I’ve always loved the legend of Dracula, and Vlad the Impaler, and the many and varied vampire movies that have resulted from the blood sucking myth over the years. In my senior year of high school, I had to write an in-depth book report, and I chose Bram Stoker’s Dracula. My mother disallowed it. She thought it would make me, in her words, strange. Little did she know the “strange-ification” process was well underway, and continues to this day.
So I loved this job below, back in the 70’s no less. Working on location, by myself, shooting Kodachrome and lighting with my old set of 800ws Dynalites. Below, actor Jack Betts as Dracula. He was on daytime TV for ABC, and I was a staff photog for the network at the time. He had an understudy role, as I remember, on Broadway, as the Count. And he was into the role! I recall having a blast doing these pictures, even given my uncertainty with lights and chrome, back in the day.
Got two brand new workshops in Europe this year – starting soon. Leading the way is producer extraordinaire Liza Politi who not only does a terrific job in research and planning, but somehow also attracts wonderful people to enjoy these adventures with. Really looking forward to exploring Portugal since I’ve never been….
Only 1-2 spots open for Portugal next month, so email Liza for details [email protected].
And Romania well, both weeks filled up fast, I guess spurred by the notion of wandering around Transylvania – the legendarily beautiful home of Dracula. (Annie has already told me if I deploy my Bela Lugosi imitation even once, she’s going home.) But 2 spots just opened up now for the first week of Romania, so email Liza at: [email protected] to register if you dare to enter the forests of Transylvania with me:) Also Bucharest. Wow….beautiful city.
Bucharest/Transylvania Romania: August 27 – September 3 & September 4 – September 11
And Romania itself, perhaps a bit less visited? There are tried and true places for photo workshops, to be sure. Iceland and Tuscany come to mind. But Romania! Visually quite different, and exciting. Can’t wait to go back. And Portugal, wow, never been there, so that is always fuel for picture making.
More tk…
Joe, I didn’t get the veto from my mother, but I was I college when I wrote my report on Dracula: Man, Myth, and Legend. Covered everything from the historic figure of Vlad, to the commercialization of….Count Chocula! It was a fun project to be sure, and was capped off by getting a personalized license plate for my car that starts conversations and garners more the occasional sideways glance on the PA Turnpike to this day: DRACUL. Fun stuff. A few years later I met Dr. Radu Florescu, one of the foremost Dracula scholars in the world.
Man… I wish I could do the Romania trip with you! That would have to be awesome! Transylvania really leaves an indelible mark on the budding imagination… a bite mark, perhaps?
Cheers!
Back in the day what vampire filter did you use to get the image as your camera probably had a mirror?
Thanks, man! It’ll be fun just saying, “I’m going to Transylvania!”
Wow! Thank you!!. Now my site is up and running and I’m practicing letting go of perfection and learning as I go with not only my site but EVERYTHING!!
super
Experiment makes you a capable person. And you are a master piece in that case.
Many thanks!
Amazing Post Joe
Joe Thanks for sharing
Yeah, I think Romania noticeable known of Vampires myth even more where the original story comes from (Hungary) Elizabeth Bathory was spread even before the story of Vlad the Impaler being called Dracula..
That was very interesting history indeed, and it was used a lot in pop culture in the west, specially in the movies, that something when I was young think it as just imagination of the writer and could not have real background, after I read about it, I found out I was mistaken and such thing (kinda killing for fun) was really existing but hidden from us behind ancient history books.