I was born in Sylvania Ohio and I lived there the first 18 years of my life the
there the first 18 years of my life the
there the first 18 years of my life the Sylvania Ohio is one of the flattest
Sylvania Ohio is one of the flattest
Sylvania Ohio is one of the flattest landscapes in North America its glacier
landscapes in North America its glacier
landscapes in North America its glacier flatten landscape that flatness and that
flatten landscape that flatness and that
flatten landscape that flatness and that distinct horizon is the most elemental
distinct horizon is the most elemental
distinct horizon is the most elemental part of my photographs that is in almost
part of my photographs that is in almost
part of my photographs that is in almost all of my photographs the background is
all of my photographs the background is
all of my photographs the background is level horizontal and cleanly divides the
level horizontal and cleanly divides the
level horizontal and cleanly divides the frame top to bottom and near to far I
frame top to bottom and near to far I
frame top to bottom and near to far I find it in addition to being a graphic
find it in addition to being a graphic
find it in addition to being a graphic element to be an optimistic or positive
element to be an optimistic or positive
element to be an optimistic or positive element it’s a dynamic line that flat
element it’s a dynamic line that flat
element it’s a dynamic line that flat horizontal line and the horizon to me
horizontal line and the horizon to me
horizontal line and the horizon to me always meant possibilities
that’s just the frame or the theatrical
that’s just the frame or the theatrical setting for the emotional content of my
setting for the emotional content of my
setting for the emotional content of my photographs and I suppose if I wanted to
photographs and I suppose if I wanted to
photographs and I suppose if I wanted to attach one word to the finished
attach one word to the finished
attach one word to the finished photographs that I’ve produced that word
photographs that I’ve produced that word
photographs that I’ve produced that word would be thoughtful that they’re
would be thoughtful that they’re
would be thoughtful that they’re thoughtfully composed and they are to
thoughtfully composed and they are to
thoughtfully composed and they are to some extent about thought as well my
some extent about thought as well my
some extent about thought as well my early life as a photographer was dynamic
early life as a photographer was dynamic
early life as a photographer was dynamic as a boy as a high school student I was
as a boy as a high school student I was
as a boy as a high school student I was editor of the paper editor of the
editor of the paper editor of the
editor of the paper editor of the yearbook editor of the yearbook and
yearbook editor of the yearbook and
yearbook editor of the yearbook and college photographer always for those
college photographer always for those
college photographer always for those publications and all of this led to me
publications and all of this led to me
publications and all of this led to me being a summer intern at National
being a summer intern at National
being a summer intern at National Geographic it never occurred to me that
Geographic it never occurred to me that
Geographic it never occurred to me that all of that would drop away on
all of that would drop away on
all of that would drop away on assignment it was a surprise to me to
assignment it was a surprise to me to
assignment it was a surprise to me to find that the photographic life could be
find that the photographic life could be
find that the photographic life could be and now was very lonely I had to pull
and now was very lonely I had to pull
and now was very lonely I had to pull out of that on my own and I did and in
out of that on my own and I did and in
out of that on my own and I did and in 1974 I met my wife to be on the Pacific
1974 I met my wife to be on the Pacific
1974 I met my wife to be on the Pacific Crest hiking trail and for 25 years we
Crest hiking trail and for 25 years we
Crest hiking trail and for 25 years we traveled together and that was the end
traveled together and that was the end
traveled together and that was the end of course of loneliness
one of the things that I most believe in
one of the things that I most believe in is the compose and weight philosophy of
is the compose and weight philosophy of
is the compose and weight philosophy of photography it’s a very satisfying
photography it’s a very satisfying
photography it’s a very satisfying almost spiritual way to photograph life
almost spiritual way to photograph life
almost spiritual way to photograph life isn’t knocking you around life isn’t
isn’t knocking you around life isn’t
isn’t knocking you around life isn’t controlling you you have picked your
controlling you you have picked your
controlling you you have picked your place you’ve picked your scene you’ve
place you’ve picked your scene you’ve
place you’ve picked your scene you’ve picked your light you’ve you’ve done all
picked your light you’ve you’ve done all
picked your light you’ve you’ve done all the decision-making and you’re waiting
the decision-making and you’re waiting
the decision-making and you’re waiting for the moment to come to you I was
for the moment to come to you I was
for the moment to come to you I was looking for a cyclone to photograph and
