Chester, New Jersey. Photo and darkroom print by Paul Goldfinger.
West Mt. Hermon Way alley garden. Ocean Grove. By Paul Goldfinger. Blogfinger.net 6/14/23. Click once to enlarge.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor Blogfinger.net
It’s true that the essence of a flower is often in its color, and that is probably essential for a honey bee and most photographers, but for some artists, that is not necessarily the case.
Light, texture, form, and composition are all elements that can be revealed in a photographic image. Black and white photographs of flowers reveal a unique and beautiful perspective.
Robert Mapplethorpe loved to photograph flowers and he often did so in black and white. He published a book of flower photos. He was also a master of homoerotic photography, but we’ll skip that today:
Robert Mapplethorpe. Internet photo.
Robert Mapplethorpe. Internet photo.
SANDER JURRIAANS AND DANILE BENSI: Soundtrack from the movie The Amish—“Winter”
Robert Capa, Life Magazine photographer landed at Omaha Beach with the American troops. They went in at Easy Red/Fox Green sector. June 6, 1944 .He took this photo and won a Pulitzer Prize. * (see below)
By Paul Goldfinger, MD Editor @Blogfinger
Robert Capa landed with the troops and shot quickly with his Leica 35 mm camera. He handed over his film to an aide who got the film out to a boat and then on to England for processing. Unfortunately, an overzealous lab tech ruined most of the exposures except for a few. The image above is one of them, and the Capa D-Day collection is among the best examples of American photojournalism.
There were 12 surgical teams that went in on D-Day, but only 8 made it to shore. Medics quickly organized the wounded. Medical stations and field hospitals were quickly established on shore. Of the wounded who made it to a medical station, less than 1% died.
During the month prior to D-Day, American factories manufactured 100 million doses of the wonder drug Penicillin. There were 4,644 U.S. Army nurses who were stationed on the European front in 1944. They landed on the beaches on June 10 and walked 5 miles or more to field hospitals.
Normandy, a few days after D-Day. Aircraft bring in containers of blood for transfusion. *
(Still photographs by Paul Goldfinger obtained from the movie Saving Private Ryan by Steven Spielberg.)
Troops dropped off in the bloody water move in to Omaha Beach, Dog Sector. Paul Goldfinger still. High mortality in the first wave.
Tom Hanks as Capt. John Miller regains his composure after barely making it ashore. There is mayhem and death all around. Paul Goldfinger still image.
Medics try to save lives on the beach, but deadly fire inhibits effectiveness. Paul Goldfinger still.
Nazi pill boxes take a high toll on the beach. Eventually Capt. Miller and his men break through to open the log jam. Paul Goldfinger still.
* Reference: Time Magazine D-Day 70th Anniversary Tribute (re-issue of the 2004 Time Classic)
MARTHA WAINWRIGHT. From the soundtrack of the film The Aviator
General Friedrich Wilhelm Von Steuben, who is up on his pedestal in the Monmouth Battlefield Park (Freehold/Manalapan). September, 2014. Photograph by Paul Goldfinger, Blogfinger.net. Click once to enlarge the General.
Major General Friedrich Von Steuben (1730-1794), of the Continental Army, was from Prussia. But he came to America to help George Washington train an army that could beat the British. He succeeded in doing so, and his contribution was recognized by Americans long after the war.
Gen. Von Steuben was the one who figured out that the British were heading to Monmouth. During the war he was Washington’s Chief of Staff. After the war he stayed here as an American, and he was given land and other forms of gratitude. ——Paul Goldfinger
In honor of Gen. Von Steuben, here is some Bach: “Orchestral Suite #3 in D Major” by the German Bach Soloists. From the movie “Heartbrakers”
An Ocean Grover, now in her ’80’s, was in her ’20’s when this photograph was taken with her daughter, who is now in her ’60’s. She asked me to make a copy for her daughter.
There is so much wonderful detail in this image including the tiara and the bonnet. Then the gowns with crinolines.
The way the they are looking at each other is full of mutual love and pride. And the image, although beautiful and happy in a way, reminds us all of time going by.
Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger. re-post from 2014.
By Paul Goldfinger MD, Editor @ Blogfinger.net. Re-posted.
Barry Levinson (b. 1942) is a film director known for his work featuring the city of Baltimore. I’ve always loved his movies, especially “Diner” and “Avalon. ” He also directed “Good Morning Vietnam” and “Rain Man.”
In 1987 he made the third in his Baltimore series—“Tin Men” starring Danny DeVito (a Jersey guy born in Neptune Township,) Richard Dreyfuss, and Barbara Hershey.
