Don Sala - New Show “Transformation: Ads. To Art”
Crete Creative Gallery@1304 Main ST., Crete, IL
Sept. 7th- Oct. 14th 10am-2pm Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays
Opening Reception Saturday Sept. 9th, 11am-1pm
Retro Large Format Photography
These are the 2 books I Photographed for Tessing Design, covers included. These are books about building large and small scaled wooden toys, plans included. Each of over 50 setups that were photographed using an 8”x10” Deardorff wooden view camera. The lighting was Balcar Strobes, and the film processing labs were Ross-Ehlert, & Gamma. Louise & Arv Tessing handled all the preproduction & postproduction work on the design and printing the books. Sadly Arv Passed away during Covid. I remember the fun times we had with the Tessing’s, when we lived in Lincoln Park in Chicago, Il.
©Don Sala Images
©Don Sala Images
My Stock Photograph Used For 150 Year Anniversary Of Beecher, Il.
I was asked by Shirley Biery, If I had any photos of the Beecher Depot? I told her, that I had photographed the Depot from different angles.
And since she was using the photograph for a good cause, I would donate my time and services.
I ended up photographing some more places in Beecher, that were used in the Sesquicentennial
Book 1870-2020.
It All Started With My Parents And A Camera
My Mom was our family photographer. She photographed our family all the time. And we still have those timeless photographs taken 70 years ago, with a 2 1/4 square camera. It wasn’t until years later that I learned about this family camera. I was moving out of my family home, after serving 2 years in the U.S. Army. My new apartment was in Lincoln Park, In Chicago. My mom gathered a couple of boxes with items she thought I could use for my first apartment. In one of the boxes was this camera. I opened the camera, and I found my name neatly printed on the inside. The camera was a gift from my Grandparents, on my first birthday.
I moved to the north side of Chicago because I was was working at Vogue Wright Studios at 469 E Ohio Street. I also lived in a loft studio at Wacker Dr & Lake St. In downtown Chicago. The 5 story building is still there. In a couple of years I met my wife, and we purchase a 3 flat brick building in Lincoln Park. Yes we are still married.
That is me on the left with my sister & brother.
3 Brothers, All Cameramen, Each Had Their Own Specialties.
ADAM ELSENBACH
I first met Adam at Vogue Wright Studios, 469 E. Ohio Street, Chicago, in 1971. I saw a job listing for an assistant photographer in the Chicago Tribune. This was a catalog house that produced the Sears Catalogs, Alden Catalogs, Spiegel Catalogs, and specialty catalogs. There was this 6 story building at 469 and a huge building across the street at 440 E. Ohio, with high ceilings. Here room scenes were photographed with 11 x 14 view cameras and 11 x 14 color transparency film (slide film). Back at 469 Adam had a shooting space with closed off area where he photographed professional models with and without products. Adam and I would photograph covers for the Sears catalogs using 8 x 10 Deardorf Cameras. And 4 x 5 Polaroid Film to check lighting and exposure. We were still using transparency film, that was processed in a in house lab. When Adam went out for lunch, I sent a test to the lab, that he could check when he came back from lunch. Adam and I would travel to Florida, Texas, California, other locations close to home.
JOHN ELSENBACH
When Adam and I were out in Beverly Hills Cal. I met his brother who was a cinematographer, working on movies and TV shows. As a Director of Photography, he shot series including “Dukes of Hazard’, “Kojack”, “Knots Landing” and “Murder, She Wrote”. He also shot TV movies “The Alamo: “Thirteen Days to Glory”. He was an honorary lifetime member of the Intl. Cinematographers Guild Local 600, IATSE. (“Variety” December 7, 2004)
PETER ELSENBACH
I would see Pete Elsenbach, when Adam And Pete would go out to lunch. Pete was a motion picture cameraman shooting State Farm Insurance commercials.
FINISH
I learned a lot from Adam Elsenbach, and i’ll never forget him. We shared many experiences from fishing in Leech Lake, Minnesota. with a bunch of guys. To picking him up early in the morning so he could take his car in for repairs. Adam & I flew to LA to photograph models in a swimming pool in Beverly Hills, California. The photo was shot using a 8x10 large format view camera. We needed some fill reflectors to complete the Sears catalog cover. Adam called his brother, who worked at Universal Studios, to lend us a couple of movie reflectors to complete the shot. Adams brother was a cinematographer at Universal studios. I worked as an assistant for Adam for 6 years. Adam told me you will be a very good photographer. That’s because he including me in all phases of photography, and why he did things a certain way. Not the quickest way, but the best way.
