Former Village Voice and New York Observer photographer James Hamilton lives in a small Manhattan apartment on University Place that also doubles as his studio. There’s a dark room in the corner, where Hamilton develops his images, using chemical ingredients plucked from a wine cooler. His walls are lined with books and stacks of photos, a treasure trove of portraits and reportage he’s shot over the decades, among them BB King in concert, Liza Minelli at home and Muhammed Ali out in the streets.
“This is James Stewart in Rear Window,” says director Wes Anderson, when recalling his first impression of Hamilton, and his apartment, in Uncropped, the documentary he executive produces. Hamilton wouldn’t argue against the comparison. Rear Window – Hitchcock’s classic about an adventurous newspaper photographer taken off the job by a broken leg, abandoned to spy on his neighbours – is a formative film for the cinephile cameraman.
“I was not inspired to be a photographer by that film, but I was inspired to live his life,” Hamilton tells the Guardian, very matter-of-factly, on a Zoom call. “I live in the same neighborhood that [Jimmy Stewart’s character] lived in Rear Window. Almost the same block. He mentions the Albert hotel, which is directly across from where I live.”
I’m speaking to Hamilton and Uncropped director DW Young about the film, which is not only a portrait of the man behind some of the most iconic portraits, but also a look back at a lost era in alternative news media, the staff photographer for the Voice in the 70s and 80s, with stints at Rolling Stone predecessor Crawdaddy, Harper’s Bazaar and the New York Observer flanking that period.
He’s photographed Hollywood galas, capturing images of Jane Mansfield leading a conga line and Cary Grant describing his knife phobia to guests, and has captured Jack Nicholson, Martin Scorsese, Hitchcock and pretty much every rock band that passed through Greenwich Village in some of their most funky or iconic poses. He describes his photography as “arranging chaos”, whether we’re looking at street scenes with kids playing or feminists protesting, or celebrities bringing that same disruptive energy to hotel room photo shoots.
As a photographer for an alt-weekly like the Voice, he was also poking his camera within spaces and movements that few other outlets at the time would cover with such rigor. During our interview, Young whips out a photo book featuring Hamilton’s images of the burgeoning hip-hop scene, like an image of guys hanging on a low-rise stoop with their boombox in Brooklyn’s Gravesend, and portraits taken in Hamilton’s own apartment of LL Cool J, Run DMC and pioneering group Funky 4 + 1. “The Voice was very important for covering hip-hop early,” says the director, pointing to rigorous writing from music critics like Robert Christgau, Gary Giddens and Greg Tate who, in keeping with the Voice’s whole vibe, embraced the scrappy new sound coming from the Bronx. “When I look through the old issues and start seeing the articles, it really brings it home. [They were] giving hip-hop legitimacy, treating it seriously, seeing all it had to offer as an art form and getting heavy critics involved.”
Hamilton is sitting beside Young at the latter’s Brooklyn Heights apartment. He would have logged in from his own landmark pad had he been comfortable with Zoom. He’s a very analog guy, though he has been dabbling with Facebook lately, digitizing so much of his stunning street photography as a way to archive the work and share with his intimate circles. “Putting pictures on Facebook motivated me,” says Hamilton, about his foray online. “It gave me a job. It amused me. It amused my friends.”
Those Facebook posts caught the attention of Young’s life and producing partner, Judith Mizrachy (Hamilton’s former New York Observer colleague) and became the impetus for Uncropped, a time capsule hardwired with a sense of melancholy with every page flip through the archive. Ironic that social media led to the rediscovery of Hamilton’s photography while it’s that very technology that makes that work impossible today.
Gone are the lively everyday street scenes because, as Hamilton explains, now everyone in New York is looking at their phones. Also gone are the more candid, spontaneous and authentically vulnerable photographs with actors and rock stars. “Everyone goes around with extra makeup, dressed a special way, so that they can be photographed in a completely glamorized form for Instagram,” says Young, describing today’s heavily filtered, PR’d and posed aesthetics, a stark contrast from the harsh and dramatic lighting and action Hamilton worked with. “They expect to be photographed at any moment during the day, in a selfie or whatever. They’re only comfortable with that kind of photograph. A street photograph would expose the falsity of that.”
