It was in the mid-80s when I began to take my photography seriously. I would go out on photo excursions at every opportunity, or when the time was limited, I turned my camera toward my extensive native plant garden. I was a frequent customer at our local film processing lab also a watering hole for photographer types. It was a friendly place where pro photographers and amateurs could rub shoulders and talk about gear and their latest photography gigs. When I wasn't photographing, I was reading about photography in magazines such as Outdoor Photographer. I loved reading about the photographers who traveled the United States, photographing the wild and scenic landscapes. I soon started collecting coffee table books of the works of some of my favorite photographers and amassed quite a collection in a few short years.
I dreamed of being free from the rigors of running my own garden center business and traveling the country to photograph these beautiful places for myself. This was the heyday of the environmental movement, and there was a palpable energy toward preserving and protecting the land. I admired this dozen or so photographers, the gang as they were known, who traveled the land in search of iconic landscapes bathed in perfect light. Many photographers used four-by-five field view cameras, like the type of camera Ansel Adams made famous, with no electronic parts, short of the electronic handheld meters for measuring light. The film had to be manually loaded into film holders in a dark room or using a film-changing bag. Photographers had to be judicious with their use of film due to cost and their ability to carry enough of it in their camera backpacks, which could weigh more than 75 lbs. Getting as few as three photographs would be a productive day using a view camera! These intrepid photographers, at least the ones I knew of, were the strong silent type, with a keen understanding and ability to read the land and analyze the light, all essential elements in crafting a photograph. They often spent as much or more time scouting a location as they would photographing. Their travels, usually requiring six to nine months a year on the road, allowed them to be at the most scenic places in the US at the most favorable times of the year. They had close contact with the local populations and the park rangers to keep them abreast of the weather conditions, timing of wildflower blooms, and possible locations to photograph and park their truck camper if they were lucky enough to have one. Many of these vehicles had four-wheel drive, enabling them to get to remote places and, as a bonus, get away from the crowds.
Photography income came from book deals and licensing of stock images, either through direct sales or placing the photographs with a stock photography agency to market to a larger audience. The agency took a certain percentage of each sale as its income. For some of the more famous photographers, speaking engagements could be an essential source of income. Landing the cover of a major environmental organization such as Audubon or Sierra Club book or calendar generated an excellent sale and bragging rights. It would not be unusual for these photographers to make six-figure incomes!
As I became increasingly interested in photography and wanted to improve my craft, I started looking for a workshop in Outdoor Photography Magazine. I soon found one offered in Colorado that looked appealing. The Crested Butte Nature Photography Workshop had all the elements of the perfect place to go. I couldn’t believe it, but the workshop photographers were all my favorites and many of whom I had one of their magnificent coffee table books in my library! The workshop involved hiking into the high mountains outside Crested Butte for three days with llamas carrying all the camping gear. We had to bring our photography gear, which is quite challenging at elevation. Each photography leader was assigned to a group, and by pure luck, I was part of the group led by Willard Clay, my favorite photographer in the group. I thought a friend who knew Will had somehow set this up, but it was merely a coincidence. We were immersed in some of the most beautiful scenery I had ever seen. Carpets of wildflowers stretching to the horizon, streams flowing from melting snowpack, sunrises, and sunsets that would take your breath away. It was almost more than my senses could take in. Our small group became instant friends, and our shared love of this place made the experiences even more memorable. Will and I instantly became friends, and we stayed in touch until we met again at another photography workshop in Colorado a couple of years later. It was equally memorable and included a dash down a mountainside during a lightning storm. Soon after this trip, Will offered to have me meet and travel with him anywhere out west of my choosing during the summer to photograph for seven to ten days. This was my dream opportunity to travel with my friend and photography mentor!
For many years, Will and I traveled to various places to photograph together. Additional trips to Colorado and new scenic locales in Montana, Wyoming, Washington State, Michigan, Tennessee, and Illinois, to name a few. Now, 36 years later, we seldom see each other, as I am in Tennessee and Will is in Illinois, but we talk regularly and laugh, often recounting stories from our numerous trips.
I’m still amazed and forever thankful that I made that trip to attend the Crested Butte Nature Photography Workshop in Colorado. It was the trip of a lifetime, as I had never been out west, and my experiences there, along with meeting Will, changed the course of my life. 2018, I was honored to write the introduction to Will’s photography retrospective, My 40 Year Passion For The Dancing Light.
Knowing that Will is just a phone call away means the world to me. We are forever friends. There may yet be another photography adventure in our future. I’ll have my camera bag packed and ready to go. Will, you have my number.
What a nice tribute, Paul! Life is quite the journey and it is so much better when we share it with like-minded souls! You both look great!!
Thank you my dear friend! What a journey it has been.