Rangefinder Magazine
January 2006
Click Here for printable version of this article.
Insight/On the Cover by Bill Hurter
In photography’s beginnings there was no color film, and for that reason, black-and-
white is thought of as “old-fashioned” or “nostalgic.” With the introduction of
Kodachrome and Kodacolor films in the 1930s and ’40s, the world of pictures became
defined by those distinctive palettes. But after 70 years of color photography,
the world has rediscovered the ageless beauty and sophistication of black-and-white,
which is now more popular than ever before. Phil Borges (pg. 54) won a Lucie for his
humanitarian work. He uses black and white to capture various tribal societies in an
effort to educate and connect people across cultures. Mark Edward Harris (pg. 100)
also travels the world, photographing the unique stories of people everywhere, from
Oklahoma to India. Award-winning wedding photographer Parker Pfister (pg. 24)
discovered different aspects of monochrome photography when he took to the streets
of New Orleans a year ago. Inspired by the film, Kill Bill, Vol. 2, Pfister desaturated his
New Orleans images, often wiping out highlight and shadow detail for a stark, powerful
treatment. Ron Pownall (pg. 40) has toured with and photographed his share
of renowned rock stars. His documentary portfolio, almost entirely made on Tri-X,
chronicles the greatest-ever era of rock. Even after decades of experience, Marty Elkort
(pg. 18), once a member of The Photo League in New York, still takes the time
to look at the world with the eyes of a new photographer. His richly toned black and
whites of everyday 1950s life on Manhattan’s Lower East Side provide a refined view
into that time. Steve Anchell (pg. 50) has taught and photographed the nude for 30
years. He has also done a great many other things, including documenting Route
66 and the places that have “survived” modernity. His medium continues to be the
full-scale black-and-white print. Jeff Sedlik (pg. 10) not only has a library of intimate
black-and-white portraits, but this past APA president and current Picture Licensing
Universal System (PLUS Coalition) president also has a wealth of knowledge about
licensing images and the business side of the photography business.
Bill Hurter, Editor
ON THE COVER:
PHOTOGRAPHER: Darwin Wiggett, Natural Moments Photography, www.darwinwiggett.com
CAMERA: Canon EOS-1N
LENS: Canon EF 20mm f/2.8
APERTURE: f/22, shutter speed unrecorded
FILM: Fujichrome Provia 100F
FILTER: Singh-Ray 2-stop soft-edge grad over sky
SCANNER: Imacon Photo
SOFTWARE: Adobe Photoshop 7.0
COMMENTS:“This tree is about 10 miles from
my home. I drive by it several times a month and
have photographed it in all seasons. One winter day
there was ice fog, and the sun was breaking through
the fog. I immediately thought of that lone tree and
fence and raced to the location. The afternoon sun was low, and I could frame the tree,
fence and sun in a pleasing composition before the fog lifted to reveal the stubble field in
the background. Although the shot was made on color slide film, I felt it translated better
as a sepia-toned black and white to give it an ‘historic,’ rural look.”
For this month’s cover, Photoworkshop.com and Rangefinder teamed up with a contest to
find a powerful black-and-white cover image. Over 1000 entries were received, and Photo
workshop.com would like to congratulate exclusive member Darwin Wiggett of Alberta,
Canada, for receiving this honor. To see more member images, visit photoworkshop.com.
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