The World in Black & White

Above left to right: Leroy, Mary Sprague, Lyov. Below right: Walter Polk

The World in Black and White

BY GERRY MANDEL

quick history lesson.

AThe first permanent photograph was created in 1826 by Joseph Niepce. It was black and white, of course. Photography was for the rich until George Eastman founded Kodak in the 1880’s. Today in this world of selfies, everyone carries a camera in their pocket. So why do I write about black and white photography? Because it has a relevant and necessary place in our world today. It taps into our emotions and allows us to see things in their purest form. It connects us in a meaningful way. At least, that’s my opinion, and the reason I chose these three excellent photographers.

JERRY TOVO

The first thing that impresses me about Jerry Tovo is his intensity, both in his manner of speaking and his photographs. An accomplished photographer, he arrived at that position through a circuitous route. Born and raised in Alton, Illinois, he attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Initially he wanted to become an architect, but was defeated by math and other engineering obstacles. He switched to marketing as a major and took photography to supplement that curriculum. Once he experienced the magic of the darkroom, however, he knew what his future held. His resume’ includes stints with Olin Corporation and a startup studio, The Brass Shutter, later to become Jerry Tovo and Associates, focusing on commercial and fashion photography. In the midst of that and at a particularly hard time in the business, he was recruited to move to Chicago and work for Kodak Professional. His job was to help with shortcomings they were having in that market. “I’ve always loved black and white photography,” he says.”Black and white, to me, transcends color in power and mood. It focuses the eye and mind on the subject without the distraction of color. With digital, I can get the results I’m after more easily than back in the lab days." Jerry describes his style as “gritty.” He’s right. He likes to shoot older people because “they wear their lives on their faces.” I love that thought. He believes the real stories are in their eyes, so he pays particular attention to them. When I saw his presentation at the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Louis recently, I was drawn in by the faces and especially the eyes. In fact, it was that event that triggered the idea for this article. At one time, Jerry considered portraits of matriarchs and patriarchs. That seemed an ideal destination for his talents. But he found it to be too sensitive an area. He didn’t want to say, “Let me shoot pictures of your mom or dad while they’re still alive.” He now pursues subjects that capture his imagination. What does he look for in a subject? “What’s in their faces. Lines, marks, wrinkles, scars. Evidence of living. I want to capture their personality. I believe I can do that best without color. It’s more honest.” Lighting is key for capturing various aspects of the face. He especially puts a lot of effort into the eyes. “It sounds corny,” he admits, “but the eyes really are the spirit of the soul. A person’s life - their work, character, experience - shows up in their face.” Most, if not all of his portrait work now is

done in a studio. He found that shooting on location was too difficult. Too much equipment to drag around. “I have more control in my studio. I can be sure to get what I want. I like to think I’m very good at getting people to be comfortable and relaxed in front of the camera. To be themselves, not pose.” Jerry shared a wish-list with me, one he made several years ago. It included Stan Musial, Willie McGee, Chuck Berry, John Goodman, Nelly, Joe Garagiola and Yogi Berra, maybe even John Danforth - an assortment of artists, celebrities and characters. Some of them have since died, but he would still like to shoot some of the others. But accessibility is usually difficult. He admits to a fascination with celebrities and high profile people. “I like people with personalities.” That covers a wide range of possibilities. What Jerry captures in his portraits tells you a lot about that person. It condenses that life into a single, living moment.

