Esmero & Dr. Pat Mc Geer
Tuesday, June 03, 2014
In 1986 I was assigned to photograph Social
Credit Cabinet Minister Pat McGeer. I knew he was a keen basketball player so I
communicated to him that I would take his picture in the UBC Gym court. At the
time I never used my 35mm cameras for anything except rock and roll photographs
of local alternative scene bands. For anything else I used my heavy 6x7cm
medium format Mamiya RB-67. Because magazines like photographs that were not
murky I always used flash, and when possible a studio flash.
From what I remember I clamped a large
Ascor flash and umbrella to the top of the backboard. I don’t remember exactly how.
But you might notice from the picture that the ball and the ring are
over-exposed as they were closer to the flash. But McGeer is properly exposed
because I metered for him.
As to how I was up there with my heavy
camera I have no recollection, but I was. Just in case, for once eschewed my
usual Ektachrome transparency film (you had to be bang on) for the more
forgiving colour negative, which in this case was Fuji HR100.
The photograph was used in a two-page
spread for Vancouver Magazine. One page was a full bleed photograph and on the
other page was McGeer’s profile.
I was having a bout of my usual insomnia,
in this case not sleeping worrying about unfinished business in the garden as
Rosemary and I are opening it for the Vancouver Rose Society on June 7. The
though came to my head beginning with the beautiful Spanish word esmero.
esmero.
(De esmerar).
1. m. Sumo cuidado y atención
diligente en hacer las cosas con perfección.
Real Academia
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My translation: Full care and diligent attention
in making things with perfection.
The word esmero comes from the verb
esmerar.
esmerar.
(Del
lat. vulg. *exmerāre, limpiar).
Real Academia
Española © Todos los derechos reservados
That translates to, in its principal definition,
to polish, clean and burnish. What is interesting is that papel esmeril or
emery paper does seem to be connected to esmero via the Byzantine Greek.
In short I see little effort in local
contemporary magazine photography for any esmero and pride in one’s work. I
remember not to long ago that a local photographer confessed to me that the
quantity of lights and the quality of lights he used for shoots depended upon
pay. I could not understand such a philosophy then and by now there seems to be
no memory for putting effort before one presses one’s camera shutter button.
It is interesting to note that Doctor Pat McGeer has been researching Alzheimer's for many years. I was struck by his intelligence the two times I took his photograph. It is my hope that in some way he will help find a treatment for this scourge.
It is interesting to note that Doctor Pat McGeer has been researching Alzheimer's for many years. I was struck by his intelligence the two times I took his photograph. It is my hope that in some way he will help find a treatment for this scourge.
