Joel Meyerowitz - Cape Light
Show notes
Episode 38 - Zach & Courtney talk about photographer Joel Meyerowitz and his project Cape Light. This series, created in 1976-77 in Cape Cod, is a fantastic and nostalgic look at what summer feels like.
Joel Meyerowitz is an early adapter of color photography in an era when “serious” art photographers chose black & white film. He is primarily known as a street photographer, but for this seminal series, now 50 years old, he put down the 35mm camera in favor of a massive 8x10 view camera, forcing himself to take a slower and more introspective approach.
In this episode, we talk about the project, the creative choices Meyerowitz made, and the feelings inspired by the resulting images.
“Photography is nothing–it's life that interests me.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson
Index
0:00 - Intro: Carrying a 8x10 camera everywhere
2:41 - Who comes to mind when thinking about summer photography?
3:48 - A quick background on Joel Meyerowitz
6:36 - How Robert Frank influenced Joel Meyerowitz
9:14 - Experimenting with larger cameras to capture more detail
9:48 - Cape Light is about capturing the feel of the place
12:37 - Lightning strike from the porch
15:25 - Laundry blowing in the breeze
18:03 - Book cover photo
19:28 - Master printer Joanne Mulberg
23:52 - The Feelings evoked from Cape Light
33:20 - How Cape Light was influential
35:51 - Thumbnail previews of all 95 Cape Light photos
37:38 - Who else should we talk about for summer photos?
Find Zach
Website: https://zachdobson.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachdobsonphoto/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zachdobsonphoto
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@zachdobsonphoto
Find Courtney
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneymccracken_/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happy_life_lessons
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@courtneymccracken_
About the Podcast
Photography is Nothing with Zach Dobson and Courtney McCracken is a weekly conversation about photography and all its impact. Each week Zach and Courtney discuss their latest adventures, life lessons, and anything else that sounds interesting.
Photography is Nothing invites you into the conversations they were already having as a married couple running a photography and media company in the current world.
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