I have a horrible sense of memory. That said, I think I remember finding the photography of Bob (aka Bats1234) somewhere on the internet. It might have been on Curbed SF. I do, however, remember the photo. It was a unique view of the ice rink at Justin Herman Plaza. Moments later, I RSS’d his entire photstream and never looked back.
I emailed Bats1234 recently and asked him a few questions….
“This Battlestation Is Fully Operational” by Bats1234
Talk about your chosen image? When was it taken? Where? Why did you take it? What did you think of your image once processed?
This photo was taken in an open stairway at the Embarcadero Center – a place that has always fascinated me. The Center is a failed urban experiment of concrete walkways, offices, and businesses. Built in the late 1960’s and 70′s, it’s bold and cold – a giant habitrail that never quite lived up the planner’s vision of warm and efficient workplace, shopping center, and gathering spot. The picture captures that – the massive power and abandoned coldness of the Center’s underbelly.
I took the picture in late October, on my first day out with a new 50mm lens. I purchased the lens for portraits but wanted to see what I could do with it outdoors, without the aid of a zoom. Composing was hard – hand-held, dim light, using the widest aperture I had ever tried (f/1.4). And the result had an odd softness to the edges – something I still find unsettling. I’m a clarity freak and when shooting architecture my instincts go towards crispness.
Anyway, my first thought was that this scene looked like the cover of an old ‘analog’ science fiction magazine – say, an abandoned space station — or a set from a Ridley Scott movie. So that’s the way this was processed, with a glowering orange cast and an eerie shimmer of light. It is supposed to look menacing.
How long have you been making photographs?
Snapshots? Since I was in college (1971).
Photographs? You’re giving me a swell head. I’m not sure there’s a sharp edge to that transition and I don’t think I’ve gone far enough to feel comfortable with the question. I know exactly when I started climbing the elbow in the learning curve of photography though. That was one year ago, when I learned about aperture, shutter speeds, ISO, and histograms… and took the camera out of automatic exposure. A few months later I started to think about how to compose shots a bit more seriously and stop shooting every damned thing straight on (something I still tend to do).
Note that the shots I take are neither art nor photojournalism – although someday I’d like them to be one or the other. They’re digital pictures, well processed, sometimes witty, usually clear, properly lit… and rarely moving. When I get that last bit down and start to inspire people rather than amuse them, I’ll start calling myself a photographer.
What was your first camera model?
First camera? I’m old. It was a Kodak Instamatic with a flash cube.
First SLR? A Pentax ZX-50, purchased in the mid-1980’s for a series of trips to Europe and Asia.
First liquor container that looked like a camera? I have my Dad’s from the 1970’s. He used it to sneak gin into restaurants. He called it his Minolta and besides being useful, it has great sentimental value to me.
What camera are you shooting with currently (include lenses)? Why did you choose this model? What are it’s pros/cons?
I shoot with a Pentax K10D. I’ve had it for 2 years (it was a present from my partner Jim) and, like most dSLRs, it does just fine. I stayed with Pentax so I could re-use lenses from my old ZX-50. It was an economic decision. And as long as I have a camera where I can control the aperture and shutter speed… and mount some good lenses, I’m happy. It has become an extension of my hand. The only thing I would like is less noise at higher ISOs.
Speaking of lenses, I have three: An all-purpose Sigma 18-200mm, a Sigma 105mm macro, and a Pentax 50mm. I love the latter two primes for their sharpness. If there’s another lens in the future, that would be something in the 10-24mm range to capture wide angled goodness.
Are you working on any current projects? Many of your images have dark and/or humorous commentary under them. What’s the thinking behind this?
Current projects? To capture The City in the rain while we still have our winter. I may bitch and complain about going out when it’s pouring but it makes for romantic street scenes.
As for that other thing, you mean my snarkiness? Have you met my friends? They’re daft. All it takes is a little verbal swordplay and a few Tourette-like outbursts to divert them from commenting on the flaws in my pictures. It works like a charm.
Tell us about a memorable instance where having your camera made an impact of what you were experiencing.
The camera always impacts what I’m experiencing. When I’m on the beach, my brain is busy looking for a focal point, something unusual to capture. When I’m at the museum, my senses are busy looking at people interacting with the art. When I’m on the street, I’m preoccupied with finding some interesting architecture to photograph. Having a camera means having your brain stuck in hunt-mode, seeking out something to latch on to.
The most memorable experience? Taking a camera to a funeral home. It was like supermarket sweep… running around, trying to capture the starkness of the place and yes, the humor too, in a very short amount of time. Shadows became darker. Colors turned drab. Caskets suddenly had vanishing points (who knew?). And I got a good case of the willies when I tried to use a casket to steady my camera. I know I’m going to hell for that.
What would be your dream destination for photographic purposes?
New York. It has character. Big shoulders. Hard edges. Worn faces. Crowds. Lights. Views. Energy. Noise. Weather. I think you can spend a lifetime there and still feel like there’s more to capture.
What photographers past and present lend inspiration to you?
Oh boy, where to start? On Flickr, there are lots of people doing things I wish I could do. I can’t even begin to list them all. But I spend a lot of time thinking about one person in particular – Steven Hight. His photos through the viewfinder (TtV) appeal to me on a very basic level. It’s art. It’s nostalgia. It’s a Vaseline-coated view of what we see in everyday like. I don’t know how much of that comes from the TtV and how much is Steven, but I want to take pictures like that. It’s time to get a Kodak Duaflex and give it a go.
As for past photographers, that would be Robert Frank and Margaret Bourke-White. They captured the middle of last century in a way that tugs at the heart. It is impossible to see those photographs from the Great Depression, World War II, and Middle America without being moved. They were there. They saw it happen. And their photographs can transport you back.
If you could spend a day with any photographer living or dead, who would it be and why?
Wrong question. It wouldn’t be a photographer. It would be FDR. He was at the center of the last century, with history swirling around him. Kings were courted, nations crumbled, stuff exploded… and it all played out like an epic novel around him. I would spend half the day with the president and the other with Eleanor so I could hear their stories and photograph the people they met.
Who is a photographer we should all know more about and why?
Well now we’re back to Margaret Bourke-White. Let’s just say she wasn’t someone taking night shots of Fisherman’s Wharf. She was in the thick it, working for Life Magazine, recording the amazing events of the mid-century: people on bread lines, coal miners, aviators, people in concentration camps. What an extraordinary woman in extraordinary times.
Tell us something about yourself that few people know about (relating to photography….or not).
Well if you couldn’t tell, I’m fascinated with the 1930’s, 40’s, and 50’s. I love big band, jazz, deco architecture, and history books about WWII. And if I ever settle down and stop taking pictures of flowers and cupcakes, I intend to document our century along the lines of a photographer from those times. Or not. There are a dozen shots of last night’s dessert still on my camera and some of them still need to be processed.
Thanks, Bob.
