gerry schnaible
4-Apr-2013, 12:49
:)Hi to all,
My name is Gerry Schnaible and I am still capable of remembering my first Brownie 620 camera. :=} I became fascinated with photography at a very young age during our many trips to Yosemite Park. Of course during the early to mid 1950's and growing up in Southern Calif. the movie industry was still big on b/w. Ansel Adams was my hero. It was still early enough, in history, that his work was cutting edge and many of the places he photographed were very familiar to me. My early interests had me peering at Popular Photography and ads for Federal enlargers and 35mm cameras. Never got the Federal but I purchased an Argus C-3 on lay-away at the local drugstore. Paper deliveries financed that. As soon as I got it I knew my life had changed, even as young as I was. I spent a couple years trying to make the landscaping in my Dads yard look like something? - no I don't know what. Probably like a lot of others my "lab" entailed a yellow light, contact printer and a Mom/Sister wanting in the "darkroom". Was a school newspaper photo guy in HS. Then Viet Nam happened and I saw things I knew were life changing but that I would never be able to photograph. I entered the California College of Arts & Crafts in 1968 on a disabled veterans benefit. I regained my artistic thing and after college went out to become a top portrait photographer with a small studio. Suffice to say it wasn't a thriving place as I had no business experience but great goals.
In 1975 I started a commercial studio just outside of Chicago, IL. This time I had learned a lot about the business of photography and the studio took off. For the following 20 years I did furniture catalogs, annual reports for some major corporations, magazine work and my mainstay which was industrial large format work. I shot primarily in 4x5 but also had some clients who had me shoot 8x10 for exhibit booth displays at McCormak Place in Chicago. I was an active participant in ASMP. In 1998 I had a massive heart attack and ended up being a heart/kidney transplant person. I literally did not touch any camera for 10 years, so in a lot of ways I am a novice. lol My daughter bought me a digital camera, Nikon D3100. That quickly became a D5100 and then a D600. Then one day on an unnamed internet sales place I found a Horseman LE with several lenses, a changing bag/dark cloth etc. I fell for my love really hard, once again. Now I am trying to get back into my comfort zone with studio lighting and all the requisite stuff. I am a very controlled shooter so much of my work is studio work. I am also a wheelchair person. Recently I did a series on macro floral photographs (not ready for prime time), a series on beach debris (also not ready imho) and I have started doing some still life stuff. My intention is to interpret some of the masters paintings from a photographic view point. I apologize if this is too long but, as they say, its my life. :=}
I was thrilled when I started lurking here. I have always felt open to learning and sharing, even with my competitors, so this site has become my favorite.
My name is Gerry Schnaible and I am still capable of remembering my first Brownie 620 camera. :=} I became fascinated with photography at a very young age during our many trips to Yosemite Park. Of course during the early to mid 1950's and growing up in Southern Calif. the movie industry was still big on b/w. Ansel Adams was my hero. It was still early enough, in history, that his work was cutting edge and many of the places he photographed were very familiar to me. My early interests had me peering at Popular Photography and ads for Federal enlargers and 35mm cameras. Never got the Federal but I purchased an Argus C-3 on lay-away at the local drugstore. Paper deliveries financed that. As soon as I got it I knew my life had changed, even as young as I was. I spent a couple years trying to make the landscaping in my Dads yard look like something? - no I don't know what. Probably like a lot of others my "lab" entailed a yellow light, contact printer and a Mom/Sister wanting in the "darkroom". Was a school newspaper photo guy in HS. Then Viet Nam happened and I saw things I knew were life changing but that I would never be able to photograph. I entered the California College of Arts & Crafts in 1968 on a disabled veterans benefit. I regained my artistic thing and after college went out to become a top portrait photographer with a small studio. Suffice to say it wasn't a thriving place as I had no business experience but great goals.
In 1975 I started a commercial studio just outside of Chicago, IL. This time I had learned a lot about the business of photography and the studio took off. For the following 20 years I did furniture catalogs, annual reports for some major corporations, magazine work and my mainstay which was industrial large format work. I shot primarily in 4x5 but also had some clients who had me shoot 8x10 for exhibit booth displays at McCormak Place in Chicago. I was an active participant in ASMP. In 1998 I had a massive heart attack and ended up being a heart/kidney transplant person. I literally did not touch any camera for 10 years, so in a lot of ways I am a novice. lol My daughter bought me a digital camera, Nikon D3100. That quickly became a D5100 and then a D600. Then one day on an unnamed internet sales place I found a Horseman LE with several lenses, a changing bag/dark cloth etc. I fell for my love really hard, once again. Now I am trying to get back into my comfort zone with studio lighting and all the requisite stuff. I am a very controlled shooter so much of my work is studio work. I am also a wheelchair person. Recently I did a series on macro floral photographs (not ready for prime time), a series on beach debris (also not ready imho) and I have started doing some still life stuff. My intention is to interpret some of the masters paintings from a photographic view point. I apologize if this is too long but, as they say, its my life. :=}
I was thrilled when I started lurking here. I have always felt open to learning and sharing, even with my competitors, so this site has become my favorite.