There is a portfolio of Katrina photos by Robert Polidori in this week's New Yorker. They are printed across two pages, with the filmholder-shaped border, at about 9.75" x 13.875". Must be enlarged from 5x7. First commercial use I've noticed. What a great shape.
I'm looking forward to getting my issue today!
I think Polidori is brilliant, one of the great photographers of our time.
When I look at his single-place books (Havana, Chernobyl, etc.) and see the "photographed during" dates in the back, I can never get over how quickly he works. I don't know of another large-format photographer who makes as many *high-quality* images per day....
Does he shoot chromes?
I could be mistaken but I think he might have used a rollfilm back for some of those projects, Ralph.
He's a remarkable photographer but I fiind a lot of the large format color work done for the New Yorker in general to be a bit cold. There just isn't much emotion there. (These photos are an exception.) I'll take photos like the Helen Levitt portrait on p. 83 over those any day.
John, you may be right about the rollfilm back. I probably should have said "I don't know of another *view-camera* user who makes high-quality images so rapidly," because for me at least it's the set-up time of the camera movements rather than the specifics of the film back that take so much time!
And I agree with you that Polidori's work can be very cold, but I suspect that's part of his message, just as a certain humanness is part of Levitt's. I'm not sure he's not passionate about his subject matter, but the emotional energy is also expected to come partly from the viewer, just as with Edward Burtynsky, Chris Jordan, and other artists who specialize in depicting the products of the "built world" more than portraits of the people in it.
I think he uses Portra 160 and400?
as f0r : ""I don't know of another *view-camera* user who makes high-quality images so rapidly," because for me at least it's the set-up time of the camera movements rather than the specifics of the film back that take so much time! "
I think a good number of photographers who are on assignment or even shooting a serious "personal project" tend to shoot lots and lots of film - in the end it's still usually the cheapest part of the equation. Photogrpaphing the sort of thing Polidori does many photographers (I don't actually know how Polidori himself works) will often shoot dozens - and maybe dozens of dozens - of sheets in a day
Polidori is basically an architectural/industrial photographer who has hybridized into art/documentary - from that background there is always a tendency to take more shots rather than less, compared to say the "contemplative landscape zen dude".
But also take a look at Basilicos B&W urban/streetscapes - he must take hundreds of sheets a day when he is working on something. I have one friend who, even shooting 8x10, takes a good few sheets a day to come up with enough for 80 - 100+ image books when working on a project
You'd be amazed how small the demand is for pictures of trees... - Fred Astaire to Audrey Hepburn
www.photo-muse.blogspot.com blog
If he's shooting 5 x 7 I don't think he's shooting Portra. Looks a little like Kodak NC160, which does come in 5x7.
Actually, I would like to know more about what and how he shoots. Any cites out there that aren't obvious on Google?
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