One of the silver linings of this past, very difficult year has been time at home. Time at home with Annie, time at home for dinner, time at home to reorganize the studio, and time to rummage through many years of photographing. Very illuminating, to be sure. There were takes upon takes that made me think I was doing something closer to dumpster diving, rather than mining a worthy archive. The question, “What was I thinking?” bubbled up in my head, much more than once.
But there are things there. Pictures, significant points in time, memories, jobs, people encountered…..which led me to the idea of a new website. A mix of old and new. Work shot a month ago, work shot 30 years ago. Famous folks, odd tales, shot on film, shot with pixels, shot in legendary locales and some, shot just down the block on the streets where I lived.
Presented differently. With some new language and categories.
Over the years, some of the web language governing our site had gotten a bit garbled. No one’s fault but mine. You move so fast, work piles up, and even if you’d like to take a deep dive into something on the studio front, you don’t. Because you’re not there. Lots of time in the air, lots of wonderful places and jobs. The hectic mandate of making a living with a camera. The pandemic has been a big pause button.
Now, just one website – joemcnally.com – simple. We still use the robust engine of PhotoShelter, and rely continuously on the ability of the site to store the archive, send pictures, service clients, and show our larger gallery of work. We are huge fans of PhotoShelter and what they do with and for the photo community.
But Blake…at Limecuda…gave us the ability to craft a new entryway to our existing site, with a much different look and feel. A splash, if you will. Big, rotating pictures. Categories with names like, Double Take, and Amazing and Notable Humans. Limecuda is a skilled outfit that engineers simple solutions to web problems. Blake Imeson and Josh Mallard were patient, steadfast, innovative and responsive. At the early stages of this I required patience as I was like the guy who was moving into the new apartment and couldn’t figure out where he wanted to put the sofa. They came up with solution after solution. Wonderful to work with.
I made a nod to the city that has fed my eye ever since I, unwitting, unknowing, untutored, fell off the turnip truck in 1976 and ended up pounding Manhattan’s endless avenues in search of a photo or two. There’s a category called Concrete Muse. A photographic love affair with urban grit. And the talents who thrived in the city, such as legendary pop artist Keith Haring, above, who influenced a whole generation with his vision. He passed in 1990, but he is powerfully remembered.
And the beginnings of many climbs. First one, shot mostly in B&W, for the UPI. Up the famed Queensboro Bridge, getting a fresh paint job in the late 70’s.
One click….. joemcnally.com
More tk….
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