Wegman World

Chip

 
William Wegman, Pup Prop, 1995

 

Chip was born May 19, 1995, the first of Batty's four boys.  His birth was not without drama. He emerged outside the sac, apparently not breathing. Having been through it before with Chundo during Fay’s delivery, we pretty much knew what to do. He would have to be jumpstarted. With lots of rubbing, pinching, swinging, after ten long minutes my wife Christine's heroic efforts got him to breathe. 

William Wegman, Furog, 1995

Three days later I photographed him with Batty with the 20 x 24 polaroid camera. One picture stands out in my mind. An odd and somewhat blunt version of the classic Madonna and child portrait.   

William Wegman, Chip and Battina, 1995

Six months later I would photograph him  as Tamino in the Magic Flute in a photo series for the Houston Grand Opera. It still amazes me how much costume weight Chip could carry without the slightest effect on his expression.

 
William Wegman, The Magic Flute, 1996

Even with hats! Maybe that part of his brain failed to develop during the traumatic events of his birth. Remind me to ask Oliver Sacks about that next time I see him.       

 
William Wegman, Stanley, 1999

 

William Wegman, Leader of the Pack, 2000

In the early 90’s I made children’s’ books with Fay and her offspring, Batty, Crooky, and Chundo. Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, an alphabet book, a book of shapes, a book of numbers…all versions of classic children’s books.  

With Chip I headed off in a new direction, with my own original stories guided by Chip’s personality. He would need a new wardrobe. I found the right shirt for him at a Salvation Army in Hudson, NY, near where many of the books and films were made (notably, Farm Days, Surprise Party, My Town, and Chip Wants a Dog).

 
from Chip Wants a Dog

His wistful look guided much of the texts for these works.  One could never write a purely happy ending peering into those somewhat sad dreamy eyes. In Chip Wants a Dog, he plays a dog obsessed only child of an upstate couple played by his real mother Batty and his (pretend) father (real uncle) Chundo.

He wants a dog, but for all the usual reasons  given to children he is denied. To give it an upbeat spin I thought long and hard and came up with this: Chip goes to bed has a dream and in his dream he becomes a dog. When he awakes he is no longer wearing clothes…he has become a dog.

 
from Chip Wants a Dog

 

A great and powerful runner. I photographed him running in a field.  He loved to run. In the photo he looked, and was, truly happy.

Chip free of clothes was majestic and many of the polaroid 20 x 24 work from the next years explored that. Perhaps the most beautiful is this black and white 20 x 24 taken in 1998:

William Wegman, Looking Back, 1998

 

That being said, he did have a way with hats. 

 

 

William Wegman, Gent, 1999

 

-- WW

Werk!: The Armitage Gone Variety Show

William Wegman has colloborated with choreographer Karole Armitage to create a performance for "Werk!: The Armitage Gone Variety Show" which opens this week. Read more about the show on Hyperallergic.

Show and ticket information can be found here.

Flo (Birth) Day!

From Flo's first shoot

Flo's first birthday was March 23. She came to us from Brian and Beth Meany in May 2011, at 8 weeks old with her sisters Stella and Mable for a photo shoot and I fell in love with her.  In spite of my better judgement I decided to keep her. Surprisingly no one objected, even thought I already had three dogs, Bobbin, Candy and their daughter Penny.

 

Flo at 3 months

Decision making was made complicated by Penny's being diagnosed with lymphoma earlier that month.  Penny's oncologist said it was a good idea, that Flo would be a nice diversion for all of us, including Penny. She was right. She and Penny became inseparable (more Flo's idea than Penny's). During Penny's last hours Flo was very sweet to her. I like to think that helped. 

 

 

Flo and Penny

    Though we are sad Flo continues to entertain us.

 

     Flo at nine months     

She is a comic beauty, an  electrified version of Batty, another funny beauty. Flo is busy, chewy, and tall.  Lucky for me she loves to work.  When she was just starting out I put her on a pedestal in the studio alongside the other dogs that were being photographed so she could experience the strobe flash. When it was her turn she performed like a pro. 

Flo at six months

An altogether matter is her rambunctious behavior at home, especially now that she is full grown.  When visitors come we have to tackle and corral her into another room or hang on to her somehow to keep her from launching herself on them. I have learned techniques on how to keep a dog from jumping up and they have worked to perfection on any of my other dogs in the past. Part of the problem is she looks so great standing tall and its hard to discourage  such elegance and joy. Some staff and family members find my lack of success in training her baffling. Am I not the dog guy?  

