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Did you know that Arthur Miller married a photographer?

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I was reading Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” as part of my DIL’s syllabus for her AP English students. I had agreed to read along with her class. I wrote about that HERE and HERE. In the introduction to the play, there was a mention of Inge Morath who married Arthur Miller after his divorce to Marilyn Monroe. I had never heard of Morath. I didn’t know Miller married a photographer.

I had to prepare a presentation to share either my photos with my photography class — or introduce a photographer to my classmates. I looked at Inge Morath’s work and thought “this is it!”

Below is information I used as crib notes to share with the class. I talked off the cuff, but glanced down at the material for reference. I’m not posting my favorite photos of hers, because they are not in the public domain. The Inge Morath Foundation owns them. Instead I’ll post links to her work so you can explore them on your own.

I especially like her iconic llama photo she took for Life magazine, her bicycles in China and her photos from movie set of The Misfits — where she met her husband-to-be Arthur Miller. Miller wrote “The Misfits” for his wife Marilyn Monroe.

Here are the Inge Morath notes*:

Inge Morath (1923–2002) was an Austrian-born photographer known for her intimate and expansive portraits of people and cultures across the globe, who became one of the first female members of the Magnum photo agency. After surviving WWII, she worked as a photo editor before becoming a photographer in 1951, and later co-published several books with her husband, playwright Arthur Miller, whom she married in 1962. Her work includes documenting the sets of films like The Misfits, and capturing intimate portraits of artists, writers, and everyday people. 

  • Early life and career: Morath was born in Austria in 1923 and grew up in Germany during the Nazi era. She became fluent in several languages, and after the war, worked as a translator and journalist. She began her career in photography after working as a photo editor for Magnum, where she learned by studying the work of photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson.
  • Magnum photographer: Morath became a full member of Magnum in 1953 and was a pioneering female photographer in the male-dominated agency. She traveled extensively for her work, documenting life in countries like the Soviet Union and China, often preparing extensively by studying local languages and cultures.
  • Work and style: Her work is characterized by its cosmopolitanism, literary influences, and the intimacy she achieved with her subjects, whether they were famous artists like Louise Bourgeois or actors on a film set. She was known for both large documentary projects and candid, poetic moments, such as the staged but famous “A llama in Times Square” photo, which she documented for Life magazine.
  • Marriage to Arthur Miller: After meeting on the set of The Misfits, she married playwright Arthur Miller in 1962, with whom she had two children, Rebecca and Daniel. They collaborated on several projects, including the books In Russia and Chinese Encounters. Morath continued her own projects throughout their marriage, and she and Miller were married for 40 years until her death in 2002. 

Links to Inge Morath Foundation and Magnum Photo Agency.

*I had copied and pasted pages of information about Inge Morath. I was editing it down to something manageable when AI popped up with the condensed version. I’m terribly anti AI, but in this instance it was a welcome aid! I guess there is some use for AI after all.

If you looked at Inge Morath’s photos, which did you like and why?

What thoughts do you have about AI? Do you think it’s useful or a crutch?

When Birds Pant

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Saturday four Harris’s Hawks flew in and out of my backyard. I enjoyed getting their photos, but unfortunately never captured them taking off. They are so dramatic in flight, but I’m too slow with the camera.

I noticed they were panting! I’ve never see a bird pant before. You’ll notice on several of these pictures that their tongues are hanging out! Maybe they cool off just like dogs do through their tongues.

They are such majestic, beautiful birds. And no little birds were bothered during their recent visit.

Along with the top photo, this hawk was panting.

This guy looks like he’s posing for me!

Another panting hawk!

This was the last guy left in my yard. Then he flew on the neighbor’s chimney. Unfortunately, I missed the flight from our fence to the roof.

I had to look up if the Harris’s Hawks were actually panting — or if it was some other type of behavior. Here’s what I found:

Yes, Harris’s hawks do pant. Panting is a common avian behavior used to regulate body temperature, especially in hot weather or after exertion. Harris’s hawks, like other birds, rely on panting to cool down when they overheat, according to the National Audubon Society. 

There you have it. Harris’s Hawks do pant when they get hot. We’ve had temperatures hovering around 110 degrees. Yes, I’d be panting too if I was out of our AC.

Have you heard of birds panting before?

What other animals do you suppose pant when they’re hot?

Travel Time

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This quail poppa was standing guard over his wife and young ones.

I’ve been nervous about traveling to a wedding this week. It’s in Northern California and the venue is in a Redwood Forest. I was supposed to go to a wedding in the same venue for a good friend’s daughter. My daughter was a bridesmaid. But, I ended up having surgery the day before after I fell and broke my ankle.

