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Dec 12th, 2016

The French Connection: C’est si bon! by Judith Thompson

When asked who his favorite photographers were, Harold generally listed Henri Cartier-Bresson at the top, though later in life he might have said Boubat, whose humanist sensibilities and optimism were so close to his own. His favorite artist: Matisse. And his favorite city: undoubtedly Paris. Harold would be pleased to know that his star seems… Continue reading

Dec 4th, 2016

Peter Angelo Simon’s new book: Muhammad Ali: Fighter’s Heaven 1974 by Judith Thompson

Shortly before he died last year, Harold had been working on a blog post about the work of his dear friend and former student, Peter Angelo Simon. With the recent release of Peter’s acclaimed new book Muhammad Ali: Fighter’s Heaven 1974 (Reel Art Press, 2016) and the demise of the great fighter, I’m glad to… Continue reading

Nov 11th, 2016

The road into the unknown: A post-election Veteran’s Day reflection by Judith Thompson

Ever since receiving Erik’s email about his reflections on this photograph, I knew I would post it on Veteran’s Day. However, I had not anticipated the post-election context within which we would find ourselves on this day. I firmly believed we would be transitioning toward the first woman President who, while not perfect or uncomplicated,… Continue reading

Jun 20th, 2016

Under the Strawberry Moon: Marking the passage of time by Judith Thompson

Today is the Summer Solstice — exactly one year since my beloved Harold died. It’s also the first time since 1967 that the full moon and the Summer Solstice have coincided. The next time will be 2067. As this article in Science Alert says, this event happens once in a generation. The moon will be… Continue reading

Mar 29th, 2016 3 comments

The 2016 season opens at Coney Island: 100 free rides on the Cyclone! by Judith Thompson

Last Saturday, March 26th, marked opening day for the 2016 Coney Island season and the first 100 people to line up for the Cyclone got a free ride! Harold must’ve been salivating! I’m not sure when his last ride on the Cyclone was, but I bet if he could’ve taken his wheel chair on board,… Continue reading

Mar 8th, 2016 3 comments

Making contacts! Old, new and in-between by Judith Thompson

I can’t speak with a photographer’s authority about the value of a contact sheet for photographers shooting with film. But I do know from living with Harold that the film contact sheet was his primary tool for editing. And he was editing until the final days of his life! He relished finding images he had… Continue reading

Feb 11th, 2016 3 comments

“If this isn’t love, then maybe I’m crazy!” Happy Valentine’s Day 2016! by Judith Thompson

One of Harold’s favorite expressions was, “If this isn’t love, then maybe I’m crazy!” He often sang the words with a catchy tune. I later discovered that the song was from the Broadway musical Finian’s Rainbow. The original lyrics said: “If this isn’t love, the whole world is crazy”, but Harold’s adaptation was definitely truer… Continue reading

Jan 19th, 2016

Harold’s students: Louis Draper, Herbert Randall and the Kamoinge Workshop by Judith Thompson

In 1963 a group of African American photographers, mostly based in Harlem, came together to form the Kamoinge Workshop. The name comes from a word in the Kikuyu language of Kenya meaning “a group of people acting together”. It’s purpose was to reflect the truth about the world and themselves and to provide a supportive… Continue reading

December 12th, 2016

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