Bob Bogdal, a leading blues harmonica player and a songwriter, is also a longtime B&W photographer. He shared his striking B&W work and told us about his approach.

(All photographs Copyright Bob Bogdal, All Rights reserved, No Reproduction Whatsoever is Permitted)

Bob Bogdal

I went to Art Institute of Pittsburgh from ‘78-‘80 majored in photography, moved to CA. and went to now-defunct School of Photographic Art. I was always a fan of Group f64, and was nurtured on the Zone System, which is how we were taught at the Art Institute then.

I shot commercial work in Los Angeles for the AD2 Agency then Ad Dimensions, where I assisted photographer Dean Tukuno ‘till 1986. In 1989 I moved to Paris and shot for Madison Agency and did beauty and fashion.

I became uninterested in commercial work, but always kept my love for silver prints.

Bob Bogdal, musician and photographer (above)

However, after shooting for years using Plus-X and printing in the darkroom, I’ve found the current state of digital cameras to be excellent. The ability to view your shots is a bonus. I still feel the need to calculate my shots, but the added freedom is very nice indeed.

Blues Greats

Around 1978 I also started playing harmonica and by 1996 it became my full-time profession. I am now recognized as a top blues harmonica player, and am a songwriter. I continue to shoot and have a great series on blues artists I’ve photographed during my touring. 

A little history on these: Originally shot with Nikon F2A in color, then scanned and turned into duo-tones in Photoshop. I did use a flash, which I usually would not, however I wanted the detail of their wonderful faces to be there to be examined by the viewer. Also, blues artists very often do not have elaborate lighting setups. I shot BB King at the Landmark Theater in Syracuse, NY after spending an evening with him; I shot my late friend Carey Bell at Dinosaur BBQ. Clarence Gatemouth Brown is also gone, bless all their souls.

“Insignificant Structures” Project

Recently I purchased a Canon 50D and started shooting again, and have been focusing on structures that have been abandoned, or are just old or have historical value, etc. I am currently living in Nashville and the photos are taken in TN. However, as I travel I’m sure the project will expand all over the country. TN. is rich in structures that interest me, as does the natural beauty here.

So the images are digital and start out as 15.1 megapixel RAW files. I bring them into Photoshop and change them to B&W and adjust Curves and filter to desired effect. Nik Software has an application called Silver Efex, in my opinion it is the best way to change from color RAW image to B&W. It has the ability to preview a Push or Pull process, various filters (red, yellow, orange, blue, green etc), apply sepia tone and antique effects, and of course add grain if you like. Very nice software. So basically I shoot in RAW mode then use Nik Silver Efex to change the images to B&W. My usual set-up is low grain, a touch of sepia, then careful sharpening for output.

I find a certain beauty in these structures. Even in their empty and neglected state they still seem to offer something for the viewer, even when their main purpose as a building has passed. Something about architecture stuck with me; My wife works for architects and I’ve shot images on occasion for them. Buildings, just like other things in our society, are simply discarded when age catches up with them. I think this is a metaphor for many things. I guess my intentions are to get people to focus on that metaphor, and yet to find the beauty that comes with age at the same time. Just to take a close look at the chipping paint, the burnt-out building, etc., and realize that life once existed there.

Other Work

Pipes In Water captures a Japanese feel that I find very elusive; Driftwood on Moss is just one of those images where the objects, which are totally unrelated, seem to have a symbiotic relationship and I feel this helps captivate the mind and draws the viewer deeper into the image.

--ends--

CAREY BELL, at Dinosour BBQ

B.B. KING, SYRACUSE, NY

PIPES IN WATER

DRIFTWOOD & MOSS

Left: DUKE ROBILLARD; Right, “GATE”  - CLARENCE “GATEMOUTH” BROWN