The film, set in 1962, is about the con-men who sell aluminum siding door-to-door in Baltimore. The characters and dialogue are wonderful including several scenes with the guys sitting in a diner discussing television, gambling, women, money and their adventures as tin men. It features a soundtrack from the 1960’s including our song below by the Nat King Cole Trio, recorded in 1940.
“Sweet Lorraine” is a jazz classic written in 1928. There have been several hit versions, and the Cole Trio rendition is the one featured in “Tin Men.”
Here it is:
I think that “Sweet Lorraine” is one of the best musical tributes written as a paean to a woman with a particular name. I found a list of 200 songs that contain a woman’s name in the title. These are the ones that have Sweet——: Lorraine, Mary, Melissa, Annette, Caroline, Virginia and Adeline.
But here is my list of favorite songs with a woman’s name in the title: (feel free to add your favorites:)
1. Judy is a Punk
2. Jennie From the Block
3. Wake Up Little Susie
4. Song for Myla Goldberg
5. Patricia the Stripper
6. Help Me Rhonda
7. Long Tall Sally
8. Lonesome Suzie
9. Christine Sixteen
10. Believe Me, Natalie
11.Run Around Sue
12. Donna and Blitzen
13. Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter
14. And finally my favorite: Don’t Walk Away Eileen
Waterloo Village, New Jersey. Date unknown. Photo by Paul Goldfinger.
In the photo above, Milt Hinton is on bass, Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar and Stephane Grappelli on violin. Don’t know the drummer. They used to have excellent jazz there, sponsored by the New Jersey Jazz Society. Waterloo Village was supposed to be the next Tangelwood—-it was so beautiful there, but mismanagement caused it to decline and then close in 2006.
STEPHANE GRAPPELLI “Sweet Lorraine” from the film “Something’s Got To Give”
“The Moon Song” is an Oscar-nominated song from the 2013 film Her, music by Karen O, lyrics by Karen O and Spike Jonze. The song was performed by Scarlett Johansson who also stars in the film. But this version is a studio duet.
Fay Wray and the Giant Octopus—a drama unfolding in the Asbury Connection aka the Casino. By Paul Goldfinger. 2012. Click for the full Monty. Blogfinger.net
The hollowed-out Casino has become a passageway — a two-way covered arcade — to connect the Grove with Asbury Park. People seek it out for photography, live music, somersaults, flirting, dancing, walking, running, traversing on wheels or on sneakers, marrying, hugging, eating ice cream, or seeking/making art. Tell us what you’ve seen there (comments below).
Here we have a glamorous photo shoot. This crew is enjoying the special light of the space, but they are not being careful, because there is a giant octopus whose sucker-laden tentacle will soon get tired of its current lascivious location and perhaps will slither over to grab young Fay Wray–the model down on the Casino floor.
SOUNDTRACK: I was thinking of the James Bond movie Casino Royal, when I found this piece of music called “Octopussy — All Time High.”
“Octopussy” is the name of the 13th Bond film, and this theme by the City of Prague Philharmonic opens the film.
Although the music has nothing directly to do with our model, who is about to be devoured in the Casino connecting the Grove to Asbury Park, she is pretty as a picture, and, like her, the music is beautiful.
Paris. c. 1995. By Paul Goldfinger. Homage to Eugene Atget photographer who documented old Paris. Digital scan from a 1995 negative; darkroom print by photographer. Click once to enlarge.
CONNIE EVINGSON. “April in Paris”. From her album Gypsy in My Soul.
Michael Goldfinger is a former Grover who was a photojournalist with the Asbury Park Press c. 1995.
MAROON FIVE. From the Valentine’s Day–original motion picture soundtrack. But the first time it was heard was in the movie “Swing Time.” In that 1936 film, Fred Astaire sang it to Ginger Rogers. It won the Academy Award.
“Just the Way You Look Tonight” was written by Jerome Kern (music) and Dorothy Fields (lyrics). Dorothy Fields later said, “The first time Jerry played that melody for me I went out and started to cry. The release absolutely killed me. I couldn’t stop, it was so beautiful.” And so it is. So many performers have covered this song.
Maroon 5 is a pop rock band from Los Angeles, but they do very well with a variety of music including old standards like this one as well as doo wop favorites.
My own experience with this song was in the 1960’s when my band was playing a beauty pageant for high school girls. They paraded around in evening gowns on the arms of their fathers. I chose this song for that part, and I could barely keep from choking up—the music and the visuals were just perfect. This song is one of my all-time favorites. —-Paul Goldfinger Editor Blogfinger.net
Chester, New Jersey. Photo and darkroom print by Paul Goldfinger.
West Mt. Hermon Way alley garden. Ocean Grove. By Paul Goldfinger. Blogfinger.net 6/14/23. Click once to enlarge.
Robert Mapplethorpe. Internet photo.
Robert Mapplethorpe. Internet photo.