Adam Elsenbach 1930-2017 John Elsenbach 1925-2004 Peter Elsenbach 1934-1980
Crete Creative Community Showcase 2019. Crete Creative Community Showcase Opening Reception Nov. 29th, 2019, 6-8pm
Join me at the Crete Creative Community Showcase, on Friday. 1 of my works will be on display. The address is 1304 Main Street in Crete, Il.60417 Gallery Hours are: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 10 AM- 7 PM. November 29th, 2019 - January 16th, 2020
Hope to see you there, Don.
Hege-Apples ©Don Sala Images
Britannica
As a photographer sometimes you duties include being a graphic designer or working with a writer and graphic designer, like Sheila Fine at Encyclopedia Britannica. She was the writer for Know Magazine, a magazine that showcased important people at Britannica. Their office was right down the street from my loft / studio at Wacker Dr. & Lake Street, right in downtown Chicago. It was always challenging and insightful to learn from people who had been working at these jobs for years. I also expressed my ideas that I had learned from working with other advertising agencies, and other clients. Sheila Fine called me up and told me that she had an interesting project she wanted me to do. I went over and she discussed the Britannica Award that she wanted me to photograph for their employee magazine, KNOW MAGAZINE. We discussed different ideas. I told her we should keep it simple, and I told her I would shoot it on a black background. I photographed the medal on a black fabric background to create a little texture in the background, because I new the Medal would have to be raised slightly to get the effect I wanted. Black paper would have been to shinny for the lighting I was using. I photographed the Medal using my 8” x 10” Deardoff camera, and 8” X 10” Kodak Ektachrome film E-6. The film was processed by Ross-Ehlert Photo Lab in Chicago, normal process time was 2 hours. When the film was ready I checked it, and headed over to the client with my 8'“ x 10” light box and transparencies. The client loved the image, and she gave me a photo credit. Cover by Don Sala Photography. Its always so thrilling to know your work was appreciated by your peers. To think your image and name would be distributed around the globe at other Britannica offices is pretty cool.
Thanks again, Sheila Fine!
I always wanted to give my clients the best I could offer.
MUSIC & ART
I photographed Jaime Jorge in my home studio in Olympia Fields, Il. Dave Dankovich was the art director.
I always liked listening to Jamie Jorge playing his violin. He has played his music around the world.
When I texted Jamie a week ago, he was excited that I writing a blog about his first CD cover. He remembered it like it was yesterday. I shot the image in B&W using a RB 6x7 Camera. A 2 1/4” negative would have given me a square image. Lighting the photograph was a little difficult, because the main light was lighting the the background and the model. I had to use a fill-in light to open up the dark shadows, on the models left side. It was always nice to use Polaroid film to show the art director and model what the image would look like. I shot 2 rolls of film and sent them off to Ross- Ehlert photo labs in Chicago. I normally process my own B&W film, but I was busy with another photo shoot that day. I always promised my clients the day there images would be ready.
jaimejorge.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1YMBY1tMbU
The Meaning Of Inspiration
For me inspiration comes from seeing things or objects that are common or mundane. And turning those objects into something interesting, by using camera movement, or other techniques I have developed over the years. I started out as a young photographer, shooting landscapes in b&W, like most photographers. It was when I started working as an advertising photographer, that I learn that clients wanted something different, something original. I learned very quickly to adapt to the advertising world. I wasn’t afraid to try something new and unusual. Clients seem to like my style, in fact Mr. Kroch from Kroch’s & Brentanos Book Store in Chicago had me photograph his netsuke’s for his annual Christmas cards. His collection of 19 century netsuke’s are in the Field Museum in Chicago. From Carl and Jeanette Kroch collection. www.fieldmuseum.org
Your inspiration comes from within you! Don’t be afraid to be different, its who you are.
©Don Sala Images, Mr. Kroch’s Netsuke Christmas Card.