Klezmer band. Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 2005 By William Meyers
SOUNDTRACK FOR THIS PHOTO: “FREYLACH #8” BY KLEZMER JUICE.
By Paul Goldfinger, Photography editor at Blogfinger.net.
Every once in a while I will post a guest photographer segment which might be about a famous artist or just someone who sends us an image. Or, as in this case, it could just be a photographer whose work I stumbled upon. I don’t know William Meyers personally, but I saw one of his images (above) recently and I saved a copy for this post. I can’t even recall where I saw it, but his work has been exhibited and published extensively.
William Meyers was born in 1938, and perusal of his web site indicates that he shoots mostly black and white, and mostly in New York City. His themes include NYC lifestyles, music subjects, and Jewish life here and in Israel. He seems to like music, and his photos seem to like women. He seems to be like one of his heroes Garry Winogrand, a pioneer of street photography.
Meyers has been a photography writer for the Wall Street Journal as well as a successful photographic artist.
I am drawn to some of his work because his sensibility seems to be similar to my own. In 2015 he published a book of images from the outer boroughs of New York. Those black and white photos are all made with film, and all his photos are silver gelatin darkroom prints. Myers does not do digital.
Darkroom work is exhausting to do, requires great skill, and is very time consuming. For those photographers who have gone digital from film, many consider the new technology to be a relief. The finished products, digital based photo prints on light sensitive papers or digital reproductions viewed on digital screens, are now said by many to be indistinguishable from dark room printing, but others may disagree. However, that debate seems to now be over even for those who display photos in books, magazines, galleries and art shows including museums.
William Meyers has first-rate printers do his prints for him. Many famous photo artists in the past including Cartier-Bresson did the same. Bresson thought his job was over when he hit the shutter release button.
In my case, I did my own darkroom printing when I was still using film, and I loved the results. But now my OG darkroom is used for other photo requirements like reviewing images, sorting, scanning, and editing. I also gave up matting, mounting and framing. I am pleased with my images as seen on Blogfinger.net. My gallery can be seen by clicking at the top of my home page.
But Myers is one of many who still use film, and some photographers have gone back to film. The use of film as well as darkroom developing and printing are making a comeback and are taught in college photography classes. In Japan, use of film still prevails.. It should be noted that darkroom work is still a very satisfying way to pursue photography. It is a true craft.
Now I use digital cameras and I mostly show my work on the Internet; however, when I need a print, my digital printing is done by an expert lab, printing on special paper for black and white images. Color is another story. Some digital photographers do their own printing on paper at home, but that is expensive and requires skill.
Many of my darkroom prints are available signed, in limited editions, and are available for purchase. Some are matted and/or mounted. Contact Blogfinger@verizon.net if interested or look for us at the 2026 “Art on the Porch” event.
“Busker” Union Square Subway Station. NYC. Feb. 2011. William Meyers
San Francisco Girls Band. Photographed at Banjo Jim’s on the Lower East Side. November 2011. William Meyers
Deborah Rosenthal, painter. New York City. 1998. William Meyers
