Kenny Rogers RIP

[Bob Salomon]

Another large format shooter passed away yesterday. RIP Kenny.

[Bernice Loui]

Kenny Rodgers began doing LF some time in the 1970s' -80's seriously. Initially with a 4x5 camera, published a book titled:
'Kenny Rodger's America'
https://www.amazon.com/America-Kenny-Rogers-1987-03-19/dp/B01K0TCN8C

Publisher then asked Kenny to do another book. Pondering what the subject might be, he figured out portraits of his
famed friends would be a good portrait subject. This time, the choice was made to do this book using an 8x10 camera.
Moving to 8x10 for Kenny was not easy. He wrote about the challenges of making the shift from what once was easy to use 4x5
to heavy, bulky and more challenges of 8x10.

https://www.abebooks.com/signed-first-edition/Friends-Collection-80-Photographs-Inscribed-Rogers/15970125551/bd


Some of the images in 'your Friends and Mine' are pretty good, others ... _, Kenny was never any where near the caliber of photographic prodigy like Edward Steichen, but Kenny was good enough.


~That book done published during an era of my own adventures with 8x10, it was quite reasonable and not excessively costly and the color transparency support system was all well in place, Black & White was less common and very much a niche-artist medium. Lot of good photographic memories from that era.


Bernice

[Bob Salomon]

Kenny Rodgers began doing LF some time in the 1970s' -80's seriously. Initially with a 4x5 camera, published a book titled:
'Kenny Rodger's America'
https://www.amazon.com/America-Kenny-Rogers-1987-03-19/dp/B01K0TCN8C

Publisher then asked Kenny to do another book. Pondering what the subject might be, he figured out portraits of his
famed friends would be a good portrait subject. This time, the choice was made to do this book using an 8x10 camera.
Moving to 8x10 for Kenny was not easy. He wrote about the challenges of making the shift from what once was easy to use 4x5
to heavy, bulky and more challenges of 8x10.

https://www.abebooks.com/signed-first-edition/Friends-Collection-80-Photographs-Inscribed-Rogers/15970125551/bd


Some of the images in 'your Friends and Mine' are pretty good, others ... _, Kenny was never any where near the caliber of photographic prodigy like Edward Steichen, but Kenny was good enough.


~That book done published during an era of my own adventures with 8x10, it was quite reasonable and not excessively costly and the color transparency support system was all well in place, Black & White was less common and very much a niche-artist medium. Lot of good photographic memories from that era.


Bernice

He took lessons from John Sexton and worked with an older Super Technika IV. He was quite serious about mastering it and John called me several times about helping him.
After he sold his ranch he was finally persuaded that a Master Technika would be a better choice.

[Bernice Loui]

In Kenny's book, Your Friends and Mine his experience with John Sexton and moving to 8x10 was discussed in detail as part of the book's intro.

Having used both Super Technika IV and Master Technika, the Master IS a better camera IMO.. Yet, both cameras are limited by this specific type of camera.
There is a nice feel of solidity and precision with Linhof cameras when they are in proper working condition. It is this "feel" that makes a Linhof special.


Bernice



He took lessons from John Sexton and worked with an older Super Technika IV. He was quite serious about mastering it and John called me several times about helping him.
After he sold his ranch he was finally persuaded that a Master Technika would be a better choice.

[36cm2]

A great loss to the fabric of the United States. An excellent film photographer and a heartfelt setpiece of our musical landscape. We'll miss you Kenny. May your Islands in the Stream always have long, warm light shining across them.

Sincerely,
Leo

[Drew Wiley]

Somewhere around here there's an old View Camera magazine with an article about him and John Sexton's tutoring. I'm not qualified to get into Technika pontification. My brother used a Super and loved it.

[h2oman]

When I was in college at the University of Wyoming I had some friends who lived on my floor of the dorm, most of them from small towns across Wyoming. When others were out at the bars on Friday nights, they would be in the room next to mine, playing poker until very late. "The Gambler" would play for about the 15th time, followed by a minute or so of silence before I heard one of them say "Put on The Gambler!" I wasn't a big fan of him or his music, but that song is truly iconic.

[Ari]

Long live The Gambler!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ChPI5pAet8

[David Schaller]

There is a nice tribute in The Guardian.

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/mar/23/remarkably-talented-the-epic-photography-of-kenny-rogers?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

[Mark Sawyer]

I saw a few days ago that Dolly Parton wants to be on the cover of Playboy for her 75th birthday. Too bad Kenny couldn't be around for one last photo shoot... :(

[C. D. Keth]

I saw a few days ago that Dolly Parton wants to be on the cover of Playboy for her 75th birthday. Too bad Kenny couldn't be around for one last photo shoot... :(

It'd be a thing to shoot it on 8x10 with hard light like the first time around probably was in the 70s.

[scheinfluger_77]

It’s funny no one has yet mentioned is 1967 hit, “I just dropped in”. That’s my early memory of Kenny Rogers.

[archphotofisher]

http://sportsandentertainmentnashville.com/kenny-rogers-the-photographer/?fbclid=IwAR1I_Ss1teVhXzQi7YroxgX1G2IfxSnY6drYV9Bf5f0nPpNIieChPHV3PK8

good article.