Next was Chester Danett [2], a Russian immigrant who was my first photography teacher at Florissant Valley Community College. He established a foundation of photographic skills and abilities that would carry me through the growing years. Shooting, using the camera, painting with the light, and developing for a vision. I repeated the class with him, just to get as much as I could from this unique person. I do not have a citation to share for this person.
October 4, 1966
Color photographs by Chester
Danett (Viacheslav Perventcev), exhibition; biography note 83
found this...
Chester Danett, a
photographer, died Monday (Jan. 23, 2006) at St. John's Mercy Medical Center in
Creve Coeur. He was 89 and a resident of west St. Louis County.
Mr. Danett was born
in Russia. In 1919, his family fled to Poland during the Bolshevik revolution.
In World War II, he was sent to a German labor camp. After the camp was
liberated by Americans, he worked in the U.S. Army headquarters in Germany.
In 1948, Mr. Danett
moved to St. Louis and worked for Monsanto, while teaching photography at
Florissant Valley Community College. As a photographer, Mr. Danett had 38
one-man shows. In 1966, he had a six-week exhibit, called "Photographs in
Color," at the ...
The article cuts off
here…but will keep looking
I did find this in my research of him. Will continue to research more about his life and work.
Ansel Adams [3] and his work was an early icon for me to study and admire. His work is legendary and his process as complex as his results. I did not appreciate how complicated it was to produce the work he did, until many years later.
There are extensive citations for this photographer, here is one.
http://www.anseladams.com/
Each of the next grouping have numerous citations, I provide but one path, but there is a rich and deep history of each of them available both online and at the library.
The list of influencing photographers grew as my world expanded.
Sally Mann [4], http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Mann
Diane Arbus [5], http://diane-arbus-photography.com/
Annie Leibovitz [6], http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/annie-leibovitz/photo-gallery/19/
Henri Cartier-Bresson [7] http://www.henricartierbresson.org/index_en.htm
All filled my mind with ideas and concepts as I studied their work and read about their lives and the process they employed as photographers.
As time went on, I grew from a passion for subject matter of the inanimate nature to those of the human form. My interests in portraiture grew and as much as I strayed, I would return with a vengeance. I had not gotten to a point of producing stellar work in a consistent manner, but I was getting the occasional fine outcome. I captured things with great lighting, and the composition just seemed to fall into place. But it did not happen enough for my tastes.
I took a long break from serious work, and filled the time with family snap shots and a lot of sports shooting, covering softball tournaments, shooting in Busch Stadium once. I talked with the local Post Dispatch sports photographer as we knelled side by side on the field at Busch Stadium. He still works the beat.
His name:
Chris Lee [8]. http://stltoday.mycapture.com/mycapture/folder.asp?event=509399&CategoryID=38575
he shared his work process while at a venue such as a professional ball park, and I learned the nuances of lighting in such a place. It opened my eyes to a whole new world.
Photoshop came into my life a while back, just as Adobe was moving from a number version to the Creative Suites packaging. I heard of a fellow named:
Scott Kelby [9] http://scottkelby.com/
If you know anything about Photoshop then you surely have heard the name Scott Kelby associated with it, his methods, his teachings, his amazing skill and ability.
A local area artist who produces stellar work time after time. I took on of his studio classes at his home studio and was even more impressed how he produces such fine work with the ease. He is one who demonstrates that practice can make perfect in many aspects of photography.
Jim Trotter [10] http://trotterart.com/
When I was looking to expand my area of knowledge I sought out local studios and found one in Maplewood. Another home grown talent, standing tall at 6'9" I believe, one of the few people I have met that I have to look UP to physically. Workshops, classes, a brief stint as a contracted sports photographer for his studio, and I continue to stay in contact with him. His work is consistently good and the art of capturing people with great poses is always an earmark of his images. Studio Altius is his business.
David J. Cerven [11] http://www.studioaltius.com/
[12]
Young and dead way before her time. I continue to find Black and White photography [even in the digital age] my preference. I think of my shot in B/W first and if color is OK, it is a happy fallout from my shooting. The work from this young lady before her premature death struck me deep inside. Her body of work is not prolific, but very moving for me.
Francesca Woodman [13] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesca_Woodman
I would be remiss if I did not give a shout out to one person who is NOT a photog but plays a critical role in my growth as a photog. I met Camille at a open shoot at Studio Altius. She was a fairly new model to the scene, and it was my first time shooting with all that fancy equipment, the Pocket Wizard Triggers [I had strobes but used IR or tethered shooting, a less reliable method] and a plethora of light modifiers. That was about 8 years ago, and we continue to shoot together, and it is her image from a shoot at my home studio that proudly hangs in the FAB gallery as my entry into the Fall Student Exhibit at SCCC.
She also is a fine vocalist and has performed at a number of public venues {Arrowhead stadium, the Scott Trade Center to name two} and she is in a band, and attends just about any Kareoke event she can and does fairly well at them.
Camille [14] I do not have a specific citation to share for Camille.
While not a published photog, he is instrumental in my growth as a photog. Over the years I have spent countless hours at Schiller's Camera Store on Manchester. And for a long period of time when I was a consultant for IBM I flew home on the early flight out of LaGuardia and got home in time to head straight for Schiller's ....I was there by 8:30am most every Friday morning, and many times had money to spend in the form of cash. I talked with one individual almost every time, and we bonded over this period and remain in touch. I was able to bounce ideas and concepts off him, and I found myself making better decision when trying or buying new equipment. Money does not solve things ....experience and hard work at doing and trying things out, is a much better tool to learning this craft. A big thanks goes out to:
Scott Darwin [15] I do not have a specific citation other than Schiller's web site, there are many fine staff people there, and most all are able to help you as a photog to find his/her way thru the maze of equipment and accessories. Ray Kersting is is another who helps the working pros, he visits many local camera club and organizations as well as studios to help promote all things photography in the name of Schillers
http://www.schillers.com/
And finally the artist I most like is me. My work is seen and evaluated every day I shoot or review my catalog of images. I am in a constant state of learning. I try to never rest my mind when it comes to attention to details. But the stress of deadlines, limited access, or just life plays havoc with my consistency. I have bought manual focus lenses to SLOW myself down, to the way life was in the film days. This has helped. I find the slower pace produces better work. But it has a price, not all shoots and clients [subjects] will wait or hold still for that analog type process, so I always carry a fast 50mm AF lens just in case.
My web site at www.dghphotollc.com has a number of photo ops that I have performed and shared with the world in some small way. I think knowing your own limits and abilities is important, and as you grow as an artist you can trace your progress through your work. I go back to past pieces, ones I have kept as special moments, and analyze them for standards against what I know now, how I work now. Would i have done it the same way? What might I have done differently?
For digital work, I know my skills at LR and PS have vastly improved, and redoing things generally produces a totally different outcome. I am never afraid to learn from my past mistakes [or successes]
Doug Hart [16]
http://www.dghphotollc.com/
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