Young also describes the collective cultural hum below 23rd street that is no longer there. The Village Voice, with its 22 Greenwich Avenue office just a quick stroll from Hamilton’s apartment, was at the centre of so much artistic and even anarchist movement, which meant its writers and photographers were already in the centre of so much action. “There was the ability to interact with many, many scenes in proximity to one another,” says Young, describing the time when the Voice was still in print, before the internet democratized but also saturated media and its value, and bohemians could still afford to live in Manhattan. “That creative combined energy was really critical. That has fractured because of prices of real estate and all the other things. A lot of that world is harder to find on the street.”
Hamilton’s work with alt-weeklies, from the Voice to the New York Observer, continued into the internet era; even after Jared Kushner bought the latter, turning it into a tabloid focused on business and real estate interests, gentrifying the brand so that it lost its character like a New York neighbourhood overrun by glass towers. “Another building’s blocking the view of the Empire State,” says Hamilton, describing the shifts.
But in the end, it wasn’t these shifting winds, in media and New York culture, that took Hamilton out of commission. He was struck by a car, which broke his leg, just like the guy in Rear Window.
Uncropped is out now in NY and LA cinemas and digitally on 7 May with a UK release to be announced
Arducam, who creates cameras and modules for embedded systems and electronics hobbyists has announced the Arducam Pivistation 5. It’s a Raspberry Pi 5-powered all-in-one camera kit that you build yourself.
Due to its modular nature, there are three different versions of the camera available. There’s the 64-megapixel autofocus Hawkeye, the ultra-low light Darksee and the 1″ 20-megapixel Klarity. All three are on Kickstarter right now.
The Arducam Pivistation 5 is powered by the Raspberry Pi 5 4GB. This means that it runs Linux, so you can use it just like normal Raspberry Pi if you wish. You can experiment with all kinds of software from the many DIY Raspberry Pi-based cameras that have been released over the last few years.
Running a full operating system like the Raspberry Pi means that it’s probably updated more often than any camera you can buy from the likes of Sony, Canon or Nikon. And you have the ability to customise it to your needs.
Do you want to run a web server on your camera or have it automatically upload images to the cloud? Well, it’s a Raspberry Pi, so you can do that pretty easily.
There are three versions of the Arducam Pivistation 5. They are the Hawkeye, Darksee and Klarity. Each of them is essentially the same, except for the camera module. Of course, the camera module isn’t just like swapping out a sensor, but pretty much all of the camera’s specifications.
The Hawkeye contains the company’s 64-megapixel 1/1.7″ camera module with a built-in fixed lens. It offers an 84-degree field of view with an f/1.8 aperture and a minimum focus distance of 8cm. It also has phase-detect and contrast-detect autofocus.
The Darksee is the low-light model. It contains 1/1.8″ sensor that shoots 8-megapixel. This makes each pixel around 6.25 times the size of those on the Hawkeye, allowing it to capture a lot more light at night despite being a smaller sensor. It features an M16 lens mount
The Klarity should also work quite well in low light. It’s higher resolution, at 20 megapixels, takes C mount lenses, sports a large 1″ sensor, and actually has larger pixels than the Darksee. This comes with an added cost, though.