I’m cleared to travel by my doctor. But I didn’t feel up to it and I stressed all week. Right now I’m sitting at the airport. I went through security fine and was excited that we no longer have to take off our shoes. However, they made me take off my ankle brace because it had metal in it. That meant my shoes and brace had to come off. It’s a complicated brace with three layers of laces and velcro straps.

Next, our flight was delayed two times. I feel like this trip wasn’t meant to be. But it’s for our Palm Springs friends who moved one mile from us in Arizona. They have three daughters and one son. This is their fourth wedding in two years!

Hopefully, we’ll get on the plane and headed to our destination!

Happy August First! My mom and I played a game that one the first day of the month, we’d call and try to be the first to wish each other “Happy First Day of the Month.”

What are your plans for this weekend?

The photography adventure continues

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Friday, I saw an email from my photography professor in my inbox. He was very encouraging and complimentary for the work I’d done for his online class since January. He liked how I followed assignments and learned techniques. But he said that even with my hard work, if my photography hadn’t improved, he wouldn’t be giving me the following opportunity:

A workshop for advanced students which is by permission only.

Yikes. I had a zoom call with him Saturday to find out more details. It sounds intense, but I’m going for it. It starts in the fall. We have individual projects, a group final project, zoom calls and visits to galleries and art museums.

I’m the only student invited to the class from Intro to Photography. He said there are five other students in the workshop including one who has taken it one time and a person who has taken it for seven years. He said everyone is very encouraging and regardless what level they are at, everyone is learning and wanting to improve.

We will be sharing our work through zoom calls as well as making presentations. I will need to learn to use Adobe Photoshop — photo editing is allowed. The professor gave me a few more tips on Saturday including turning VR on my lenses (vibration reduction) for hand held photos.

I told him I was somewhat intimidated because I came into this class without knowing much. I was a clean slate. He said that was good, because I didn’t have preconceived ideas and was open to learning. As an adult returning student, he said I have more knowledge and the ability to manage my time perhaps better than a young student would.

I have to say I was not expecting this! I think it will be exciting to learn and improve my photography skills some more. It will also be interesting to see what others are working on. That was one thing in having a strictly online class I missed. I never talked to another student or saw their work. I’m looking forward to learning from the other five students.

I hope the photography community will be as welcoming as my blogging one.

Any thoughts on my choice to go forward with this new adventure?

A week of saying “NO”

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I had a quick visit by a Harris’s Hawk the other day. I was writing an article for my HOA newsletter about Harris Hawks and my proofreading newsletter partner told me it’s Harris’s Hawks. It doesn’t seem grammatically correct, but I looked it up and that’s what it is.

I had a super busy week with an upcoming charity event that I’m responsible for creating the program plus all publicity. Then there’s the aforementioned HOA newsletter plus my photography reading and assignment.

I also had lots of social activities including traveling to a wedding this weekend, luncheons with speakers, my weekly zoom call and dinner out with friends.

So, to preserve my sanity and to do my work I started saying “No” to lots of social stuff. I realized I didn’t need to spend hours at luncheons listening to speakers. I didn’t have to sit for two hours on the zoom call. I did say yes to going out to dinner, since it was an early bday dinner. Our friends will be on vacation during my actual date of birth.

By saying “No” a few times, I got work done and I could breathe.

Here are some fun facts about Harris’s Hawks:

These social and intelligent raptors are known for their remarkable behaviors and unique characteristics.

Harris’s Hawks have dark brown plumage, with reddish-brown feathers on the wings and upper thighs. The upper tail coverts are almost black with a white rump and a white band on the tail. When viewed from underneath, the inner wings and underwing coverts are reddish-brown.

They are 18 to 23 inches long. They weight from 18 to 30 ounces.

Their wingspan is 40 to 47 inches.

Harris’s Hawks live in the United States and Mexico, but migrate to South America for the winter. Their migration is driven by the need for prey items, such as small mammals or reptiles, which cannot survive harsh northern winters.

Their diet consists of large insects, small mammals such as squirrels, desert cottontail, and mice. They may also prey on larger animals like great blue herons, jackrabbits, young wild turkeys, quail, or doves when opportunities arise.

In the wild, their lifespan is 10 to 12 years. 

 Harris’s Hawks possess excellent color vision, which is one of the best among animals. Their vision is so sharp that they can perceive details and colors, making them efficient hunters.

