned his assignment and went to investigate the scene of the crime. Two police officers had stopped a 15 year old to question him about a robbery. The boy, Ed Bancroft, took out a pistol and shot one of the officers. He fled into an alley where he grabbed another 15 year old, Bill Ronan, as a hostage.

Both ends of the lane were quickly blocked off. Ed began to threaten the police warning them not to come closer or he would shoot the hostage. He fired a few times towards the police to show he was serious.

Meanwhile our photographer on the scene took a photo from the end of the alley. He knew the photo was a waste as he was too far away. The police began to move in on Ed. He again screamed his threats and backed them up with another shot at the police. Frank knew he had to move quickly to get a closer shot. He calculated which house would give him a good vantage point and knocked on a door. The owner let him in and Frank slowly made his way to the rear porch and took his photo that won him the Pulitzer for 1948.

A police officer made his way silently behind the fence where Ed was seen in the picture. He stood up at the right time and whacked him on the head with the butt of a weapon. As it turns out the boy had nothing to do with the robbery in question.

Frank later tells, “I was wondering whether the kid would shoot me, but I wanted the picture.” In an age where hold ups were rare and close photos due to the limited focal length even rarer, Frank’s photo was genuinely remarkable.