John Falkenstine Photography

I wish I could be there with you. What photo ops. You see with your heart.

lovely portfoli.

FANTASTIC PORTFOLIO!! Congrats!!!

John,

Very nice work!

What a breathtaking portfolio! 99% of your pictures don't have people in it and it makes your style very different I suppose. It looks like you could have taken most of them after a nuclear war or something...really interesting.

John, I love your style. I've learned a lot about perspective and proportions by viewing your photos. Thank you for posting them!

This is what photography should be: capturing the essence of the subject, material that is interesting, discovering the art within the world around us.

Hay John, you have fine portfolio, with a good feel for composing, delicious colors and a pleasurefull eye for detail. I put you in my friends map so i can look in your work time to time. yours, mike

I lived in Arizona for 20 years. I love your Tucson and Bisbee pictures. We seem to share some common interests. I'll have to put up some more Bisbee pics.

Thank you for the nice remarks on the folders. For your interest, once upon a time I did spend quite a bit of $$$ on Kodachrome and people photography. The problem I found is that when most people sensed they were being photographed, the quality of the image reflected this sense in their appearance which I call the "human ape mask", others could get quite angry, others again did not want to be photographed. A lot of film was exposed with limited results. However, I did embark on a large number of photographs of working people. I need to organize those images before posting them. One of them was enlarged and taken to Mexico, where it was originally taken in the machine shop of a dockyard. The picture was received extremely well to the point where most of the dockyard ceased to work to come and look at the picture. In return I received a blank check to wander around and take pictures...

I love the uniqueness of your portfolio...I often see interesting glimpses...buildings and signs and appreciate the time and talent you have dedicated to sharing yours with us. Your comment above was a nice added extra...I enjoy the personal insights from others travels. wish more people, including myself, would take the time to share some of the thoughts and motivations connected to the images we select.

What an awesome portfolio. Superb work on a subject I am very keen on, urban decay. This type of work is a great social documentary that we should all be striving to record. If we can do it as well as you do then we have cracked it.

Well done !!

Mark

a very individual style (well done on an exelant portfolio also your comments regarding Birk,(sorry I mean Turk)

I think you have a great eye and I love your photos....

You have a fantastic collection of photography here! You definitely have an eye for finding the interesting shots. I especially love the architecture. - James

I?ll be heading for the States in less than one month and your portfolio is a true inspiration for the kind of photography I want to shoot. I cannot wait until I get there.

You continue to amaze. I remain in awe of your work. Excellent eye, skill and finish. Kudos.

Love to see pics of old buildings before they crumble into dust. I guess in your neck of the woods that would be literally turning into dust.

Wish i had the time to comment all the pics in here but don't. Never been to Tuscon..?...but was impressed on your way of deplicting it. Would probably do it much the same. You have a great eye for using limited resourses in cityscape to bring out the true flavour of the place. Thanks very much, now i never have to visit Tucson lolol, but kinda want to now. If i could rate this folder it would be a 7/7.

I love your pictures. You've put together an impressive and beautiful collection of images. They are also a very good technical reference point for me.

I very much like your subjects. Your portfolio is a tribute to vanishing beauty, the present, the simple, the everyday life. Bravo!

I grew up in West Texas and Eastern New Mexico. Your photos do a great job of depicting how things look in that part of the world. Your portfolio is outstanding. Having been in Mexico and seeing wild dogs longing for a meal, I can appreciate the photo of the dogs on the beach.

john, i really appreciate your efforts to document these towns. you've got a great sense of style and color that makes your efforts really interesting to view.

well, I see from other comments that you have been told what a treat seeing your work is so can't really say better than those before me. So Thanks for sharing

I have to travel a long time to see space like this.

Wonderful photography. I must admit, I had to look some time to dicover the emotions on these pictures. Thanks for attending, regards.

Hi John, I think you have a good eye for detail, that you compose your images well by thinking through what you want for an end result. Your images of middle America are outstanding, I feel as though I have been there.

Thanks

Wow , what a passonate body of work. I with visit this portfolio again. Good work John.

Your portfolio really has a strong coherent theme. and very nostalgic. I am not even american and only been to the US for a month, yet I can feel what your pictures are saying.

ah Bisbee . . . . . .haven't been there in a long time . . . your portfolio is very interesting, full of color, texture, and shapes!

your interiror picutres show the most promise, but more for lighting than composition, on the whole you should be studying composition and photographing when the light is better.

