Volume Seven | Number One | Spring / Summer, 2015
Volume Seven | Number One | Spring / Summer, 2015
Front Cover Photo by: Alexey Dubinsky Editor-in-Chief:
Dan Buczynski dan@strongboxmagazine.com
Executive Editor:
John W. Davis, Jr. john@strongboxmagazine.com
STRONGBOX MAGAZINE is a quarterly web publication born out of a love for all things creative. Each issue is available for download in PDF format, and is 100% free. Our goal is to have fun with art and photography, and share what we find interesting. If you’d like to participate, submit something today!
All of the content in this publication is the sole property of the featured artist and cannot be used or distributed without their written permission.
facebook.com/strongboxmagazine
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Larry Gloth
Alexey Dubinsky
Interview with Rick DeMint
Greg Brophy
Alberto Álvarez Gómez
Thomas Leong
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Compartments
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By The Tracks
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There's a feel that some places have. It's hard to put your finger on, but you know it's there. Part mood, part interaction between space and objects, and part who knows what. Hunting for it and capturing it is what drives my picture taking these days.
As a kid, I was drawn to the films of David Lynch. His ability to use locations to tell a story made a deep impression on me. Certain places and objects become characters in their own scenes. The challenge in finding them is in trusting your gut. Some of the best advice I've received was from a photography instructor who emphasized the necessity of going with your instincts. Always take the shot, he said. Don't over-analyze the impulse. If something stops you, take the photo. It may not dawn on you until later, but there was something there that caught your eye. Sometimes it's a fleeting thing; a scene observed on a road trip or a vacation in unfamiliar surroundings. More frequently, it's in an area passed through in everyday life, a particular area or neighborhood that resonates with me. Then I wander around until something stops me.
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By The Lake
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Squared Away
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Summer
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Play
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Motel Life
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Town
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Upstairs
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Berkshires
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Courtyard
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Northwest
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For more of Larry's work, visit:
His Flickr Site
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Alexey Dubinsky
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For more of Alexey's work, visit:
His Flickr Site or His Instagram
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STRONGBOX
INTERVIEW: Rick DeMint
STRONGBOX INTERVIEW Rick DeMint
STRON: RicGkBDeOMX int
INTERVIEW
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USE BEFORE
04.15
Chuck D. Reverend Run. Neil Gaiman. Chris Rock. Robin Williams. Sarah Silverman. Bryan Cranston. Hamburgler. Tom Hanks. Al Pacino. Damn near everyone who has ever been on SNL. Weird Al. Kids in the Hall. Andrew GarďŹ eld. A dog named Patch. Ralph Nader. Pee-Wee Herman. Scrooge McDuck. Hurley. Steve Martin. Daryl F**king Dixon. Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. Hulk. James Bond. Ben Stiller throwing some blue steel. President Barack Obama. The list of people Rick DeMint has taken Polaroids of is staggering. Most of them are signed. STRONGBOX: How in the world do you gain access to your subjects? Most seem to be on red carpets, but others just on the street. Can you tell us a little about your process?
This was 2003. So, Michael Ian Black was my first celebrity portroid.
Rick DeMint: It's a very simple process, really, whether it be on a red carpet, at an event, after a show, on the street, backstage, or wherever. I show them the Polaroid camera and ask if I can take a quick photo. As the picture ejects I ask if they will sign it. Also, since I only take pictures of people I'm a fan of, I take the opportunity to say a word of appreciation and thank them for their work and time. As my collection has grown over the years, so has the awareness of my project and the access I've been generously given. It's been pretty great. SB: How did your collection start? Who was the first celebrity you photographed? SB: What camera(s) do you use most often? RDM: I'd actually come up with the idea to do this almost two years before I actually started. I guess the impetus was that I was going to attend a DVD signing from one of my favorite comedy groups, Stella (three members from The State), and thought that would be a great place to start.