Bill and Flo

Flo had fun in Maine in late March. It was 80 and beginning to be muddy. I had heard about mud season but never experienced it. Then it got colder. Then it got colder. Then it got colder. Then it snowed. Snow is great. We got to ski. Flo followed us when we cross-country skied. I tried to grab onto her collar for a free ride. With Chip and Chundo you could really get a great ride...20mph, I'm guessing. With Flo it was no go.  Maybe next year.

 

Flo in the snow in Maine

--WW

Flo (Birth)Day: Coming Soon

Vintage Flo
 

Flo Wegman turned one last week. She spent her birthday in Maine, and when she and WW are back next week, we will feature a birthday post. Need some reminding about Flo? Read about how she joined the family here and here.

March Puppies

People often ask me if the puppies I photograph are always my dogs. Usually, they are not. (My last litter was Candy's, in 2004.) A few times a year, some of my weimeraner friends will bring their litters by the studio, and I will work with their puppies.

 

In recent years I have been photographing puppies raised by Brian and Beth Meany of Syracuse and Gene and Renee LaFollette from Virginia, weimaraner people I met through the late great Jinny Alexander. To many Jinny was queen mother of weimaraners in America. The litters I have shot in the last year have been the first without Jinny's presence. She has been missed.

Last week we photographed three six-week-old little darlings, a litter born from Gene and Renee's dog Java. They were exceptionally, almost unbearably, cute. The most compelling shots were close ups using minimal or no props and complimentary background tones. To achieve this, we used an extension ring, which gave the effect of a macro lens -- we were able to get closer.

 

Adult dogs can shy from puppies. Not Flo. (Watch a video of Flo interacting with the puppies here.) My favorite is of two puppies sleeping on Flo's back, using her as furniture.

 

 

The six-week-old puppies' expressions are so different from those of eight weeks, the age one typically adopts a puppy. At this age they observe us without expectation, just openness.  Later they will exhibit a range of emotions for us to interpret as we will.

 

I love photographing puppies at various stages of their development, but especially love the 5-6 week-ers. They are strong enough to handle and are rather predictable so you can work with them around their daily cycle of sleep-eat-play-sleep. Their eyes are very, very blue at this age. Later they will (typically) turn a yellow amber color.

-- WW

Flo Day: Flo in Love II

 

 

Flo and puppies from Gene and Renee LaFollette! Check back next week for a post from WW on the puppy shoot.

And, in case you missed it last year, watch the original Flo in Love here.

Looking Back: New York Newsday

In 1993, the Long Island paper New York Newsday ran an interview with William Wegman. Read an excerpt below.

William Wegman, Untitled (Fay Contact Sheet), 1988

THE NEW YORK NEWSDAY

INTERVIEW WITH WILLIAM WEGMAN Dogs Offer a `Different Kind of Intimacy
by Catherine Barnett

Q. What have you learned from your weimaraners, and how have they changed you? A. I lived for about five years in between dogs, after Man Ray died in l982. When I got a dog again, I was happier, even though I'm sort of chained to my house. Halfway through a movie I say, "I wonder how Fay and Battina are doing?" and I come home early. When I got Fay, I didn't take a picture for one year, because I didn't want to do Man Ray over again. But when I did photograph Fay I realized I'd been denying myself an incredible pleasure. I also started to paint again. Working with Fay created a golden period for me.

Read the full story here.

Sad News.

Just over a week ago, our beloved Penny died. She was diagnosed with lymphoma last year, and received wonderful care from the Animal Medical Center. She lived a happy, pain free life for much longer than was expected, and we were thankful for every day we had with her. She was her normal sweet self right up until the end. When she died, it was at home, surrounded by her family, both human and canine. We love her and miss her more than words can express.

This photo is of young Penny at WW's home in Maine, a place she loved.

WW wrote a post about Penny for her 8th birthday last month, which can be read here.

Bloglove: WW on The New Yorker's Back Issue

The New Yorker has featured WW online for a second time this month, this time as part of their Back Issue blog. Check out the post here.

William Wegman, Untitled, 1999
Batty as Eustace Tilly's butterfly 

Amateur Thursdays - New York Review of Books

WW joins authors Susan Orlean, Lisa Birnbach and Stefan Merrill Block in a candid discussion about  J.R. Ackerley’s My Dog Tulip. Watch the video below, or visit NYRB's website here.