Thank you for the feedback. This year (2005) I will expand the size of the folders, some new camera equipment should hopefully result in additional interesting images. As always, I present in an "unpeopled style" with the hope that you can imagine yourself in the Image. For info. Arizona is a very large state geographically, certainly larger than many European countries but with only a population of less than 5 million. The local county (Pima) is larger than the state of Connecticut, contains a huge Indian Reservation, and is patrolled by only 600 Deputies....Bisbee is located in Cochise County along the Mexican Border. The countryside is vast and beautiful. Wildlife is still abundant, including Bear, Mountain Lion (Puma) and very rare Jaguar. Hiking alone is not recommended. My vehicle for photography is a 4-wheel drive truck, as many roads are NOT paved. I use both film and digital equipment.

I am exploring your large AND impressive work.Started reading about the images,the storys and your own thoughts.I am ashamed to say that at the absolute first look or more glimpse I did understand nothing. But after coming across your comments here and there on pn I got more and more interested and curious in John Falkenstein.Freespeaking and also what I discovered not talking out in the blue.He has something to lean back upon.Your goal-directed work is admirable and whats more it is good photography.Edward Hopper comes to my mind sometimes,only missing the tumbleweed.My favorite images so far are the stillifes,the barstools some almost abstract.And the entire Rust and Gear-folio.I dont know if you have any plans publishing this in a bookform ? Reading your notes I have understood that the lack of people is depending on the heat,light etc.Plus the agressivnes from the people living out there in the wasteland.Sad, because I can imagine that they are VERY special.Though I would not risk my life for some photos.

Is there a great headline "Let it be..."? Convinced - RE

Thanks for sharing these. Makes one wonder what it will look like 50 years from now?

Hmmm, must have hurt somebody's feelings on the 2nd of March...

Very nice work, all of you with so many good photos. I really need much time to examine all of them ! Keep up this way !

I absolutely love your portfolio. I see that you like ghost towns? That seems to be my new interest, I haven't been to very many yet, but I am looking forward to visiting more of them. You have great work!

thanks for your kind remarks; Love your american photos great work john sincerly Joe Baker

the rateing system is weard;i personally take to hart ; as i shouldn,t. do as i do john take pictures, love them,some other will , some wount, on this website you show what you do, and see what others do ;;period;; it,s all a visual encounter. personally i really like your stuff. sincerly joe baker

The rating system on Pnet critique forum is its weakest element as far as I'm concerned. First of all it is so arbitrary but most of all it provides the artist no useful feedback when critiquers leave no comments. Forget the ratings, even the really good ones. Your work stands on its own, no need to feel bad about it if everybody doesn't get it.

Great stuff as always, John. I am very jealous that you are able to photograph Bisbee and I am stuck here in Kuwait on a very unscenic post...grumble. Ah, well -- since Huachuca survived this round of the BRAC, perhaps I can return there eventually; that would be a very good thing.

Nice eye for color.

Well, Christian, I'm a "defense contractor" who repairs Aircraft damage "on call" so who knows where I can end up.

your rust, gears, and machinery is my favorite. I have learned a lot from admiring your work. I love automotive photography, but it doesn't always work out the way I want. You seem to have mastered the ability to capture the beauty of the automobile, outstanding work John. feel free to comment on some of my work, I've only just begun so fire away

i don't like very much

A cynical remark above by a generally cynical and self satisfied person. As for the portfolio, I find it a little void of humanity. However, that was also true of Antonioni's films and it did not diminish from their genius and interest.

John, Thanks for your interest in my work. I'm afraid that rodeo shot was more luck than anything else, but then that's true of much photography. I'm a journalist at heart, and sometimes I forget that most of what we do, whether it's writing or shooting, is in some sense documentary. Your work clearly is documentary. One can grade another photographer by the (as PN puts it) aesthetics or originality of an image, but often it's what you've captured that makes all the difference. Most photographers, myself included, don't have much of an eye for what things need to be subjects of photos. You do, and you employ great technique as well, as evinced by the artistry of your work. Regards.

Thanks for the continuing feedback. Lately I have shifted to using some different equipment. The recent frenzy shift to digital cameras has "liberated" numerous FILM cameras on Ebay and in Thrift stores as well. Right now my favorites are the early generation point and shoots with Autofocus. My most recent image postings are images taken with a badly beaten and worn Olympus that no longer has a flash function or a timer. But for the rest it is working superbly. It set me back $3.00 at a sidewalk sale. I am also using an Olympus XA which set me back a grand total of $12.00 including shipping. In the background is a Canon EOS 630 with a nice Tamron lens. Using the point and shoots is enjoyable and gives me more latitude in photography because of the locations such as Mexico, where losing a camera permanently is a reality.

