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cole thompson photography
newsletter
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Hello Cole,
In this newsletter:
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New Images
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Images that I created when I was 14-17 yrs old
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Upcoming events
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Lenin's Tomb: the story behind the image
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William Mumler, Photographic Ghost Huckster
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What have I been working on of late? Nothing
actually.
I've been waiting for an idea to present
itself. I've had a few ideas, but nothing that has excited me
and taken off. Until that happens, I'll just enjoy the quiet
time and wait.
I'm not good at waiting for most things, but
for projects I have learned how to be patient. I used to
force it, worry about it, try to rush it...but that has never
worked for me.
What I have learned is: when it's time, I'll
be ready.
Cole
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Titus Canyon, Death Valley
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Three Hills in the Panamint Valley
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Images From When I Was 14-17 Years Old
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I recently found some old prints from my
youth, created when I was 14-17 years old. I was able to scan
them and salvage several semi-decent images.
They brought back some great memories and
reminded me of the reason why I had created images as a boy:
for the pure joy of creating.
The older I get, the more I come back to my
roots and once again create for the pure joy of creating.
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Men Watching Construction
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Fox Theater, Downtown Anaheim
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Here are several events for people in the
Denver and Fort Collins area:
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6/1/2018 from 5-7 pm - First Friday at the Bas
Bleu Theater. I will be exhibiting some of my large images
for First Friday. If you miss this event, I am also here
again on 7/6/2018 (see below). Location: Bas Bleu Theater,
401 Pine St, Fort Collins, CO 80524
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6/8/2018 at 6:30 pm - Focus Camera Club. I'll
be giving two presentations: "Why Black and White"
and then "B&W Processing" using my very simple
six-step method which is meant to deemphasize the technical
and emphasize the creative. Location: Lone Tree Civic Center,
8527 Lone Tree Parkway, Lone Tree, CO.
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6/13/2018 at 7 pm - Colorado Mountain Club.
I'll be speaking about B&W and how Vision is the most
important tool a photographer has in their toolbox, even more
important than equipment! Location: American Mountaineering
Center at 710 10th Street, Golden, CO,
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7/6/2018 - First Friday at the Bas Bleu
Theater, Fort Collins. I'm showing my large works from 5-7 pm
(I'm lucky to get two First Friday's!) Location: Bas Bleu
Theater, 401 Pine St, Fort Collins, CO 80524
If you have any questions, please email me at Cole@ColeThompsonPhotography.com
I look forward to seeing you at one of these
events!
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The Story Behind the Image
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This image is from a fun project that I'm
working on called "Smile!"
The series consists of pictures of people
taking pictures of people at iconic locations. This one is at
Lenin's Tomb.
The Story: I was visiting my son in Moscow and
on this day we were visiting Red Square. And it just so
happened that this was the day that Lenin's Tomb was being
reopened after Vlad had been "freshened up."
The tomb is very dark and there are strict
rules with armed guards: no photography, no laughing or
smiling, no gum, no capitalistic thoughts...okay, maybe that
last one wasn't a formal rule.
It was actually kinda cool and I was getting
into it by humming "Revolution" by Lennon as we
went through the chamber (get it: humming Lennon while
looking at Lenin?).
As we emerged there was a television crew who
wanted to interview me. They asked what I thought about
exhibiting Lenin: should they continue or retire the poor
devil? (my words, not theirs)
Well, I have this sarcastic streak in me and
my brain was working overtime on what to say...and more
importantly...what not to say! I decided to play it safe and
said that this was an issue for the Russian people to decide.
Pretty diplomatic, eh? (my son is a diplomat
in Moscow and maybe he gets his tact from me?)
A funny part of this story is that my son was
in the background, on camera, smiling away at my predicament.
In Russia excessive smiling is often seen as a sign of mental
impairment and his friends saw him on television grinning
away.
Here's another "Smile!" image from
the same day and location:
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William Mumler, Photographic Ghost Huckster
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Mary Todd Lincoln with the Ghost of her
deceased husband, Abraham LIncoln.
LINCOLN FINANCIAL FOUNDATION COLLECTION, ALLEN
COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY, FORT WAYNE, INDIANA
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"William Mumler was a 19th-century
photographer who took portraits of people and the ghosts of
their departed. And he made a good living at it until he was
arrested for fraud."
I was made aware of an interesting podcast
about William Mumler who in the 1800's would photograph
ghosts of loved ones, for a profit. The story piqued my
interest because I have often been accused of trying to
perpetrate fraud with my Auschwitz Ghost images.
What happens is that someone will be looking
for ghostly apparition photos and run across my series
"The Ghosts of Auschwitz-Birkenau." Once they learn
that these are not real ghosts, they become upset and accuse
me of trying to trick people via Photoshop.
And this was not my first experience with
people who believe in ghosts. Several years ago, before
Auschwitz, I was photographing a spiral staircase at the
Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. This is the haunted hotel that
inspired the Stephen King's novel "The Shining."
I was using a long exposure to
"ghost" people as they went up and down the
staircase when a Ghost Tour passed by me. One of the
participants saw the ghostly image on the back of my camera
and excitedly asked if I was photographing ghosts.
I went with it and said that I was...and made
that tour guide very happy.
You might find the story of William Mumler of
interest. Below is a description of the podcast with the
audio link. I found it interesting perhaps because I could
have easily become a ghost huckster myself.
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"Americans after the Civil War yearned
for signs from the other side, and that’s where the
Spiritualist movement stepped in. But William Mumler didn’t
just knock on tables and walls. He was a photographer who
captured faint images of ghosts caressing those they had left
behind. And he made a good living at it until he was arrested
as a fraud. Historian Peter Manseau joins us Thursday to tell
Mumler’s story and the story of a nation clinging to belief.
Peter Manseau is a writer and historian. He’s
curator of American religious history at The Smithsonian in
Washington, D.C. His book is called The
Apparitionists: A Tale of Phantoms, Fraud, Photography, and
the Man Who Captured Lincoln’s Ghost."
You can read listen to the podcast here:
http://radiowest.kuer.org/post/man-who-captured-lincolns-ghost
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The winner of my last drawing is Kay
Schemel who will be taking home a print of
"Windsurfing."
Congratulations Kay! Please contact me and
arrange for your print to be delivered.
____________________________
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To enter this newsletter drawing for Isolated
No. 3 (above), send me an email at Cole@ColeThompsonPhotography.com and put
"Isolated" in the subject line.
And of course, say hello if you like!
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