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PERSONALIZED INSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE ON JOHN'S BOOKS AND POSTERS AT VENTANA EDITIONS ONLINE STORE

As a special offer to those who are making purchases for Holiday gift giving, John will be inscribing his books (Places of Power, Quiet Light, Listen to the Trees), as well as his posters for anyone who requests this with orders placed directly through Ventana Editions, either at their online store or via the toll free order number listed below.

If you are placing such an order, please be sure to indicate on the secure online order form the person's name to whom each publication should be inscribed by John (i.e. "For Susan").

This special offer will be available for all orders placed between now and December 15th. Sorry, books by other photographers cannot be personalized, however all books sold through Ventana Editions are autographed by the photographers!

To place orders, see the phone and web info in the section above.

I am sorry to report the loss of my long-time friend, and superb photographer, Oliver Gagliani. The photography world lost a quiet, but important voice on Wednesday, November 20th when Oliver passed away at age 85. Some readers of this newsletter may not be familiar with the name Oliver Gagliani. His work over the decades was truly remarkable, but because of his quiet nature it was not as widely recognized as it should have been.

Initially trained as a violinist, Oliver began his photographic studies in 1946 under Ansel Adams and Minor White at the then California School of Fine Arts. He worked in black and white, and was also a pioneer in experimental color work. An exceptionally beautiful monograph, "Oliver Gagliani," was published in 1975, and he received a prestigious NEA Grant in 1976. His photographic images were made both close to home, as well as on countless trips to Italy. Until his passing last week, Oliver was actively working on a major retrospective book.

I had the great privilege of meeting Oliver in 1976. I was a senior art major at Chapman College. As part of the curriculum seniors were required to select an artist working in their field of emphasis (mine being photography), and interview that individual, as well as arrange a very small exhibition of the artist's work for the college gallery.

I met Oliver Gagliani at a group exhibition opening. I asked if it might be possible to visit him in South San Francisco. He opened his home to me for a week, and rather than a small exhibition, Oliver suggested a larger exhibition. We had a 55 print show at Chapman College in 1976. Oliver came down and spent nearly a week with me.

He was a kind-hearted, wonderful person, always with a twinkle in his eye. The images he leaves behind will be a rich legacy and are a valuable asset to the medium of photography. Oliver will be missed dearly by me, and countless others.

There will be a major interview by Brian Killigrew, a good friend of Oliver’s, in the January/February issue of PhotoVision Magazine. In fact, some of Oliver’s experimental color strip images appear on the magazine cover. Brian Killigrew related to me that Oliver received a proof of the cover on Monday evening, and was extremely pleased with it. He quietly passed away a few hours after that pleasant experience.

Most of you are likely aware of the "Masters of American Photography" black and white commemorative stamps which are available from the United State Postal Service. Based on the comments of some workshop participants, it's apparent that not everyone is familiar with these, and that not all Post Offices stock them. Well, there's good news. Now everyone can afford to own an Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Paul Strand, Man Ray, or Edward Steichen image – albeit a bit smaller than the original print.

Guiding the selection of images was Peter Bunnell, Professor Emeritus of the history of photography at Princeton University, and former curator of photography at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He wanted the final slate of images to convey photography in the context of history.

The works range from James VanDerZee's "My Corsage" to a Man Ray abstract "Rayograph", from Ansel Adams' "Sand Dunes, Sunrise" and Edward Weston's "Two Shells" to an intimate portrait of author Agnes Rand Lee and her daughter Peggy, by Gertrude Kasebier. Bunnell set tight parameters for what he wanted: male and female photographers; a representation of various regions of the country; a mix of portraits, landscapes and still lifes; and photographers who made "important contributions as picture makers."

The stamp series includes 20 different black and white images, and are available directly from the US Postal Service web store. Here is a link if you'd like to purchase some, and share your love of black and white photography with others on the outside of your envelopes. Have fun!

http://shop.usps.com/cgi-bin/vsbv/postal_store_non_ssl/display_products/productDetail.jsp?OID=1799272&BV_UseBV

(Note: Link no longer available)

Memorable comments by noted photographers, and others:

"You will never make a photograph that everyone likes, so make sure that you like every one of your photographs."
- Oliver Gagliani

"To make enduring photographs, one must learn to see with the mind’s eye, for the heart and the mind are the true lenses of the camera."
- Yousef Karsh

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