Rangefinder Magazine

Columns

Insight

Hans Neleman and Nicholas Orzio are unlikely to ever cross paths, except in the pages of Rangefinder. Neleman is a master of the art of collage, incorporating a bizarre assortment of found objects into his startling imagery. Orzio is best known for his riveting documentary photography of post World War II Japan. Despite their topical differences these two photographers share at least one common trait—their images hold you spellbound. In Neleman’s work, one gets lost in the details—circling and intersecting and finding the most wonderful surprises, rich with symbolism and humor. Neleman’s work tantalizes your powers of imagination, and like all great work, it’s not easy to grasp, but it is absolutely rewarding. Orzio’s documentary photography, as fresh as if it were made only months ago, derives its magic from the sheer emotional impact of the subjects. Their life stories are spelled out with amazing clarity and in great detail without bias. And like Neleman’s collages, one cannot leave Orzio’s black-and-white work easily. While Orzio deals with broad strokes, the images are compelling because they make you feel—they ignite your awareness of the human family and the stories feel true and the emotions genuine. Similarly, in Orzio’s flower images, which are in reality larger than the flowers themselves, the almost spiritual essence of the flower is presented with both awe and admiration. The common ground that both photographers share is that their work enriches and stimulates, and each time you revisit their photography, there is something surprising and new awaiting you.

Bill Hurter
Editor

ON THE COVER
PHOTOGRAPHER: Nicholas A. Orzio
SUBJECT: White iris
CAMERA: Mamiya RB 67 Pro SD
FILM: Fujicolor Superia 100
LIGHTING: Four floodlights; one underneath a glass tabletop
COMMENTS: Nick Orzio is a professional documentary photographer who currently enjoys doing fine art renditions of flowers. For the white iris featured on this month’s cover, according to Orzio, “I used a special glass-top table and four floodlights with one underneath the glass top. The background is white felt. The iris needed four toothpicks in the stem to keep it upright and in position. The trick with this type of photography is that you must previsualize the final image before setting up and lighting it. You must have a mental image of how the flower should look. I do my own printing, which also helps to realize that mental image. After all, I can’t expect a stranger to print my mental images, I’d drive him crazy.”
Nick Orzio achieved national recognition in 1948 and 1949 with his images of Japan during the U.S. Occupation after World War II. In 1948, Orzio was assigned as photographer to document the people, geography and war crimes trials for two years. He was only 19 years old at the time. Now, in his seventies, Orzio is achieving national recognition all over again for his flower images. The International Photography Hall of Fame is currently touring an exhibit of Orzio’s images.
For more information on Nick Orzio see Julie Miller’s profile of him which begins on page 14 of this issue.