From Joe’s Movie Club: It’s April Fools Day and the first thing that pops into my mind is one of my favorite film comedies, The April Fools. This is not especially a great film but remains one of my “guilty pleasures” because it’s one of Catherine Deneuve’s few American film and she is luminescent in it.
A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.—William Shakespeare
April Fools’ Day is celebrated in many countries on April 1’st every year. On this day, practical jokes (or April Fools) are played on friends and family In some countries, April Fools only last until noon, and if someone plays a joke after that, they are an April Fool. In some parts of France, New Year’s was a week-long holiday ending on April 1. Some people think April Fools’ started because those who celebrated on January 1 made fun of those who celebrated on other dates.
It’s also National Welding Month
In 1996, the American Welding Society established National Welding Month to recognize the industry and the tradespeople, including my own brother-in-law, who endeavor to keep the world together one weld at a time.
National Welding Month in April recognizes an industry that has kept the nation growing for generations. Skilled welders not only keep products rolling off an assembly line and buildings rising into the skyline, but they also keep the economy booming.
Welders keep our communities and nation moving in more ways that one. Beyond the products they help manufacture, they are also key to the safety of the products and structures. When it comes to our power grid, welders are an instrumental part of all our energy sources, past, present and future.
The demand for skilled welders will increase as the new technologies require trade work to meet manufacturing needs. Future generations will need to fill the ga
How Mary Made this Image: Mary Farace photographed this welder as part of a commercial assignment that our studio had for a heavy equipment company’s brochure that emphasized the different kind of services they provided their customers. It was shot with a Hasselblad 500EL and (I think) Carl Zeiss Sonnar 150mm f/4. As part of series she bracketed at different shutter speeds to get the effect of the trail of sparks. Electronic flash was used as the main light. Shot on film with Kodak Ektachrome. Exposure unrecorded.
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Along with photographer Barry Staver, Joe is co-author of Better Available Light Digital Photography. with paperback copies available starting from nine bucks