looking for a cyclone to photograph and
looking for a cyclone to photograph and I told the pilot I insisted
I told the pilot I insisted
I told the pilot I insisted don’t let the cyclone overtake us we’re
don’t let the cyclone overtake us we’re
don’t let the cyclone overtake us we’re out over water we won’t be able to get
out over water we won’t be able to get
out over water we won’t be able to get back to land we’re off the north north
back to land we’re off the north north
back to land we’re off the north north coast of Australia but I needed a
coast of Australia but I needed a
coast of Australia but I needed a photograph of a cyclone for the story I
photograph of a cyclone for the story I
photograph of a cyclone for the story I was working on the cyclone overtook us
was working on the cyclone overtook us
was working on the cyclone overtook us we should have died on the spot and I
we should have died on the spot and I
we should have died on the spot and I looked out and I saw a majestically
looked out and I saw a majestically
looked out and I saw a majestically elementally beautiful this deadly storm
elementally beautiful this deadly storm
elementally beautiful this deadly storm was and I pick up my camera and I took a
was and I pick up my camera and I took a
was and I pick up my camera and I took a photograph out that empty door and I
photograph out that empty door and I
photograph out that empty door and I took it as though it was a landscape in
took it as though it was a landscape in
took it as though it was a landscape in Ohio there is the clean elegant line of
Ohio there is the clean elegant line of
Ohio there is the clean elegant line of the horizon and the roiling boiling
the horizon and the roiling boiling
the horizon and the roiling boiling cyclone above it and below the dangerous
cyclone above it and below the dangerous
cyclone above it and below the dangerous sea dividing it all that optimistic
sea dividing it all that optimistic
sea dividing it all that optimistic bright line of the horizon
I took the photograph for two reasons
I took the photograph for two reasons one it settled me down to do it and the
one it settled me down to do it and the
one it settled me down to do it and the second was it was beautiful and there
second was it was beautiful and there
second was it was beautiful and there was a third reason and that is I knew
was a third reason and that is I knew
was a third reason and that is I knew I’d never be back here and I knew that
I’d never be back here and I knew that
I’d never be back here and I knew that maybe no photographer had ever seen this
maybe no photographer had ever seen this
maybe no photographer had ever seen this and that’s documentary photography
and that’s documentary photography
and that’s documentary photography that’s National Geographic photography
that’s National Geographic photography
that’s National Geographic photography go to places where people haven’t been
go to places where people haven’t been
go to places where people haven’t been before and then go further
before and then go further
before and then go further sometimes dangerously so but often
sometimes dangerously so but often
sometimes dangerously so but often meaningfully so because you’re very very
meaningfully so because you’re very very
meaningfully so because you’re very very deep into life so close in it so far
deep into life so close in it so far
deep into life so close in it so far into life that you’re close to death and
into life that you’re close to death and
into life that you’re close to death and that picture conveys some of that life
that picture conveys some of that life
that picture conveys some of that life and death beauty and danger
the truth about imagery is we are
the truth about imagery is we are drowning in an ocean of it every day the
drowning in an ocean of it every day the
drowning in an ocean of it every day the more that photographs are quick cut the
more that photographs are quick cut the
more that photographs are quick cut the more that video dominates that the quiet
more that video dominates that the quiet
more that video dominates that the quiet picture the extremely dry and quiet
picture the extremely dry and quiet
picture the extremely dry and quiet photograph has a greater chance of
photograph has a greater chance of
photograph has a greater chance of lasting than a busy dynamic hectic
lasting than a busy dynamic hectic
lasting than a busy dynamic hectic photograph my photographs were all often
photograph my photographs were all often
photograph my photographs were all often criticized early in my career for being
criticized early in my career for being
criticized early in my career for being too quiet but I thought to myself what’s
too quiet but I thought to myself what’s
too quiet but I thought to myself what’s the opposite of quiet noisy still I took
the opposite of quiet noisy still I took
the opposite of quiet noisy still I took the criticism seriously and I decided
the criticism seriously and I decided
the criticism seriously and I decided that I needed to make quiet pictures
that I needed to make quiet pictures
that I needed to make quiet pictures better more compelling and I believe
better more compelling and I believe
better more compelling and I believe that I succeeded in doing that I had a
that I succeeded in doing that I had a
that I succeeded in doing that I had a long career at National Geographic
