Then & the Now

Then: “Sag Harbor Cinema 1999” - Hasselblad - Fujichrome

Throughout its very short history, Photography has passed through tremendous changes. Even in my own journey within the medium there have been constant shifts, not only with technique and equipment but also style and approach. Yet as everything changes I can be confronted with a surprising truth: (certain) things stay the same. I cannot say that this lesson is either comforting or alarming. Perhaps both. As always, a picture, or in this case two, can stand in for a thousand words.

The first image is one of my ‘vintage’ favorites. This was accomplished when I made two shifts: 1) I moved back from strictly infra-red black&white to color; and b) to get really serious I switched from 35mm to the medium format of my Hasselblad 500c/m in the late 1990s. A group of these efforts was made throughout the Hamptons as that was where, after a hiatus, I had returned to spend the summers.

The Sag Harbor Cinema was not only an icon of the Hamptons but as an ardent film student & goer in my college days it represented the classic era of American movie houses. It did not have the usual marquee but that big neon sign could not be missed.

Early on I was drawn to the drama of the post-sunset color spectrum. In the Hamptons that usually meant working in late Sprint or late Fall. The long exposures required schlepping a heavy-duty tripod to handle the extra weight of the Hassy. There was a lot of anxiety but when the film finally came back from the lab the results were exhilarating.

In the decades since, much has changed. While I still have my Hasselblad it has been given retired statesman status. Digital now rules the day if only because of the expediency that having become a professional photographer has required. But beyond that, my own tastes actually prefer the speed, agility and flexibility that digital cameras offer. Once Canon offered their 5Dsr camera that provides a 50megapixel+ image I knew I had a piece of equipment that delivered an abundance of favorable options.

There was, however, one more dramatic change: the beloved Sag Harbor Cinema had been almost completely destroyed a few years ago by a devastating fire. Major landmark that it had been, many hearts were broken. It was awhile before I could even bring myself to go by. Ironically, the one remaining feature was the front exterior — but that neon sign had been irreparably damaged. That fire in the theatre, though, sparked a fire in the heart of the great artist, April Gornik, who now lives in Sag Harbor. She organized a fund-raising committee determined to resurrect the fallen symbol of the Sag Harbor Cinema. Almost miraculously, an auspicious revelation was revealed: it was discovered that a duplicate sign that had been long forgotten actually existed in a warehouse somewhere and it was in perfect condition. And so the theatre was brought back to life from the ashes and is now the same but even better with modern technological improvements available. Additionally, everyone realized what a gem of community gathering had been saved and it is appreciated more than ever.

As it happened, this Fall, I was back full-time in Montauk after almost an entire year away. The skies were lighting up later than usual (October-November as opposed to previously mostly being September-October) and a feeling kicked in. April Gornick and her husband, Eric Fischl used their momentum from the restoration and went on to renovate an old church just a block from the Cinema into an full-on, open space art haven called, appropriately, The Church. They host regular events such as Knowledge Fridays with guest speakers and various presentations. I attended one in early December. My camera gear was in the car. As I had hoped from the weather report, during the event a slight shower had dampened the streets. It provided the perfect ambience as I grabbed the gear and headed down to ‘the spot.’ I chose not to review the older image which was stored on my phone. I was curious to see if I would be drawn naturally to the same spot. I was very close. I placed the tripod where I wanted, carefully framed the image to include the street lamp. I waited for passing traffic. Yet . . .

There was one more major change. With the proliferation of digital cameras especially with regard to cellphone cams, any composition and click of the shutter can quickly seem less than the unique event it was when I first became interested in the medium. My personal quest for quite some time now has been to find ways to bring back that sense of “this is what I see” individuality. Then this past month I literally stumbled onto one new solution and I began including myself within the frame.

So, yes, this second image is the then and the now. This is what I Witness.

Now: “This Is What I See: Sag Harbor Cinema" 2023” Canon 5Dsr