Hello from sunny Florida and Happy Thanksgiving to you. Like me, most of you are scratching your head and asking where has the time gone. Before you know it, the jolly ole man will be visiting. The year just seems to have flown by.
I was very fortunate to get to spend some additional time last week with friends in the city of Venice, as well as, have an opportunity to take it more of the sites. One of the things that was on my bucket list was a visit to the studio and gallery of one of their most coveted artists and residents, the world-renowned photographer, Mr. Clyde Butcher. Clyde is best known for his black and white images of the Everglades and his work has been liken to that of Ansel Adams. As we entered the gallery, little did we know what was in store for us.
To our surprise Mr. Butcher just happened to be in the studio that day and we literally ran right into each other. After exchanging introductions and accolades Clyde offered to give us a tour of the gallery and his photography darkroom. It would be a huge understatement to say what an incredible opportunity this was to not only meeting him but to be given a personal tour of the facilities. The offer went well beyond my bucket list expectations. As a professional photographer of almost 40 years, I felt like a little kid at a ball game meeting one of the legendary hall of famers.
As we walked through the gallery and then into the darkroom, it boggled my mind how vast the enlarger and darkroom areas were. It was like a photographic lab on steroids, multiple enlargers and oversized processing trays. It was everything one should expect from such a legend in the photographic community. Nothing was left to chance as Clyde explained every step in the process and exclaimed his love for a few of the more “unusual” enlargers in his collection.
As the tour came to an end, I was left in awe as to what a huge honor it was to have him personally be our guide. Given his legendary stature in the photographic community, he could have not have been more gracious and humble about his accomplishments or with his time. You could see it in his eyes, as they lit up while talking about creating his huge art from film, that he still had the passion. How truly amazing an experience to have met one of the remaining Masters of Contemporary photography and even more of an experience to ask to take a “selfie” with him. More about Clyde and his work can be found at – http://clydebutcher.com/
After the tour, I decided to spend a few extras hours wandering through the gallery and taking in the beauty and quality of these rich texture black and white prints that maintain the legacy of film and my roots as a beginning photographer. In my early years I marveled at the work of Ansel Adams about the Sierras and as time passed was introduced to Mr. Butchers work on the Everglades. Both, through their art, are champions of preservation. Meeting him was the icing on the cake.
What does one do after he meets such a legend? Well if you are in Venice, FL you head to the beach, grab a cold one, kick back and photograph the iconic Sharkey’s Pier at sunset in “color’. I am sure Clyde would understand and approve.
Enjoy you holiday with family and friends!
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Best regards ………. dK