long career at National Geographic
long career at National Geographic taking quiet pictures
my dad developed the hobby of
my dad developed the hobby of photography at just the right time for
photography at just the right time for
photography at just the right time for my life but we had a darkroom in the
my life but we had a darkroom in the
my life but we had a darkroom in the basement of our house Sinhala fruit
basement of our house Sinhala fruit
basement of our house Sinhala fruit cellar was one of those funky dark rooms
cellar was one of those funky dark rooms
cellar was one of those funky dark rooms that was only dark at night you know it
that was only dark at night you know it
that was only dark at night you know it was it wasn’t light tight unless it was
was it wasn’t light tight unless it was
was it wasn’t light tight unless it was perfectly dark outside and he and I
perfectly dark outside and he and I
perfectly dark outside and he and I would go out on photographic outings
would go out on photographic outings
would go out on photographic outings together and he would tell me certain
together and he would tell me certain
together and he would tell me certain things and it wasn’t until years later
things and it wasn’t until years later
things and it wasn’t until years later that I found out a lot of what he was
that I found out a lot of what he was
that I found out a lot of what he was telling me was on the little piece of
telling me was on the little piece of
telling me was on the little piece of paper that came with every box of Kodak
paper that came with every box of Kodak
paper that came with every box of Kodak film it was a very endearing teacher he
film it was a very endearing teacher he
film it was a very endearing teacher he was a very quiet man from Kentucky and
was a very quiet man from Kentucky and
was a very quiet man from Kentucky and he had a very gentle way of teaching you
he had a very gentle way of teaching you
he had a very gentle way of teaching you couldn’t even call it teaching it was it
couldn’t even call it teaching it was it
couldn’t even call it teaching it was it was sayings low-angle
was sayings low-angle
was sayings low-angle full impact look for the s-curve and
full impact look for the s-curve and
full impact look for the s-curve and compose and wait and they were so simple
compose and wait and they were so simple
compose and wait and they were so simple that they stuck and so gentle that I
that they stuck and so gentle that I
that they stuck and so gentle that I never took it to be teaching which I
never took it to be teaching which I
never took it to be teaching which I might have recoiled from but then we
might have recoiled from but then we
might have recoiled from but then we take the film home and we develop it in
take the film home and we develop it in
take the film home and we develop it in the darkroom and he would stand at the
the darkroom and he would stand at the
the darkroom and he would stand at the enlarger and I would stand beside him
enlarger and I would stand beside him
enlarger and I would stand beside him shaking the pans of chemicals and
shaking the pans of chemicals and
shaking the pans of chemicals and watching the image rise up magically
watching the image rise up magically
watching the image rise up magically from the chemicals
my father and I talked in a way we
my father and I talked in a way we couldn’t talk any other time he was
couldn’t talk any other time he was
couldn’t talk any other time he was beside me but we weren’t face to face we
beside me but we weren’t face to face we
beside me but we weren’t face to face we were shoulder to shoulder and he was
were shoulder to shoulder and he was
were shoulder to shoulder and he was working at the enlarger I was working at
working at the enlarger I was working at
working at the enlarger I was working at the trays and I could ask him questions
the trays and I could ask him questions
the trays and I could ask him questions about his life and about his feelings
about his life and about his feelings
about his life and about his feelings and about his thoughts that I never
and about his thoughts that I never
and about his thoughts that I never could have done never could have spoken
could have done never could have spoken
could have done never could have spoken never could have asked in the daylight
never could have asked in the daylight
never could have asked in the daylight when we would have had to have been
when we would have had to have been
when we would have had to have been looking at each other
the only other example of this that I
the only other example of this that I know about it’s of two people sitting
know about it’s of two people sitting
know about it’s of two people sitting side by side in a car in rural America
side by side in a car in rural America
side by side in a car in rural America on a long road trip at night with only
on a long road trip at night with only
on a long road trip at night with only the dashboard lit up and the two of you
the dashboard lit up and the two of you
the dashboard lit up and the two of you talking that’s my dad and I in the dark
talking that’s my dad and I in the dark
talking that’s my dad and I in the dark room and I’m so glad that it happened as
room and I’m so glad that it happened as
room and I’m so glad that it happened as a person as a photographer as a son
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