In honor of Per Volquartz, post a photo he inspired

[Jim Graves]

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Post a photo you took with Per, because of Per, or that you think Per would have liked.

It’s been 27 months since Per Volquartz died. He had an indomitable spirit and I loved him and his workshops … I got into them late but was lucky enough to attend four of them.

I was stunned when I learned of Per’s death and I thought the best way to honor him was to go out and take some pictures … some pictures I thought said something about him.

I didn’t develop the shots I took over two years ago until last week … they just sat in an 8x10 holder for all that time. For some reason I just didn't do it.

So … here they are … the first was a retake from a 6x9 made with an ancient Kodak folder I had taken a couple of years before that I thought was appropriate … a not so subtle ascending streak of light … (one my incredibly sweet wife, who truly has impeccable artistic taste, didn't like as a 6x9 nor as an 8x10 ... but I do.)

And, the second was one I saw while leaving the bar where I had toasted Per with a Scotch on the rocks … it was on an old stern wheel boat on the Sacramento River … a lonely table at night with a lamp … it just felt right ... (and my wife likes it!)

Just two shots that made me think of him and him being gone.

But first off is a portrait of Per that I took at one of the workshops in Tonopah ... I hurried and just missed the focus on this one but have always liked it ... Per was always very thoughtful and kind but very candid when he reviewed your work ... so I asked him to put his glasses to his lips as he sometimes did when looking at photos. I was flattered that Per's son asked me for a copy and it was displayed at his funeral.


The Portrait

http://home.comcast.net/~mary.j.graves/Tonopah Per's Portrait.jpg



The Ascension

http://home.comcast.net/~mary.j.graves/Ascension%208x10%20web 2.jpg



And, the Lamp


http://home.comcast.net/~mary.j.graves/Lamp WEB.jpg



Cheers and may Per's spirit continue to influence!

[Merg Ross]

Jim, a fine and thoughtful tribute to your friend and colleague. Although I never met Per, we corresponded. From those who knew him, I have learned of his passion, sharing and kindness. You went out and made photographs while thinking of Per --- that is the ultimate tribute.

Your photograph of the lamp is splendid, well composed and captured.

[Jody_S]

I did not know Per, coming into LF just a few years too late, but thank you for inspiring me to look up his work. He seems to have been a very accomplished photographer.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Great idea for a thread. I have a portrait of him I'll have to print.

[Michael Clark]

Thanks for the post Jim, what a great guy , talented and busy but all ways had time to share his knowledge and teach. Here is a few photographs taken on my first and second Tonapah workshop (not really a work shop but a great place to get together with fellow photographers ) That is Per standing behind his car, I'm using his cane to support my 4x5 Speedgrahic. The other Photograph is Ray a good friend of mine that tagged along with me. 104022104023104024 The middle one is at the Court House in Goldflied that Jim Galli arranged for us to use as a class Room ,( it some how inserted it self and don't know how to delete it.)

[Michael Clark]

That sure is a nice pose of Per Jim.

[Jim Graves]

The middle one is at the Court House in Goldflied that Jim Galli arranged for us to use as a class Room ,( it some how inserted it self and don't know how to delete it.)

Yup ... in the middle picture is Curt and I'm fairly confident that it's Jim Galli's back there ... and Per ... is of course ... moving. The portrait that I posted was taken that same day in that courtroom with Per seated and facing the window you can see behind Curt. Per liked the north facing exposure and he pulled up a chair, gave us some quick pointers on portrait work, and several of us took his portrait there.

Per had so much talent and so much knowledge ... but no ego ... the perfect combination for teaching. He taught you without you ever realizing you were being taught ... I know that sounds a little crazy but it was true.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Per was an excellent model, too. He was very patient with me, as this image took ages to set up and shoot. I'm going to start working on a carbon transfer print of this image as I think it will lend itself well to that process.
Jim, you are spot on about Per having no ego. With all that talent and knowledge, he was just one of the boys.

[jwaddison]

I attended a workshop of Per's in Vancouver, B.C. My first and only workshop, and I couldn't have picked a better one. In his quiet way Per imparted a lot of knowledge, and I'm very sorry he's no longer with us.

