Abelardo Morell, Alchemist of Photography

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