W/NW Picture of the Week #12

<p><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3573/3366958864_e0e21b9d19_o.jpg" alt="" width="525" height="700" /></p>

<p><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3609/3375439812_f506458327_o.jpg" alt="" /><br /><em> </em></p>

<p><img src="../photo/8797818" alt="" /></p>

<p>p</p><div></div>

<p>Leica M8.2 | ISO 160 | Summicron-28 | Glen Echo, MD<br>

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3038/3354606264_9996b53282_o.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="580" /><br /></p>

<center><p><img src="http://www.spirer.com/images/coupleonbench.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="480" /><br>

<em>End of the Party, Copyright 2009 Jeff Spirer</em></p></center>

<p><img src="http://troutyriver.com/pn/pnlb.jpg" alt="" /><br>

<em>This is an Eastern European friend who emigrated to Canada the 1980s, together with his wife and infant, by forcing his way off an Aeroflot flight during a refuelling stop.</em><br>

<em>St. John's, Newfoundland</em></p>

<p><img src="http://pages.sbcglobal.net/b-evans/Images43/Wrong%20Number.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>butcher</p><div></div>

<p>M8 + Canon 50/1.2 @ 1.2</p><div></div>

 

<p align="center"><a href=" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3461/3359496551_32a88c6e67.jpg" alt="" /> </a></p>

 

<p><a title=". by sandbagm, on Flickr" href=" title=". by sandbagm, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3546/3363948243_80875f5e96_o.jpg" alt="." width="750" height="563" /> </a></p>

<p>Leica M8. 21 mm F2,8 Elmarit.</p><div></div>

<p><img src="http://mikedixonphotography.net/camppenh05.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>Jeff, is that bare bulb?"<br>

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3152/2807219447_5db99e9efc_o.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<blockquote>

<p>Jeff, is that bare bulb?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Bounced. I do have a bare bulb flash, but it's a real pain to use, so I don't take it out much anymore. I usually bounce at an angle (forward) to get what seems to me to be a better look. FWIW, they didn't even notice...</p>

<p><a href="http://www.spirer.com/pioneer/images/pioneer19.jpg">This</a> is a shot I made with bare bulb. There's a slight difference in the character of the light, but I don't think it's enough to go through the trouble of dragging out the equipment to a crowded and slightly rough house environment.</p>

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<p><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3640/3376681934_d3c1669bfc_o.jpg" alt="" /></p>

 

<p>Brad, I think your recent project "The Brides of March" is outstanding photography.</p>

<p><a title="Untitled by Chaospress, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3041/2627755770_a5f0f8265a_o.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>

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<p><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2400/1719951217_b9ccb682bd_b.jpg" alt="a single shoe..." width="1024" height="819" /></p>

Elmo,

 

I took some time today to look at your oil rig photographs. Given that very few people have access to that work environment, it seems to me that you have an opportunity for a very special documentary project.

 

This is a way of life, with some inherent dangers, that is ripe for something more than a photographer going out for a few days to take some shots for an oil company annual report. I don't know what the rules are where you have worked, but in many cases just setting foot in one of the helicopters that gets one to one of these rigs requires training that precludes all but a very small number of photographers.

 

As you probably know, 16 people died last week when their helicopter crashed on the way to a rig in the North Atlantic. Unfortunately, the survival training and the survival suits and the personal EPIRBs aren't much use if you're on a helicopter that hits the ocean like a rock.

 

There is a story in all of this that you seem perfectly placed to tell.

I made the post above on a Blackberry and have discovered that the photo.net software won't respect paragraphing when a post is made from such a device. Sorry for the density.

<p>Sebastiao Salgado has taken pictures of oil well workers. They are amazing as all his pictures are. Here's a <a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_AgUU11obHl0/SEFb1yfX0PI/AAAAAAAABC8/fDOyYOpRn90/s400/Salgado1.jpg">link</a> to one of them.</p>

<p>Of course, he has not taken all that can be taken.<br>

Howard</p>