All three cameras offer 10-Bit raw output, but the 64-megapixel Hawkeye also offers JPG, YUV and RGB output. All three modules contain rolling shutter CMOS sensors, and they have infrared-blocking filters, so they can only see visible light.
| Hawkeye | Darksee | Klarity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Resolution | 64MP | 8MP | 20MP |
| Sensor Size | 1/1.7″ | 1/1.8″ | 1″ |
| Pixel size | 0.8 x 0.8µm | 2 x 2µm | 2.4 x 2.4µm |
| Output format | JPG/YUV/RGB/RAW | RAW | RAW |
| Video Resolution | 1920×1080 @ 30fps 1280×720 @ 60fps 648×480 @ 60/90fps |
3840×2150 @ 15fps 1920×1080 @ 60fps 1280×720 @ 90fps |
5472×3672 @ 6fps 3840×2150 @ 8fps 2732×1538 @ 25fps 1920×1080 @ 50fps 1280×720 @ 120fps |
| Photo Resolution | 9152×6944 pixels | 3856×2180 pixels | 5496×3672 pixels |
| Lens Mount | Built-in | M16 | C Mount |
| Focal Length | 5.1mm | N/A | N/A |
| Aperture | f/1.8 | N/A | N/A |
| IR Sensitivity | Filter blocks all IR | Filter blocks all IR | Filter blocks all IR |
| Operating voltage | 5v | 5v | 5v |
| Power requirements | 7.5W | 7.5W | 7.5W |
The Arducam Pivistation 5 is currently running on Kickstarter. Pledges start at $139 for the Hawkeye, $179 for the Darksee and $279 for the Klarity. Items are expected to ship in August 2024.
Disclaimer: We only share crowdfunded projects we believe are legitimate. However, most of those projects are not in a delivery state. Make sure you look into the project and make an informed purchasing decision. While some projects may offer amazing rewards, others unfortunately may not deliver on their promises.
Nan Belli has four photos entered in the New Kensington Camera Club’s “Spring Floral Photography & Art Show” this year.
But after seeing the other 100-plus entries, she isn’t sure hers will place among the top three when they are voted upon by the public.
“I would have a hard time judging the photos,” said Belli, 61, a software engineer and hobbyist photographer from Lower Burrell. “There are a couple that are not mine that I think could win.”
There are prizes for both the photographers and voters in the show, set up in the club’s Focus on the Arts gallery inside the Pittsburgh Mills mall. The show runs through May 18.
The gallery, established in 2019, is open to the public from 5 to 8 p.m. Fridays and noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays. Voters will be given three tickets they can cast for their three favorite entries, club President Joel Varga said.
The prizes for photographers are $50, $30 and $20 gift cards for Michaels arts and crafts store.
There are also three prizes for voters — first, a $25 gift card to the mall business of the winner’s choice; second, a $15 gift card to a mall business; and third, a GQT theater package at the mall including two movie passes and two concession coupons for a drink and popcorn.
The show is in its fourth year and off to a good start, Varga said, with more participants and entries as well as more attendance and voting.
Last year, the show had 85 entries from 29 people, he said. This year, there are 103 entries from 33 participants.
Over six weeks last year, 400 people cast votes. After just two weeks this year, 200 already had voted.
“It keeps growing,” Varga said.
Centered around a floral theme, the show includes photos, digital art, paintings and multimedia works.
Those interested in visiting the gallery are advised to use mall entry 2 near M@C Discount, formerly Sears Grand, and turn left. The gallery is down the hall and across from Blackburn’s.
Founded 12 years ago, the club has 106 members hailing from Pittsburgh to Kittanning, with the majority in the Alle-Kiski Valley, said Varga, of Harmar, president since 2020. Photos by 27 members are displayed in the gallery, with much of it for sale.
Belli joined the club in 2015 after a friend invited her to a club meeting. The photographer in her family, she got her first camera just after high school.
She enjoys taking photos of urban landscapes and cities, street photography and nature.
“I like being able to capture an image or a scene the way I see it and portray that to others,” she said.
Her entries in the show, two color and two black-and-white, are of tulips, flowers on a window sill, and a closeup.
“When I see flowers, I want to photograph them,” she said. “Because they’re beautiful.”
In addition to the spring show, the club’s gallery will have a judged summer exhibit from July 4 to Labor Day, and a fall/winter exhibit that starts around Thanksgiving and runs to February.
