Bob's studio, I learn about taking pictures.
Shela's husband was a professional photographer. The inn keeper role was an end to a means for him. The hotel had an area on the ground floor that had been a curio shop dealing in island related items. Bob had converted it into a studio complete with a dark room. He stayed pretty busy photographing newly weds and convention events not to mention the walk in trade. Shela and my mom pretty much ran the hotel end of the business.The hotel wasn't big, maybe 20 rooms. It was clean and plain with no dining service. Mainly working class budget minded guest.
Bob was in his element when working with or talking about photo works and cameras. He had grown up in Detroit where he worked for the J.L. Hudson department store. He learned about photography and cameras during his stay at the store. He finished his photography training in the U.S. Navy. He was wounded in 1944 and spent the rest of the war stationed in California hence his awareness of Catalina.
I guess I was like anyother kid my age. Everything interested me. My mind was like a "sponge" eager to try anything that caught my interest. I had lots of questions for Bob and he was very receptive to my interest in his specialty. Wasn't too long before he dug out an old Keystone box camera. He showed me how to load the 120 Kodak film and use the old box. There followed the useal assortment of over and under exposures, pictures of the ground and my finger over the lense. All in breath taking black and white. With practice and time I got pretty good with that old box. I learned to capitalize on what the old camera could do and avoid its short comings. Bob promoted me up to a Hasselbad camera which was much more capable than I was. I was trying my hand at character studies. A good picture can equal a thousand words if it's done right. Bob taught me how to work in the dark room turning my exposed film into pictures. I'm still a good photographer to this day. I've retired my Minolta 35mm in favor of a kodak digital. Easier to down load my shots into my computer and print them. No dark room or smelly developing solution to contend with. Like alot of other thing now days, it's almost to easy. Not much skill or training require. Things have really changed in the past 50 years?
Bob was in his element when working with or talking about photo works and cameras. He had grown up in Detroit where he worked for the J.L. Hudson department store. He learned about photography and cameras during his stay at the store. He finished his photography training in the U.S. Navy. He was wounded in 1944 and spent the rest of the war stationed in California hence his awareness of Catalina.
I guess I was like anyother kid my age. Everything interested me. My mind was like a "sponge" eager to try anything that caught my interest. I had lots of questions for Bob and he was very receptive to my interest in his specialty. Wasn't too long before he dug out an old Keystone box camera. He showed me how to load the 120 Kodak film and use the old box. There followed the useal assortment of over and under exposures, pictures of the ground and my finger over the lense. All in breath taking black and white. With practice and time I got pretty good with that old box. I learned to capitalize on what the old camera could do and avoid its short comings. Bob promoted me up to a Hasselbad camera which was much more capable than I was. I was trying my hand at character studies. A good picture can equal a thousand words if it's done right. Bob taught me how to work in the dark room turning my exposed film into pictures. I'm still a good photographer to this day. I've retired my Minolta 35mm in favor of a kodak digital. Easier to down load my shots into my computer and print them. No dark room or smelly developing solution to contend with. Like alot of other thing now days, it's almost to easy. Not much skill or training require. Things have really changed in the past 50 years?
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