Legend has it that Tom Petty wrote the third verse of Mary Jane’s Last Dance while looking down on Market Square from his hotel room.
“There’s pigeons down on Market Square
She’s standin’ in her underwear
Lookin’ down from a hotel room
The nightfall will be comin’ soon”
Who knows if it is true but Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers did play in Pittsburgh frequently and there are usually pigeons in market square. In any case, it is a fun place to spend some time in.
A few years ago I began to offer “behind the scene” images from my two day assignment on the site of Dawn of The Dead (1978.) I published 47 of the images in my 2015 book; Zombie Nights on Amazon. I have begun to realize that true fans of this cult film don’t care if the images are sharp, free of artifacts and perfectly exposed. Recently in scanning my archives for another project I found images that I never shared on this blog or in the book. They just didn’t meet my standard of work that was worth selling. So here is the first of the new ones of the crew and George Romero.
You can purchase the book at the Amazon Link above or at the Living Dead Museum in Monroeville
To view or purchase prints that are in the book and some others of high quality visit my commercial site.
Pittsburgh has a great history with Photojournalism and Documentary photography. In addition to Charles “Teenie” Harris, Elliot Erwitt, W. Eugene Smith and Duane Michals all worked extensively in Pittsburgh. Of course, Andy Warhol also experimented with photography but was not a photojournalist. Pittsburgh still pays homage to these old famous photographers. Recently Carnegie Museum opened a dedicated gallery to Teenie Harris and has made his extensive archive available on line.
I wonder about contemporary photojournalists and street photographers. In the 1970’s as a young photographer I was invited to become a member of The Associated Artists of Pittsburgh. I had the honor of exhibiting work at the Carnegie Museum (see below). However, photojournalists are no longer in fashion with art associations in the area. There were great hopes when The Silver Eye Gallery opened. Alas, they only seem to be interested in fine art photography. I am not judging this, fine art photography is fine and deserves to be exhibited, but so does photojournalism.
If you are a young photographer in Pittsburgh like Justin Merriman and fortunate to have a newspaper job, you have a way to display your work. But what of the hundreds of great photographs that he takes that do not get published. Sure there are many online groups like B&W Humanist & Street Photography Corner on facebook but they do not offer the same experience as being able to stand in front of an image in a gallery and have the possibility of buying a print.
This blog is the only avenue I have to make my plea to gallery owners and art associations in the area. People around the world love street photography. Take a moment and browse the internet. There are literally thousand of groups interested in this form of artistic expression. Open your eyes, take a chance and give young photographers the same opportunity to display their work to an audience that I had.
On a beautiful Summer morning I watched a happy father and oblivious baby enjoy the beauty of the ancient streets of Milan. Another in my selective color series.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
Milano Bike Ride
Starting on October 27, Zombie Nights Kindle Edition will be on sale for just 99 Cents. That right under a dollar. Hopefully this will encourage you to later purchase the print editions with almost 50 plate style behind the scenes images from Dawn of The Dead. The sale will end on November 3rd.
To read a preview and order your copy on Amazon, click here!
Zombie Nights
A short video of our tour through Europe in 2009.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
I miss traveling so I have been been looking through old files for summertime images. This was taken in Paris at the Jardin du Luxembourg in 2009. Every time I visit Paris we go to this garden. Paris is like any other major city, things slow down on Sunday. In the summer people have a lot of Parks to choose from in Paris. Parc Monceau,Jardin des Tuileries and Jardin du Palais Royal are some of the better known spots. However, my favorite is the Jardin du Luxembourg adjacent to Luxembourg Palace which is the center of the French Government. It is very large with many different spaces and you can see lovers kissing, joggers jogging and some of the most beautiful gardens in the world.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
Sunday In Paris
Every now and then I come across one that I haven’t published in Zombie Nights. I never published this image because Richard P. Rubinstein is in the frame. Richard is very militant about protecting his copyright and rightfully so. I am also militant about protecting mine. He tried years ago to get me not publish my images thinking I must have been an extra in the movie. I was however an invited journalist and I own the copyright of all my images including this one. Out of respect for him though, I never published or shared this image until now.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
Dawn of The Dead
Every now and then I come across one that I haven’t published in Zombie Nights. I don’t know why I left this one out. It was taken in the early morning. Most of the zombies had been sitting around doing little as shots were set up. I like the expression on the face of the female zombie. Boredom,anger,exhaustion or maybe it was confusion wondering WTF I was doing?
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
Bored Zombies
Every now and then I come across one that I haven’t published. I know why I left this one out. It is a little out of focus and the overall contrast is degraded too much to publish. Even so I know fans would like to see it so here it is. Such a captivating woman it is clear why she is a fan favorite.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
Jeanie Brown Boshoven
Imagery Photography 