Larry Coryell is an amazing guitarist. We have been fortunate to see him a few times with other bands and as an acoustic solo artist. Here he is at the Stanley Theather in Pittsburgh in 1974 warming up the crowd for Stanley Clarke. You can see other concert images and buy a print of this one by clicking here.
Larry Coryell at the Stanley Theater 1974
Steeler nation will begin to shift their focus from Baseball to Football today as the Steelers Training Camp opens in Latrobe Pennsylvania today. I love spectator sports and this year has been a really fun season for me because the Pirates and White Sox are both doing so well. But quite honestly, basketball, hockey and baseball are all waiting around for Steelers Football to start. This shot of Brett “The Diesel” Keisel was taken at training camp in 2008. You can buy of this and see other training camp images by clicking here.
Brett “The Diesel” Keisel
The funny thing about make up is that after time and heat it starts to melt away. This can be very problematic for Zombies since there whole appearance is usually make up based. During breaks and downtime on the set of the Dawn of the Dead (1978) you wold see the make up artists roaming throw the throng of Zombies touching up the makeup as required. See other Zombie images on my commercial gallery by clicking here.
Zombie Touch Up
On a movie set there is a lot of down time, waiting time, non productive time. Producers hate this but Directors take advantage of it. While the crew was setting up and blocking a scene for Dawn of the Dead (1978), George Romero used the time to review the script and decide on his next moves. You can buy a print of this image on my professional gallery by clicking here.
Script Review
Being a Photojournalist
Photojournalism usually refers to a type of journalism where the picture is used to tell a story or express a position. When I first started in Photography it was the only thing I really wanted to do. Even back then it was tough to make a living as a photojournalist, so I learned how to do other things but my love of Photojournalism never left me. To this day I keep taking photojournalistic images even though nobody is paying me to do it. This one was taken in Paris France last summer. You can buy prints on some of these images on my commercial gallery by clicking here.
Warm up for Pari Roller
You don’t really need Press Credentials to be a photojournalist, but it sure helps. Since the assassinations of the 1960’s it is more difficult to get close to people and stages. Even in the 1970’s, I could never have gotten close enough to get this photograph of Senator’s McGovern and Kennedy at a Pittsburgh presidential campaign rally without Press Credentials.
George McGovern and Ted Kennedy 1972
To be a photojournalist you need to be able to work strange and long hours. Like a news reporter you have to be willing to do anything for a story. In 1978, film director George Romero made “Dawn of the Dead” in a local Pittsburgh Shopping Mall. I was assigned to cover the story for Pittsburgh Magazine. Since it was being shot at a shopping mall, it was filmed from 9 PM until 8 AM. I would shoot at night and develop the film and make the prints during the day to be able to make the magazine deadline. This is a shot of George Romero listening to one of the movie’s Producers and trying to stifle a laugh.
George Romero on the Set of Dawn of the Dead
Sometimes the story is not right in front of you. I was assigned to cover the One World Festival of Music in 1972 in Pittsburgh. I was sitting in the stands trying to figure out how to sneak on to the stage. I noticed some people sitting behind me and figured out it was Dino Valente and Gary Duncan from Quicksilver Messenger Service. The band was one of the headline acts that would perform later. I clicked this picture of Dino Valente kissing some unknown blonde which was the best image of the day.
Caught in The Act
Capture the moment. Henri Cartier-Bresson was the famous French Photojournalist which developed the idea that for each image there is one correct moment of capture and only one. This picture was taken at a high school football championship game and I think illustrates that point. The facial expressions all have the one pure moment of victorious joy and the pat on the derriere offers the exclamation point on the moment. Bracket your exposures and take multiple exposures to make sure you capture the defining moment.
WPIAL Championship 1974
Always take pictures of the weird stuff you may see. One might think that this is some sort of worker in a radiation suit involved in some nuclear or chemical accident. The reality is quite different. This person was participating in a race that used to happen every spring at Penn State University. People would have to run a mile and drink six beers at six different bars along the run. Participants would dress in weird costumes and the money was donated to charity. The event was eventually cancelled because the University and the town councils thought in promoted public drunkenness
One reader pointed out to me that I had misspelled the name of Rockette Morton on my T-Shirt, indeed I had, much to my dismay. Just as bad, I had flopped the image and made him left handed! Well everybody needs and editor, so I stuffed my pride and made the corrections. Here is the new T-Shirt which you can buy at my online store by clicking here.
Rockette Morton T-Shirt and Hoodie
Ian Anderson is currently touring again. He is without a doubt the best rock and roll flutist ever and a great songwriter and singer. I am sure his new show is wonderful and worth seeing but don’t think it can match Jethro Tull playing “As Thick as A Brick” in 1973. This shot was taken at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena. You can purchase a print of this image at my commercial site by clicking here.
Jethro Tull at Civic Arena 1973
It occurred to me that the life of a film director is filled with extreme highs and lows. I didn’t realize until working on a film set that these could come within seconds of each other. It takes a special person to be able to handle this kind of stress. These images of George Romero were taken within seconds of each other on the set of Dawn of the Dead in 1978.
You can buy a print of this image at my commercial gallery by clicking here.
The Joy and Anguish of Directing George Romero 1978
After the Zombies were created, zombie master Tom Savini would give the makeup a blow dry so it would set properly. Between scenes the make up crew would roam the group of zombies and check their makeup and retouch it if necessary, You can buy a print of this image at my commercial gallery by clicking here.
Toma Savini give a Zombie blow dry
You can’t make a movie without gaffers. They set the lights, set up the equipment, load film and do just about anything. This is especially true on a small budget movie like the original Dawn of the Dead (1978). Here is the crew setting up the equipment at the beginning of the shoot at Monroeville Mall. You can buy a print of this image at my commercial site by clicking here.
Gaffers setting up the Camera