John, your work is on both ends of the spectrum, some is absolutely brilliant, while others, well.... I think that you tend to overdue alot of your post production work, which tends to take away from what is real. Keep shootin, and I'm sure that I'll still be lookin. Regards, Todd

John:

As others have stated your work is great. And rather than telling you again I will add some context. I grew up in Yuma, went to school in Tucson and then moved to Tempe. A year ago I left for Long Island, NY and have missed AZ tremendously. In my most homesick times, a quick look at your photos would bring the smell of an oncoming monsoon storm to my whole apartment. I know you must know that smell. How I miss it so. You capture the feeling of Tucson as accurately as it can be.

The good thing is that I am heading back soon. Just wanted to let you know your pictures took some of the sting out of a NY winter.

Best regards,

Alex

One of the top-ten portfolios in photo.net.

Somebody said here in comments, "convinced". thats it.

Great work, John. Keep going.

Note: photo.net has added a feature that allows me to disapprove comments. If comments are dis-approved I will note reasons here for my actions: 1. first posting disapproved because the party has not posted any images or participated in any discussions for over a year. The posting was a reaction to my remarks over a chronic mate-rater who in some postings made ethic slurs, often in a Language other than English. However; no fear, if you disagree or have exceptions with what you see, I will NOT delete. AS FOR THE FLAMINGO: He's just taking a nap.

I like your portfolio John, its very cool in a Polyester suit sort of way. You have lots of unique images...a refreshing change from most of the stuff on Photonet. Keep it coming.

I just looked over all of your images and they are impressive. You obviously have a way of making the mundane very interesting. Your images work very well as a group - it would be interesting to see them in a proper gallery or show.

This is spectaculary good stuff, John. I have never looked it all over before. It is well worth the time.

--Lannie

Well well, what do we have here. Nice to find your work. You've got some fun subject matter and a lot of it. I'll need to spend some time here. Thanks for your comments John.

...to be this funky. Nice work (and I mean it), and thanks for your help with my 500-yard freestyle technique.

your portfolio is interesting, nice... i'm only amateur and my camera is notthing special.

John, meeting you in numerous threats where you always seem to come in with some harsh remarks or questions made me come by to see how you are as photographer.

You have my full admiration !

Here we have a guy that seems to live with a camera in front of his eyes, taking pictures of almost anything that catches his eyes and stands out. Few of the pictures are by themselves unforgettable, but slowly by running through hundreds of them one sees your style and your very personal mark being build up for the observer. If one could see your photos as a rapid slide-show you definitely mark the viewer with your obvious artistic quality. Well done.

Anders

Anders: Thank you for the posting. My "threats" are only digital hot air anyway. Being a provocateur to stir the pot once in a while is good for the soup. THE important part is to not only enjoy photography but to have something of interest, and something which satisfies me, and hopefully raises a level of curiosity and thought for the viewer. Not all of my images are posted on photo.net, some go to press agencies. A major overhaul of my portfolio is in the works to categorize them a bit more orderly.

John, well said.

To "enjoy photography ... to have something of interest, and something which satisfies me, and hopefully raises a level of curiosity and thought for the viewer" is exactly what most of us are trying to do, and you obviously seem to succeed. As for your provocations you are just better than most of us around.

Anders

nice documentry work....thanks for ur comments .....you are bold in your expressions....regards

I am very much impressed with ur port ... I am a novice ... which attracted me to ur port r your comments ... yes ... u r right ... constructive criticism is lesser in PN which is much more solicited ... hope to have some tips on my works for my betterment ... will be back regularly to learn more ... greetings from Kolkata, India ...

Your portfolio contains some real snapshot-like beauties! My compliments!

i see a life in your portfolio..interesting and nice.. i like..Best wishes..Niko

I started to look at your portfolio and then counted how many photos I would have liked to comment. In the end I decided that it would be easier to drop a few words at the whole portfolio. I really enjoy the kind of photos you take - I would call them documentary because you seem to be concerned before anything with recording those places. Then, from all of them comes out this kind of 'movie feeling', of things ready to happen or almost finished. Beautiful and intriguing! All the best, Virgil

You're quite well known on photo.net (neither praise nor attack) and I wanted to leave a comment for a while but I didn't know how to begin. I've finally followed Virgil' steps and so here I am.
What I'm sure about is that you're a sharp mind, rather wild and then not so easy. Comments/critiques you leave are often clever and sometimes tactless but I think you deserve this pretty nice *pen icon prolific award*.
Your portfolio is fake free, natural and alive. Your work is a road movie, wish the trip never stops.
narrow minds deserve to be shaked

Per chance I had the opportunity to come to your portfolio and I admire your work. It is a piece of Americana that is so rare here. Your portfolio shows not only a man who loves this crazy art, but who loves his sorroundings and its people.Thanks for sharing your work and your art with us.

