Abelardo Morell, Alchemist of Photography

B&H Photography Podcast

The art of photography offers boundless potential for altering and enhancing human perception—this is the focus of our conversation on this week's podcast. Listen in as we go down the rabbit hole of visual discovery with alchemist of photography Abelardo Morell. From his early desire to enlighten students by transforming his classroom into a camera obscura to his ever-expanding universe of ideas—and the subsequent tools he uses—to record moments in light, Morell is an undisputed master in conjuring magic from a cross section of art and science, time and space.

Guest: Abelardo Morell

Photographs © Abelardo Morell, Courtesy of Edwynn Houk Gallery

For more information on our guests and the gear they use, see: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/the-camera-obscura-and-recording-time-and-space-in-images-with-abelardo-morell

Episode Timeline

3:30: Abelardo Morell’s Street Photography Roots 4:29: The Power of a Visual Language 5:50: Creating a Camera Obscura in the Classroom

7:30: Making Pictures Inside the Camera Obscura 7:58: Reciprocity Failure in Film Captures 9:50: Determining Exposure Times When Polaroid Isn’t an Option 11:18: Framing Up Compositions Inside the Camera Obscura 11:56: Shifting from Analog to Digital Cameras 12:22: Phase One Digital Allows the Capture of Moments in Light 14:22: From a Pinhole to Projecting an Image Using Diopters and Lenses 17:47: Morell’s Digital Workflow and Working with a Digital Tech 18:55: Juggling Multiple Projects, Genres, and Tools 20:33: Picturing Childhood as a Creative Breakthrough

25:20: Episode break

26:04: Conceptualizing the Tent Camera for Use in the Landscape 30:25: Shooting Tethered in the Field 31:18: Developing the Tent Camera’s Prism Periscope Lens 32:22: Shifting the Projected Image from the Wall to the Ground 33:00: Patina of the Ground and a Philosophical Meaning 34:00: Channeling Fox Talbot in Cliché Verres 37:42: Morell’s Preference: Black and White or Color? 38:43: Becoming a Painter by Photographing Paint Drying 41:04: Composition and Tension in the Hitchock Series 43:35: Morell’s Preference Between Studio or Landscape 46:26: The Value of Experience and a Benefits of a Teaching Career 48:00: The Bravery in a Lifetime of Artistic Work

49:10: An Evolving Vision for Alice in Wonderland

51:06: Abelardo Morell’s Upcoming Projects and a Residency in Italy

52: 47: Morell’s Upcoming Show at the Montclair Art Museum

Stay Connected:

Personal Website: https://abelardomorell.net

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abelardomorell/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/abelardomorell

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AbelardoMorellPhotography

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abelardo-morell-82848827