Photograph George Forss is an internationally-known legend among photographers. He was discovered by  Photographer David Douglas Duncan peddling his photographs on the streets of New York City, and Duncan got Forss published by McGraw Hill – New York, New York, Masterworks Of A Street Peddler –  and he took his stunning and innovative black and white images of New York City for decades. I was walking around Cambridge, N.Y, taking pictures when I ran into a friend, who told me that Forss’s gallery in Cambridge, Ginofor, was right nearby. I had heard of Forss and knew he lived nearby but never met him. I was surprised that he  knew of me and had seen some of my photographs and had some generous things to say about them. Forss’s style of photography has been shoved aside by the explosion in digital and cell phone cameras – everyone in America is a photographer now, including me. Before the digital camera, is was another world. But his work holds up beautifully, it is striking and inspiring to me.

I loved his stories of peddling his street shots, even getting arrested for working without a permit. When he got to court, he saw that the Judge had lined the courtroom with his pictures. He still had to pay the fine. Forss has a darkroom in the back of the gallery. He lives upstairs.

I asked if he might consider doing a photo show together with me, and he agreed. We might do it at the Pig Barn Gallery at Bedlam Farm this Spring or Summer if Maria will agree to it. It would be a great privilege for me to show my photos with George Forss. He uses all kinds of cameras, and has even made some of his own. We spent the next couple of years yakking about photography, and we are both excited about showing our work together. Forss’s work is shown by the Park Slope Gallery in Brooklyn, N.Y., and you can see it here. I am happy to know George and he says he’d love to come out to the farm and take some photos. I’d love that too. Stay tuned for details of the show.