21 Comments
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George Slade's avatar

So glad I found a receptive audience for Alfred's apples. Thanks Andy!

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søren k. harbel's avatar

Lovely apples. I have such a love hate relationship with Stieglitz. His arrogance and decisions around who was in the Camera Work club and who wasn't and how much manipulation wealthy amateurs had to do to be accepted as 'artists' by Stieglitz, was such a set-back to photography, I swear it took the art of photography at least 50 years to recover. Don't forget that in the late 1800s it was perfectly fine to have a straight photograph of the Acropolis hanging along side a Japanese woodblock print, along side a landscape painting. Stieglitz made that impossible. And for those photographers who actually had to work for a living... forget it. You had to be rich, and an amateur. Otherwise, you did not count. Yes, he sort of redeemed himself late in life, but he single-handedly set photography back decades!

As for the apples.... "a symbol—of Eve’s temptation in the Garden of Eden", come on, sometimes an apple is just an apple. A good photograph, just a good photograph.

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Andy Adams's avatar

I'm with you on that interpretation, which is a little on the nose. For me, the image is all about mood, texture, and place. It's a gorgeous image. Thanks for the note, Søren!

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Sophie Howarth's avatar

Gorgeous summer post. Oh how I adore that Kathryn Schulz book. And do you know Li-Young Lee’s poem From Blossoms? I think you’ll like it.. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43012/from-blossoms

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Andy Adams's avatar

Thanks, Sophie. I'm not familiar with Blossoms, but I look forward to reading it. Yiyun Li is next on our list: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/221164555-things-in-nature-merely-grow

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Angela Kelly's avatar

I have always loved that particular Stielglitz' Lake George photo. Perhaps it was hovering in my subconscious when I made a photo of my Japanese maple tree, one of hundreds, silhouetted against the Rochester sky, https://www.angelakellyphoto.com/backyard-dreams

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Andy Adams's avatar

Beautiful, Angela! Thanks for sharing. Could you please email a higher-resolution picture to me so I can take a closer look?

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roxanne k's avatar

What a rich post, thank you. Lifelong Steiglitz fan for sure & that photo is exquisite! Enjoy your summer 🍑 peaches!

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Andy Adams's avatar

Cheers, Roxanne!

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Wendi Schneider's avatar

also love the quietude in Alfred's apples

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Andy Adams's avatar

They are lovely. Thanks for looking, Wendi!

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Rob Stephenson's avatar

I know this is a call for peach pictures, but since you led with an apple, do you know Frank Gohlke’s project on the apple forests in Kazakhstan? Seems right up your alley.

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Andy Adams's avatar

I know, it's confusing. I'm aware of Frank's apple project, but not familiar with the pictures. Did he publish a book? I'll look it up!

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Benjamin Fargen's avatar

Nice, that Alfred Stieglitz image is choice. 🖤📷

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Andy Adams's avatar

Right? Total stunner.

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Benjamin Fargen's avatar

💯🔥

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George Slade's avatar

Couldn't agree more! 😊

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Kerry Lynn Shea's avatar

My cherry tree☮️

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Kerry Lynn Shea's avatar

Oops 🙊!

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Juliette's avatar

Excellent post and lovely summer photos! Alfred Stieglitz was also known for being one of the first documented street photographers, most notably his photo, "The Terminal" (1892)." Thanks Andy!

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Ella's avatar

That box of fruit is A Huge “ Peachy Keen”

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