John Paul Caponigro – Photographer

http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com

I thought, for the giggle, I would show you the price of photographic works, by a ‘proper’ photographer, dealing with some of my subjects. Caponigro is famous for some of his work, depicting Stonehenge.

http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/store/prints/index.html

or, from this gallery, they ask a very reasonable $1500 per print. Don’t believe me, take a look ….. >

http://www.photoeye.com/templates/ShowDetailsbyCat2.cfm?Catalog=PW006&LTD_EDITIO=1

I have included this here, for your information, so you may see how insulted I am, to be contiually asked by people to give my work to them for FREE or an occasional fiver.

NO, forget it .!!!

Caponigro biog:

Born in Boston in 1932, Paul Caponigro is renowned as one of America’s most significant master photographers. When he was thirteen, he began to explore the world around him with his camera and subsequently sustained a career spanning nearly fifty years. He is currently regarded as one of America’s foremost landscape photographers.

Acclaimed for his spiritually moving images of Stonehenge and other Celtic megaliths of England and Ireland, Caponigro has more recently photographed the temples, shrines and sacred gardens of Japan. Caponigro also inspires viewers with glimpses of deep, mystical woodland of his New England haunts.

He approaches nature receptively, preferring to utilize an intuitive focus rather that merely arranging or recording forms and surface details.

Music has always been an essential aspect of his life. Although he shifted from the piano to photography early in his artistic career, he remains a dedicated pianist and believes his musical training and insight contributes significantly to his photographic imagery. In his photographs the visual ‘silence’ becomes as tangible as ‘sound’.

Paul Caponigro has exhibited and taught throughout the United States and abroad. Recipient of two Guggenheim fellowships and three National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grants, Caponigro’s images will be found in most history of photography texts and contemporary art museums.

I refered to this chap’s work and that of Fay Godwin, in my Photography BA Dissertation at:

http://tash.gn.apc.org/photo_degree_ntu.htm

I observed:

It is possible to conclude that so long as you stay away from public order situations, you will come to no harm.

Perhaps at the other end of the spectrum of photography to “front Line” action work, but still subject to restriction and injury, Fay Godwin has strikingly similar tales to tell.

She also feels her liberties threatened. In her book “Our Forbidden Land”, and a letter to BJP , she recounts her desire to photograph Stonehenge. On writing to English Heritage for permission to take photographs, outside normal working hours, she was asked to put up with film crews that may be present at the same time, and for a fee of £200. On protest, the fee was waived but she was asked to restrict herself to just one visit, by appointment. Godwin replied saying that:

“Advertising film crews may be able to afford huge location fees. I do not expect to be charged for personal creative work.

Further, Stonehenge has been interpreted by many eminent photographers such as Brandt, Caponigro, Misrach, who have spent time with the stones and got to know them. It would be unthinkable for me to attempt in one visit, my interpretation. In future, it would appear that Stonehenge would only be interpreted by English Heritage `approved’ photographers. Possibly this could amount to a form of censorship?”

At the same place, Godwin experienced another form of censorship. She was within the circle at Stonehenge in June 1988 when there was fighting between the police and those attending the solstice:

“There was a very nasty atmosphere. I took a snap with a small amateur camera and as it was still dark, the flash went off. A policeman turned around and said `if you take any more pictures I’ll smash your camera’. This was before the riot started”.

* * * * * *

So, would Capanigro and Godwin be given any facility now-a-days to interprete the monument in a photograph now? Would the police have cracked TURNER round the head, while he was trying to paint it??