Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Tyler Boley" <tyler@t...> 
wrote:
> > Have you considered the work of Paul Caponigro (not his 
son, John Paul Caponigro).  He is unquestionably
> > recognized as one of the modern masters...


Caponigro story: I was shooting an annual report near Santa Fe 
many years ago. I built in an extra day after the job to try to seek 
him out. I called ahead, he gave directions, and me and my 
assistant hit the road.

The driveway was a dirt road that lead up a hill. On this hill stood 
two small buildings; one, his home, and the other, his darkroom. 
As we got out of the car, all we heard was the silence of the 
desert. But then, some classical piano coming out of the main 
building. As we got to the house, the front door was open; we 
shyly poked our necks into the foyer and there he is, sunlight 
streaming in the window, playing the piano. He had a cigarette in 
his mouth, and the ash was about as long as the whole 
cigarette. He didn't hear us come up, and he just kept playing. 
And we were too chicken to knock and bring him out of his spell. 
When we walked in the entryway, just about four feet 
inside the front door, was a giant empty "bowl" of some type, like 
a hot tub; submerged in the floor. He sat with us, looked at our 
images, and offered us coffee. (He kept HaggenDasz vanilla ice 
cream in his freezer for coffee-cream; I guess he rarely went to 
town for fresh milk, so this was his solution). Then he walked us 
down the hill to his darkroom. Beautiful, organized, prints in filed 
boxes along the walls.

I will never forget that as long as I live. That hot tub thing, and 
those cigarette ashes lit by the sun, and the sound of the piano 
coming out of the house.

-MTucker