VANESSA CHARLOT

First, her credentials. Vanessa Charlot is an award-winning photojournalist and documentary photographer. She’s a filmmaker, lecturer, and curator. She has worked throughout the United States, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. She served in the U.S. Army. Her photos have been commissioned by the New York Times, Vogue, Rolling Stone, Oprah Magazine, the Washington Post. Finally, she received the International Women’s Media Foundation “Courage in Journalism” award last year. I found that on the internet. Talking to her showed me another dimension in her life, a statement of purpose. Vanessa is a committed artist with deep feelings for minority groups and a desire to show and tell their stories. “I grew up in Miami,” she said. “My parents are from Haiti, so we lived in a highly diverse neighborhood.” I asked how she became interested in photography. “We lived in a community where my mom did not want me to go to middle school. So I went to an art school. My mom gave me a simple, disposable camera and suggested I take some pictures.” That’s how it all started. She photographed the people around her in Miami’s Little Haiti, which included Cubans, other Latinos, Blacks – people she knew. She showed her photos to her instructor at the school. “Mr. Farnsworth liked my photos and told me to shoot some more. But he wanted me to use a better camera.” However she couldn’t afford one, so he gave her a Leica. “I didn’t even know what a Leica was.” It was film, not digital, so she learned how to process the film and make prints. “Farnsworth was tough on me,” she says with a laugh. “He expected me to excel.” In 2020, having established herself as an accomplished photographer, she visited St. Louis at the suggestion of a friend. What was supposed to be a two-week stay here with her son turned into a year and half. She found much to like about the city. Her son especially loved Forest Park. Vanessa saw St. Louis as a snapshot of America. “I saw so much good here, but it’s hard to overlook the problems.” She learned that if you’re downtown and take a wrong turn, you enter another world. She photographed some of those problems, and also made contact with several artists here. Much of her work is in black and white. She also includes color in her portfolio, but believes in the power of black and white – the human figure, faces, groups large and small, street scenes of action and activity. She believes color gets in the way. “When you take out the color, you force the viewer to focus on the emotion, on the issue at hand. It’s all contained in the black, white and gray. And I believe life happens in the gray.” She also believes that a photograph eradicates the concept of time. “I am constantly evaluating and re-evaluating the intention behind my work. A three-letter word – Why – plays in my head like a broken record. Why photography? Why the obsession with literature that connects the visual with the written? Why Black bodies? Why? Vanessa’s first job was as an English teacher. She taught literature, which is why literary work is so important to her. “The art I make is intentional. The stories are personal, and I draw on African-American experience. That, to me, is the foundation, but the values in my work transcend the specific and address the universal as well. All photographs are memento mori. To take a photograph is to participate in another person’s mortality. By slicing out this moment and freezing it, all photographs testify to time’s relentless melt.”

Top to Bottom: St. Louis, summer, 2020; Civil unrest in Haiti following assassination of President Juvenal Moise, 2021; Vanessa’s son Jacob in downtown St. Louis; Greenwood, in the heart of the Mississippi Delta

Above: Missouri State Penitentiary, Jefferson City; Wilson Arch, Utah; Fox Theater, St. Louis. Below right: Black Sand Beach, Vilk, Iceland. Photo of Tom Tussey below left: Scott Rovak.

TOM TUSSEY

A western landscape. An ocean wave breaking onto a shore. The interior of an ornate, historic theater. These are some of Tom Tussey’s subjects that capture the magic of black and white photography. “My goal as an artist,” he says, “ is to trigger people’s imagination and appreciation of photography. I go for the ‘Wow’ factor.” Black, white and gray can do that, as he has proven. Tom clicked his first shutter about sixty years ago with his mom’s camera, a simple model without settings. Just click and shoot. Then his dad returned from Germany with a Minox - the so-called “spy camera,” about as small as a deck of playing cards. Young Tom was hooked. “I could change the settings for better photos. I took lots of pictures, like neighborhood kids playing softball, sunsets, etcetera.” That camera was the beginning of a long and varied career for him. For the past forty years, Tom has been an enthusiastic and accomplished photographer as he creates a business that includes color as well as black and white. Name it and he has shot it, from portraits and products to landscapes and buildings. In other words, just about anything he can focus on. He also offers personal training sessions, as well as leading photo tours and excursions. His groups have experienced a photographer’s dream, providing access and insight into places such as the Missouri State Penitentiary, the Fox Theater, architecture in downtown St. Louis, and several out-of-state and international destinations as well. His portfolio on his website shows a wide range of subjects and styles. The business didn’t come easily, however. There were months and years of trial and error, of learning and analyzing - his own work as well as more accomplished shooters. He considers photography a unique and gratifying form of expression. “I can stop a moment in time just by pushing a button. No other art form allows that. I find that fascinating. I’ve always been interested in history but I’m not a historical photographer. I do think, however, that most photographers are saving history.” The great photographer Yousuf Karsh said, “There is a brief moment when all there is in a man's mind and soul and spirit is reflected through his eyes, his hands, his attitude. This is the moment to record.” I asked Tom what he looks for. His response could be a lesson in what makes a great photographer. “If it’s a person, I’m trying to capture that moment when they’re comfortable, natural. I’ve done the homework: where should the subject be situated in the scene, where is the lighting coming from, its intensity. I work on that constantly.” He talks about the advantages of digital photography. “It is my desire to control the image. Digital allows me to develop, experiment, print and, hopefully, show to the viewer what I originally saw.” He admits that he frequently doesn’t know if the image will be better in color or in black and white. But he’s confident he’ll find out. He adds that a lot of photography is luck. “But you make your own luck by being prepared.” He’s quick to add, “No other art form is as simple nor as complex.” He believes a photo is like a painting or a sculpture. It doesn’t change over time. It’s a moment that can have an effect on people. Tom adds one final thought. “I enjoy the process of dissecting the scene that’s in front of me - how to put it all together to make a cohesive, dynamic, thought-provoking image.” When you look at his photographs, you’ll see what he means. Check out the websites and social media of Jerry (instagram.com/jerrytovo), Vanessa (vanessacharlot.com) and Tom (tusseyphoto.com) to see their impressive work.