[Curt]

I've had few brilliant teachers in my life who inspired me to great heights I never thought possible and Per was number one. He had a way about making the human connection to you. I just don't see that unique quality very often. I think of him frequently. My first workshop / get together (The Gazebo Gang) as we later called ourselves was at the gazebo in Tonopah each morning. Jim Galli brought the delicious coffee out and we started our day. Per was there to help and explain on any and every level during my first workshop with him. We had great exchanges about the Art Center instructors who did outrageous things to students works.

Tonopah was like no place I had seen, the entire time there was magical. At the Santa Fe workshop an even larger world opened up. I could write an entire book about that experience. Along with Tonopah I met and made so many wonderful people and friends. When I took the carbon transfer / Pt - Pd workshop at his home in Pasadena it was if I had gone full circle. Just up the hill was Art Center College of Design and Glendale, where I lived as a student, was just next door. I had the first part of the workshop with Jim Fitzgerald in carbon, thanks Jim and sorry I gave you my cold. The second part was with Per. When my time to print came up Per sat down next to me and so patiently and calmly explained and guided me through the process. At the development stage when it "popped" he said in a loud voice "We nailed it!". It was like every part of the process was a celebration, even another's print.

I flew done for the funeral and Jim F. drove us over. When I walked in the first thing I saw was a large poster with photographs on it. There was one of mine I took of him in Tonopah. Then I saw Mikes next to it and all of the others. There wasn't an empty seat in the building. It was an incredible showing of people from all parts of the world who were able to come there. The image I remember most inside was of the Stetson hat placed in view. It said it all to me.

So I'm in Rochester New York right now with Jaime getting ready for a Carbon workshop at the George Eastman House in the morning. We talked about Per at dinner earlier. Everyone who knew him had a personal story to tell. I'm glad you started this thread Jim because the timing for me is perfect. As we walked around the Eastman estate this afternoon I had a lot of thoughts about all the people I know from that time I had with Per.

So here's to the buffalo burger in Goldfield and all of the wonder people I've met and homes I've been welcomed into! Oh, Jim the pictures are treasures but as an abstract expressionist directed person the "The Ascension" communicates volumes to me.

Time is a sort of river of passing events, and strong is its current; no sooner is a thing brought to sight than it is swept by and another takes its place, and this too will be swept away.

Marcus Aurelius

[Michael Clark]

Those workshops with Per were great Curt,but like your friend Marcus Aurelius says, all to short.

[Curt]

...

[Jim Graves]

Thanks Merg, Michael, and Curt for the nice comments ... and Andrew (your shot should look great in carbon), Curt, and Michael for the portraits.

I was truly stunned when I heard Per had died ... I was genuinely surprised at the depth of the loss I felt and, upon reflection, how much I felt all of us had lost ... he was one-of-a-kind.

It's trite ... but oh so true ... some times you don't know what you have 'til it's gone.

I guess I'll go out and make some more photos ... .

[Jan Pedersen]

Sadly I only made it to one workshop with Per but I am glad I did. It was the 5 churches workshop in New Mexico a few years ago. Curt was there too among many others.
I did not really feel that it was much of a workshop until a long time after where I started to think about how Per had approached each one of us in the group challenging everyone to see.

Although it was the first time I met Per we bonded immediately I think because we both are Danes, born less than 15 miles apart. I remember saying to Per, I promise I wont speak Danish with you and Per's reply was I can't promise you that with a big grin.

I regret I never made it to one of the Joshua Tree events which used to be right in my backyard.
Per is missed very much.

[Curt]

The picture posted here doesn't have the resolution it does have. I'm not sure why that is.

Per was a special man. I sent the picture to him and later at his house, Jim you and Mike were there, I asked him if he received the picture. He sad "yes and I tweaked it some." I had to laugh, he pulled it up on his large Mac screen and I couldn't see any difference! It took a while to get to know him, 2-3 seconds at the most! Once in a while you meet someone with a love of life and later on realize how they changed your life.

Jaime and I talked about Per while at the George Eastman House for a workshop just over a week ago. If I hadn't have met Per I wouldn't have met the first group of people who acquainted me with an even larger group of people. It all started in a small Navada town called Tonopah in the home of Jim Galli.