Marco Ruggiero

Hi John. I found your portfolio after seeing your criticism of Salvatore Saitta's photo of the chess pieces. Although I thought your comment to Salvatore was unduly harsh and a little rude, I must say that I am a big fan of your work, and that your portfolio is one of the best I have seen. I think you have a great eye for shape and design, wonderful compositions, and superior technical skills. Your depiction of the American Southwest is refreshing. Thank you for sharing your portfolio.

Your work documenting the passing of old Tucson is interesting to me. I've started doing the same in the Houston area.

I like what I refer to as "architecturally insignificant" buildings. While the buildings I favor may not be award winners or appear in architecture magazines, they help give our neighborhoods character. It seems that more and more developers would rather have a new strip center than to renovate or preserve some of these buildings.

I read over the weekend that three more buildings, including two of the old movie theater buildings, are endangered. One of the theaters still shows movies; the other has been well-preserved, but now operates as a book store.

At least our grandkids will be able to see what our towns used to look like. Keep up the good work.

Joel: Tucson has the bad habit of finding buildings insignificant when its convenient. The result: downtown is dead, kaputt and the blight is spreading. Photographically, there isn't much left for me to photograph in this part of town. Time for some traveling.

Love your Arizona images. Classic Americana, they really create a sense of place.

Great job capturing the essence of the southwest.

Your work is amazing... I absolutly love it!!

I have added a folder for images from Nogales USA and Mexico. Photographing as I would like to is not easy here. On the American Side, I discovered that I was being watched closely by defensive residents. On the Mexican side, it was clear that I wasn't into Tourist snap shooting and then the facial responses and body language changed abruptly, either extremely friendly and tolerant to sullen and threatening. One party shouted from over a block away after being photographed.

Your pictures are a form of beautiful art. Pleasure to watch your pictures. I do hope you will comment/rate my pictures

Great collections of shots from the border, you really captured the flavour and the atmosphera of the place. I love the border, I usually drive once a year from miami to Las Vegas just to enjoy feeling it. It is a shame that a group of fanatics want to convert that unic place in the planet in a series of divisory walls and concentration camps. Good work!

John, Thanks for the comment on my horse picture. I very much enjoyed looking through you gallery. You have a great eye for color and composition. You really capture the Southwest.

Please note: My portfolio is my garden. No politics here, no comments on photo.net here. Thanks, John F.

John, amazing portfolio, gallons of atmosphere pouring out of your pictures, I love your cars, I like your signs, it is great as a whole, thus I comment here.

Where have all the pictures gone, you ask. Apologies to those whose comments remain. I have removed the images.

Today: comment consisting of paranoid ramblings about ratings by another photo.net member disapproved.

Hello friend

I would like to wish you and your family Happy Holidays and a Good New Year! And say thank you for your support with your ratings and comments on my work over the last year. We are hoping to post some good weather photos this year. We start shooting sky photos in April thanks again for supporting my work.

Best wishes Ken Fugate Stormphoto.net

Thank you and a happy new year to you as well. I have added a WILLCOX Portfolio on the evening of Jan 11 2007. Same on Pbase.

Foto2nnya pasaran mas.

I'm enjoying reading your critiques and comments. I like their honesty, and look forward to reading more.

tanks for comment! like much your portfolio! like much all car

Your recent rodeo posts led me here. Glad they did. A fine portfolio. I particularly enjoyed browsing through your "Bisbee," "Variability" and "Arizona Outdoors" folders. Great stuff. Regards...

Unfortunately, photo.net had a managerial glitch last year from which they have not recovered. So I limit the number of images I post on this site and trim them back to keep the numbers low. I have far more images other netsites. My sincere thanks to those whose commented. For those who like photography I urge you to stick with it and to be creative. DON'T be part of the crowd and realize that your camera and equipment are a means for creativity and expression.

Hello Friend!

Well here it is another year is passing away and we are coming into the holidays. I think time starts to go faster as we get older, it was just yesterday I wished my friends Happy Holidays and here it is again the end of a year. The holiday lights are starting to be put on some of the trees here in Dallas, we were out last night and some were lighting the trees. I wish for you all a holiday season with family and friends, after all is said and done all we have is each other.

I want all of you to know just what your comments and ratings on my work means to me, your words are my motivation, my drive to discover, to learn this art that we all love, thank you for taking time and thank you for caring about my works. At the same time thank you for letting us see your world, our lives are so much the same, we all care about our families and friends and we all share the same things, maybe someday our photos will help make for a lasting world peace. May you and your family be blessed this season.

Happy Holidays and Happy Shooting

Ken