Author Vincent Versace's 2nd Oz Book
Our workshop with Vincent at the MMW during mid-October had a bit of a heads up on this book release. Vincent spoke passionately and with humorous animated gestures as he explained his transitioning from a writer to author (‘authors are writers who are published’). The prequel to this release, titled ’Welcome to Oz’, took quite a bit of heat, because the publishers were resistant to put out a book without some reference to Photography in the title, however some focused persistence and some last second compromise led to its eventual release, and subsequent best selling status. This first book, ‘Welcome to Oz’, is now out of print, however you still locate and purchased a new copy for >$125+
We also were provided an entertaining and historical insight into how Vincent came up with the title, Welcome to OZ. It stems back to the beta testing of Nikons first digital camera outside of Japan. Vincent was selected by Nikon as one of the first U.S. photographers to work with this early prototype gear. The hardware and flash cards were enormously expensive and had been hand crafted in the Nikon R&D labs. One initial foray into Vincent’s world with this new gear was in the castle sound stage where the Wizard of OZ had been filmed n 1938. Vincent (a film & dark room junkie since the age of 7) recalls viewing his first digital image and exclaiming “Welcome to Oz”, or as he puts it, ‘an entire new age of Imagination and Fantasy had opened up’.
Fast forward to where digital photography is today, (ref: Thom Hogan 10/30 blog,’Think About This’), and then add in the fact that all this hardware has numerous limitations. The tonal range is limited, digital sensor focus is encumbered with anti-alasing, cameras see the world in grey, artifacts cause unwanted blurring, lenses have sweet spots..and this all boils down to a challenge to artistically creating a digital Image for our highly tuned analog ocular sensor to appreciate.
It was remarkable to hear that Vincent has been mulling ideas and concepts since the age of seven, he has been generating theories and practices to allow him to create his art while embracing hardware limitations for quite a long time. He possess a deep knowledge of this digital craft based on his lifetime of work in the film and arts medium. I recalled that while attending a slide presentation at PSW in Orlando, that his Images were a cut above his peers, the colors, mid-tones, artistic quality and perfection of moving my eyes thru his Images was something I wanted to know about and understand.
My journey to Maine to attend his workshop put a palette of tools in my hands but better yet as Vince would say, ‘open yourself up to understand that grains of knowledge will collide with other grains of knowledge’. Based on the description of the contents of his 2nd book, he will provide you with additional knowledge and tools to help you work in this new age of Imagination and Fantasy called OZ.
In fact, I’d encourage you view two of my prior Blog’s to view theimpact of OZ2 VV actions Sierra-VV and pre VV Sierra. I also truly think thatwith a good knowledge of Zones coupled with Oz2 VV actions (ie LAZeffect, BPWPGP, etc) that you can really start to understand where your imaginationand influence is headed with your pixels in the digital darkroom.