Brian C. Rittmeyer is a TribLive reporter covering news in New Kensington, Arnold and Plum. A Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University’s Schreyer Honors College, Brian has been with the Trib since December 2000. He can be reached at brittmeyer@triblive.com.
A departure from the typical “professionally designed architecture” we often see here on Project of the Week, today we’re exploring a few American gems with one of APA’s favorite photographers, Tom Harris.
Deeply rooted in the culture of a place, vernacular architecture is often function over form, but that doesn’t mean it’s void of charm. In fact, vernacular architecture often ends up being some of my favorite “designs.”
Take these grain bins, grain elevators, and copper mine headframes photographed by Tom, for instance. It’s not the typical shiny high-rise or elaborate private residence we are accustomed to seeing from the Heidrich Blessing alumni. At least to me – these shots carry a greater weight. Infused with a sense of place and time, Tom’s photographs feel reminiscent of a bygone era.
“Last week in Michigan I photographed three of the four remaining headframes from the old copper mines up there. I grew up spending my summers in the copper country and undoubtedly these structures altered my life trajectory, I have always been interested in them,” Tom explains.
Tom squeezed in these shots right around dawn or dusk. The orangey-red hues contrast beautifully against the blue skies. We can feel a chill in the air and smell the rusting metal. Tom does a lovely job of anchoring us in each scene, where we can take the time to imagine experiencing these locations, and note the shapes, colors, and textures in each frame. I appreciate how we can see the similarities and differences between each headframe – each shot is distinctly different but a piece of the whole story.
“The grain bins and elevators are from my [recent] trip to Nebraska,” Tom shares. “They were shot on the way to the airport, mostly at high noon. It’s not exactly the best light for the bins, but the contrast against that blue Great Plains sky is pretty nice.”
Humbly, I think high noon works pretty dang well for these structures. The harsh sun creates specular highlights and pulls out the repetitive, rhythmic textures on the metal bins. The hard shadows feel in line with the hard materials and industrial elements.
What a crisp shot!
Tom also includes lots of little elements that are fun to spot. On the left, faint powerlines overhead slide our eyes through the frame. On the right, we notice a person climbing the side of the bin.
I love the birds flying by the elevators in the frame on the left! What a cool detail. On the right, hard shadows and highlights carve out the forms at hand! Again, the orange/blue color contrast looks so good!
An enormous thank you to Tom for sharing his personal project with us. It’s such a joy to explore all the different types of architecture and design found throughout the world. Seeing human creativity and ingenuity at work is a powerful thing!
Tom’s website is tom-harris.net and his Instagram can be found at @tomharrisphotography
If you have a project you’d like to be considered for Project of the Week, you can submit it here.
“Peas In A Pod” 10 x 10 inches. All images © Jason Limon, shared with permission
Reaching toward universal experiences unclouded by specific identities, Jason Limon strips his recurring characters to the bare bones. The San Antonio-based artist (previously) continues his uncanny paintings of skeletons, who find themselves in precarious, startling, and genial situations. Recent works include “Peas In A Pod,” which features two friends adopting new heads from a large, curved shell. Similar smiling orbs appear in “The Right Grape” as a character chooses and fits the cheerful green fruit onto its neck.
Working in acrylic paint, Limon conjures myriad textures, whether through the deckled edges of a paper-craft structure or thin, crinkled plastic wrap. Combined with his muted palette of neutrals and jewel tones, these three-dimensional effects imbue the scenes with a vintage charm and a sense of timelessness.
Limon is currently working on a few personal projects, so keep an eye on his Instagram for updates. Find originals and prints in his shop.
“Drift,” 12 x 9 inches
“The Right Grape,” 9 x 12 inches
“Succumb,” 6 x 8 inches
“Lightning,” 6 x 8 inches
“Framed II,” 8 x 10 inches
“Look Around,” 10 x 10 inches
“Sleepy,” 6 x 8 inches
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Jason Limon Gets to the Heart of Human Emotion in His Soul-Stirring Skeleton Paintings appeared first on Colossal.