RDM: I use a Spectra. I like the wider frame. For a while, I shot on a 600 series camera because it had a higher quality film from Impossible Project, but I ultimately went back to my beloved Spectra camera. STRONGBOX MAGAZINE | SPRING / SUMMER, 2015 | 31
James Gandalfini, 2009
SB: Is that James Gandalfini that has the bar over his eyes and "x" over his mouth? Did he do that, or did you? RDM: I put the black bars because I caught him with his eyes half shut and mouth oddly opened and liked the "anonymous" tie-in a la The Sopranos. I have since posted the original photo. SB: You've photographed some people more than once. Do they remember the guy with the Polaroid? RDM: I don't often take more than one picture of a person, but sometimes circumstances or a chance at a better photo dictate. Some people don't recall, but a lot of them do. Wendi McLendon-Covey recalled the where and when of a picture I had taken seven years earlier. Chris Messina also remembered me and said he visits my site and is a fan of my work. That's always fun when it happens. SB: I saw that Dominic Monaghan pulled you into the frame with him. Most people seem to be posing specifically for you. How do you approach them to pose? Are most people cool with it? Anyone ever give you a hard time? 32 | www.strongboxmagazine.com
Dominic Monaghan, 2007
RDM: It's always a delicate situation. I never want to interrupt anyone, but if it seems that I can ask for a fast photo, I'll do so. Most people are interested in seeing a Polaroid camera again, so that is a nice ice breaker. Almost everyone is very cool with it and seem genuinely pleased to participate. There have only been a few people who say no. They have typically been very polite about it and I smile, thank them, and we each go about our business. No real hard times. SB: You have "unauthorized" on Steven King and Robert Redford's pics. What's that about? RDM: Those were simply a matter of not having actual access to interact with them personally and therefore my just taking a photo from afar that I wasn't able to talk to them about first or after. I kind of just jokingly stamped them as unauthorized. SB: Russell Simmons' entry is drawn. Again, what's that about? RDM: That was devastating. I had taken a great portroid of Russell and then somehow over the course of the day I lost the picture. Dropped it somewhere, I suppose. So I recreated it in cartoon form.
Seth Green, 2011
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Topher Grace, 2012
Russell Simmons, 2006
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Matt Damon, 2014
SB: What were your best and worst experiences photographing celebrities? RDM: Best is usually if someone is into it or does a fun pose. I did a cool shot recently when I was covering the Sundance Film Festival for SundanceTV. I typically do individual shots, but at the red carpet for Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, Frances Bean Cobain and the director, Brett Morgen, posed together and Brett did an awesome photobomb behind Frances. Also on another double shot at the San Francisco Film Festival red carpet of The Skeleton Twins with Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader, they signed each other's names. The only bad experiences are if the picture doesn't turn out, or like when I had a chance at a photo of Bill Murray (the one person who has been the top of my dream portroid list for years) and I just couldn't get his attention to have him look up for a photo. That was at the Monuments Men premiere and, funnily enough, where I got some great shots of Matt Damon and George Clooney (who were both excited to take part). SB: Do most subjects wait to see the image develop before signing, or do they tend to hurry off? 34 | www.strongboxmagazine.com
George Clooney, 2014
RDM: I actually don't usually let them see it develop and make them sign before it does. With the new Impossible film, the developing takes a bit longer because of the film's light sensitivity, so I explain that. A lot of people do want to see it first and I'll usually give those who ask a glimpse. Seth and Tom were fun because they etched some art into it as it developed. Fun interactions! SB: You photographed John Waters. Are you aware that he has photographed every visitor to his house with a Polaroid dating back twenty years or something? He has them under lock and key, and has mandated in his will that they not be shown until everyone in them is dead. Including himself. What was his reaction to being photographed with a Polaroid? RDM: I was aware of John Waters' Polaroid collection. I think that helped me get his picture. He was an audience member at a Fred Armisen show and was heading to the green room after the show. I ran into him and asked if I could take a Polaroid. He had me follow him to a roped off area out of the public eye and let me get the photo. It was a very fast interaction, but I was very thankful that he made it happen.
Rick DeMint has been taking portroids (autographed Polaroid portraits) for over 11 years of friends, family, and notable people from the worlds of television, film, comedy, sports, politics, music, literature, dance, and theater. His project began as a creative means to document his life and experiences, but has evolved, becoming an experience itself, garnering him backstage and red carpet access, and growing into a collection of thousands of images whose subjects speak to the interests of the photographer. He has recently had a gallery exhibit in New York City, and partnered with SundanceTV to cover the Sundance Film Festival.
For more of Rick's work, visit:
portroids.com
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The Hits Keep On Coming
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WHERE THE OCEAN MEETS THE SHORE Greg Brophy As native of Hazlet, N.J., I have spent much of my life in and among the shore communities of South Jersey. Hazlet is a kind of gateway to the popular beach towns of Sandy Hook, Seabright, Manasquan and Union - a sleepy hamlet through which countless sun worshippers pass to get to their favorite patch of seaside sand. For the past 13 years, my parents have lived in Manasquan, a small town near Point Pleasant, Seaside Heights and Belmar. I visit them on an almost weekly basis and continue to maintain strong ties to the area through family, friends and the magnetism that home holds for all of us. On October 29, 2012, this peaceful, picturesque stretch of seaside villages was forever changed when Hurricane Sandy slammed into the Jersey shore, leaving destruction and death in her wake.