[RPippin]

Here are a few shots I took with Per during a one on one workshop with him at his home. I think this was in November 2010. The las one is a contact print on Lodima paper developed in Lith from a 4X5 negative. The first two are scans from prints on MCC 110 with a bit of toning. 105235105236105237

[Jim Graves]

RPippin ... thanks for posting those ... all 3 are really nice shots in the style of Per's strength ... shape, texture, and light.

[Jay Decker]

http://monkeytumble.com/tmp/Per%20Volquartz%20Tonopah%20NV%202009%2020141109.jpg

Printed a new version of one of the portraits that Per patiently sat for the day after teaching most of what I know about view cameras. I miss him too...

[Michael Clark]

Nice one Jay, just thinking about this tread, its nice to know that other people are also remembering Per Velquartz .



Mike

[Tori Nelson]

124880

[Jim Fitzgerald]

This image Per would have loved. I never got to show him. After Matt Blais and I were done in this beautiful church we went to visit Per in the hospital and well the rest is summed up in Tori's beautiful tribute Photo. Damn Per..... you left us way to soon.

[Hugo Zhang]

Jim,

It is a nice one. :)

[ImSoNegative]

http://monkeytumble.com/tmp/Per%20Volquartz%20Tonopah%20NV%202009%2020141109.jpg

Printed a new version of one of the portraits that Per patiently sat for the day after teaching most of what I know about view cameras. I miss him too...

Great Portrait!

[Dan Dozer]

Here's one I have of Per. He was having a little photographer get together at his house - there were about a dozen of us there. I was so excited - I had just gotten a 360 mm Eidoscope for the 8 x 10 and brought it along to show Per. He insisted on us trying it out so we set up a little informal portrait out back.

[Bill_1856]

124904
I signed up for his first Free Workshop at Mammoth Lake, flew into Reno, spent several days acclimating to the altitude (I thought), then drove to Mammoth Lake. Awoke in the middle of the night unable to breathe, drove myself to the local hospital where I was informed that I had a severe case of altitude sickness and was told to get the hell back to lower altitude before I died.
Needless to say, I never got to meet Per and complete the workshop.
Photo taken with Leica AF-C1, 80mm on Kodak Portia 160, near Lee Vining.
RIP Per.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Here's one I have of Per. He was having a little photographer get together at his house - there were about a dozen of us there. I was so excited - I had just gotten a 360 mm Eidoscope for the 8 x 10 and brought it along to show Per. He insisted on us trying it out so we set up a little informal portrait out back.

Awesome Dan. I remember that day. I taught Carbon and Per taught Platinum/Palladium.

[Jim Graves]

Awesome Dan. I remember that day. I taught Carbon and Per taught Platinum/Palladium.

I remember that weekend too ... I got thru the carbon session with you Jim and was in Per's kitchen getting ready to do the P/PL session with Per and got a call that I needed to take my wife to the doctor ... a jaw infection that took a year to recover from ... I missed the P/PL session and the later week-long session with Per that I'd scheduled for that Spring ... My wife recovered but we lost Per ... as you say ... way too soon! I still have all the P/PL stuff and haven't done a print ... I think I'll get out one of my Tonopah negatives and do that

[Jim Galli]

http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/TailgatePortraits/PerS.jpg
per volquartz

Done at our first Tonopah workshop with a Pinkham & Smith Visual Quality lens, open sunlight, wind. It wasn't Per's favorite, but I think it captured him. He was a force. Even the most difficult group would become a team when Per was in the mix. A magic quality that few men have that melds people together, a sweetness.

Without Per I never felt I had enough to offer to re-visit the Tonopah workshops. He was definitely the magic. In the meantime, I've sort of moved on I guess.


http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/2011Workshop/PerVolquartzMay2011.jpg
has anybody seen, my old friend per, can you tell me where he's gone...i thought i saw him walkin' up over the hill...

[Daniel Stone]

I remember meeting Per when I worked at Samy's Camera when I was 19-2yrs old(boy how time flies!), circa 2007-2008ish. He came in very quietly, a small list in hand, and I helped him get the chemistry he wanted(he mentioned he was running a workshop at his home), along with some film. I only had a few, brief interactions with him during my 1.5yr spell working there, but I remember he was a very nice fellow.