Young Harris’s Hawks typically remain with their parents for up to three years, forming strong family bonds and learning valuable hunting skills during this time.

When do you say no?

Book Review: “Daughters of Shandong”

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I’m on a roll of reading good books! Don’t you love that when it happens?

A few weeks ago I finished “Demon Copperhead” and I asked for book ideas HERE.

I got a good list, plus got more ideas from my friends who share books during our monthly lunch. Also, my dear friend from Santa Barbara calls me whenever she finishes a book she loves.

So why did I like “Daughter’s of Shandong?” I am a fan of books about China and the dramatic changes when Mao took over. It’s both frightening and fascinating how evil people can be to each other. “Red Scarf Girl” is one such book which is a YA autobiography by Ji-li Jiang. It’s about her life during the Cultural Revolution as a child. It’s another book I recommend as well as books by Lisa See.

It’s hard to fathom in our comfortable, easy lives how the characters in “Daughters of Shandong” survived so much hardship. Here’s the text from Amazon:

In 1948, civil war ravages the Chinese countryside, but in rural Shandong, the wealthy, landowning Angs are more concerned with their lack of an heir. Hai is the eldest of four girls and spends her days looking after her sisters. Headstrong Di, who is just a year younger, learns to hide in plain sight, and their mother—abused by the family for failing to birth a boy—finds her own small acts of rebellion in the kitchen. As the Communist army closes in on their town, the rest of the prosperous household flees, leaving behind the girls and their mother because they view them as useless mouths to feed.

Without an Ang male to punish, the land-seizing cadres choose Hai, as the eldest child, to stand trial for her family’s crimes. She barely survives their brutality. Realizing the worst is yet to come, the women plan their escape. Starving and penniless but resourceful, they forge travel permits and embark on a thousand-mile journey to confront the family that abandoned them.

From the countryside to the bustling city of Qingdao, and onward to British Hong Kong and eventually Taiwan, they witness the changing tide of a nation and the plight of multitudes caught in the wake of revolution. But with the loss of their home and the life they’ve known also comes new freedom—to take hold of their fate, to shake free of the bonds of their gender, and to claim their own story.

Told in assured, evocative prose, with impeccably drawn characters, Daughters of Shandong is a hopeful, powerful story about the resilience of women in war; the enduring love between mothers, daughters, and sisters; and the sacrifices made to lift up future generations.

At the end of the book is an author’s note that really touched me. It added so much depth to the entire novel. This is a debut novel and the author is so talented. Here’s bit about the author from Amazon:

About the author

Eve J. Chung is a Taiwanese American lawyer and women’s human rights specialist. She has worked on a range of issues, including torture, sexual violence, contemporary forms of slavery, and discriminatory legislation. Her writing is inspired by social justice movements, and the continued struggle for equality and fundamental freedoms worldwide. She currently lives in New York with her husband, two children, and two dogs.

Have you read “Daughter of Shandong? If so what was your opinion of it?

How about “Red Scarf Girl or books by Lisa See?

Here Comes the Sun!

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pool photo with fountain and fake alligator
My backyard pool view complete with fake gator.

After a cold few months — I guess that’s why it’s called Winter — a bit of warmth from the sun has returned.

It’s the first time I’ve been able to sit in the backyard by the pool in months. We were having highs in the 40s but now it’s in the 70s. It’s still cold at night, but what a treat to take a break in the sun.

I’m having a time with an upcoming fundraiser where I’m contacting magazines, newspaper, radio and TV to drum up coverage with the hope to sell tickets. I’ve started the dreaded tax prep. I have an HOA newsletter due. I have a board meeting to review our progress on the fundraiser…

Then there’s my photography class. Each Monday morning the professor posts a new module which includes reading what he’s posted, plus the textbook, and learning the basics of how my camera works. Then there are quizzes. We haven’t gotten into the fun stuff yet. But to be fair, it’s only week two.

I’m worried I won’t make my deadlines or be able to finish my tasks. Then I woke up in the middle of the night and stayed awake. I turned on Audible with “Travels with Charley” by John Steinbeck. It was somewhat calming, but the story and writing is so beautiful I wanted to listen rather than fall asleep! I’m not finished with this book, but I highly recommend it. Steinbeck travels across the country to discover America with his poodle Charley. His observations about different areas are intriguing.

I’m also reading the “Daughter’s of Shandong” that I heard about from one of my blogger friends. In any case, taking a few minutes to be warmed in the sun, reading, is saving me!

What is your go to to control stress when life gets too busy?

Who was your favorite Beatle? Hint: Mine wrote this song.