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Squan Strong
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My parents' house was flooded with about two feet of water. They were lucky; many of their
neighbors had fared much worse. I got my first glimpse of the aftermath on the weekend following the storm when my wife and I went down to help with aide and cleanup. My heart sank as we walked around the town and saw the waterlines tattooed on the houses; trees that had severed dwellings in half; the ubiquitous florescent Xs painted onto former homes signifying their complete destruction; pink tags on doors forbidding any to enter; boats that littered the streets like so many dead fish; docks twisted into pretzels of ruin. The area most devastated by the storm was the beachfront. It would not open again until December 3rd. I went down there with my 8x10 inch camera and some black-and-white film. My idea was to take double exposures of the affected houses, and try to convey the sheer power of the force that damaged them. While I was there I met a lot of people who were cleaning up and rebuilding. Their overall attitude was positive and hopeful. As I was shooting, people approached me and talked to me about the camera, their experience, where they lived and how hopeful they were. Some even photographed me while I was photographing them. At one point, my car battery died. A man jumped from a gnarled front porch and approached me. He had been taking a smoke break from his seemingly endless repairs. Despite his obvious fatigue, he helped jump-start the car for me. My parents were able to finish rebuilding their house in time for their annual St. Patrick’s Day party. The weekend before, Leggett's - a popular bar in the area - reopened after workers finally removed five feet of sand from its floors. People from all over, including places like Connecticut, came to celebrate. I remain positive about the town and its ability to spring back.
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Not Sure Where This Goes
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Melting Into the Ocean
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The Plywood Never Came Down
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The Pressure Is Unending
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The Landscape of Mars
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The Height of the Storm
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The Plywood Never Came Down
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The Pressure Is Unending
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It Ended Before It Began
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And Then It Broke Through
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Abandoned Like An Old Car
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It Took Shovels to Remove the Sand
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Everything Collapsed
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How They Are Made Each image is a double exposure, created in-camera, using a Deardorff 8x10 camera with a 300mm Nikon lens. The final images will be platinum printed on Toshi Washi paper from Japan, a very delicate tissue-like paper that has a transparent quality. The result will look similar to the image on the opposite page.
For more of Greg's work, visit:
gregbrophy.com
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Nó-los dous e tódolos demais (The two of us and the rest of them)
Alberto Álvarez Gómez
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A travelogue: a story of a continuous walk, a stunning ride, a portrait of mist and wind. Darkness and fragility. Here, a human being is a viewer; an intruder in a hostile and abrupt landscape. Fog, white, black and photographic grain get mixed up in this ode to the region of Costa da Morte (Coast of Death). A letter to nature written from the insignificance and submissiveness of the human being. A thank you for allowing us to witness.
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For more of Alberto's work, visit:
cargocollective.com/albertoalvarezgomez
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Attention
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Taking the Necessary Time Thomas Leong I started my photographic journey seven years ago, but only started taking things seriously four years back. I am a self-taught photographer who indulges myself in the beauty of black and white minimalistic work using long exposure techniques. I enjoy making use of the camera's ability to average time through long exposures, showing a world measured on a different scale. What's revealed is familiar; we've had a sense that this place exists, but we don't often take the time to see it. Through my images, I hope the viewer will see what I see: the emotion and atmosphere of a place. The long exposures erase all but the essence. I do not normally go out and shoot until I find myself comfortable, and a given location or subject that I would like to work on has inspired me. Thus, the process is usually lengthy and tedious. All images were captured with Canon 5D Mark II with EF17-40mm f/4.0 L and F24-70mm f2.8L coupled with B+W Filter ND110.
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Contemplation
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Anchorage
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Twelve Poles
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Two Poles
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Devil's Cloud
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Eternal Light
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Stairway
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Sea Structure
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Ribbed Cage
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Fins
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Fallen Queen
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Siblings
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Remains
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Tale of Two Lands
For more of Thomas' work, visit:
His Flickr Page
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In Memoriam
George (AKA Georgette Lenore Buczynski, AKA "Nor'side") Adopted: June 4, 2006 Passed: February 25, 2015