Fred Picker

[Luis-F-S]

As much as I hate to agree with the above, Fred's tripod was terrible. I had one for about 20 minutes and sold it as quickly as I found someone to buy it. Bought and have used a Ries-several actually- ever since. Although I printed with a cold light for years, I hated his enlarger. Had both a type I & II and sold them both and bought an Omega F and then a Durst. Bought an aristo cold light head for it and a Metrolux timer. Still have them. A lot of Fred's gadgets I bought and still use. Have 3 of his archival washers (8x10, 11x14 & 16x20), 2 of his roll film washers, several darkroom compensating timers (backups), several of his prints and I'm sure other things if I put my mind to it. Had a Zone VI camera (several versions actually) until I switched to Deardorff. Liked the earlier ones better than when he got with Wisner. The tripod was not lightweight and the draw string to keep the legs from flattening out was stupid and didn't really work very well. Sorry Fred promoted many fine ideas and gadgets, but the tripod wasn't one of them.

[Peter De Smidt]

I'm not "always" ripping him at all. I've just finished a session using his Zone VI comp dev timer, still going after all these years, and sure as heck spent money on his Brilliant paper, among quite a few other things. His tripods were obviously never seriously weather tested and were just poorly modified cheap survey tripods, then overpriced. Just went along with his patent medicine marketing persona.

You seem to mention negative things in every thread I remember about Fred.

[Peter De Smidt]

Hopefully, when we're gone, and someone mentions us, some people will insist on telling everyone something negative about us. Decency is not trending, apparently.

[Drew Wiley]

I dealt with manufacturers and distributors for several decades. Someone makes claims concerning quality, they should be able to back it up. It's called common sense consumerism, not negativity. You reward good products, point out what's bogus. Walk into a home center or hardware store today and it's all 95% junk. That's what happens when everyone goes mute. I had to deal with certain snake oil salesmen I personally liked, but any product BS lost them sales. There's nothing "decent" about being a sucker. Just because someone has passed away doesn't suddenly make an inferior product better. I probably spent twenty times as much on Z6 products I liked as those I didn't. And manufacturers I spent a million bucks a year with got chewed out the most if they try something bogus. Step by step, going quiet is how nearly our entire national mfg base landslided into collapse in just a few short years. I have some very colorful characters in my own family tree that did downright heroic things, but could at times be shysters too. No sense whitewashing it. Just like there are great photographers whose work I praise, but might have been real jerks at a human level. I'm not interested in writing a eulogy. Other than a few brief phone conversations, my knowledge of Fred Picker is his products and marketing persona. He chose that public legacy, not me.

[peter schrager]

until the time I took the Zone VI workshop in Vermont I had no clue how to make a good negative or a decent print. I had seen lots of great photos at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC but the revelation of making my first real photo with white whites and black blacks and all the other shades in between
I've done many workshop since that time but that one was the most fun and steepest learning curve
Fred was very dogmatic about photography his mantra of "just try it" has remained with me the whole time...now that we have the internet the lazy ones just want the answers....is this lens better; is this developer better; is this camera better; probably not but TRY IT!
Yup the tripod sucked but today I used the timer and 11x14 open washer that they made to take the silver off of old Agfa paper to make my own POP emulsion
....thanks Fred!!

[Luis-F-S]

Oh, have the 11x14 open washer that I use everytime I print. I'm enbarassed to say that I've never used the 16x20 archival washer. I bought it because it was available almost new and I might want it at some point. Although that point seems to go further away each day. Use the 8x10 for film and every time I print.

Have two of his modified digital spot meters that I could not do without. Fred taught many of us what a fine print was and how to make one in the darkroom starting by producing a printable negative, his proper proof, and kept many of us away from the pitfalls so many make today. You could always write Fred with a question and he would answer you. L

[bob carnie]

until the time I took the Zone VI workshop in Vermont I had no clue how to make a good negative or a decent print. I had seen lots of great photos at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC but the revelation of making my first real photo with white whites and black blacks and all the other shades in between
I've done many workshop since that time but that one was the most fun and steepest learning curve
Fred was very dogmatic about photography his mantra of "just try it" has remained with me the whole time...now that we have the internet the lazy ones just want the answers....is this lens better; is this developer better; is this camera better; probably not but TRY IT!
Yup the tripod sucked but today I used the timer and 11x14 open washer that they made to take the silver off of old Agfa paper to make my own POP emulsion
....thanks Fred!!

Making your own silver emulsion for paper ... I am really impressed Peter with your long term commitment. way to go.

[Alan9940]

I've read quite a few comments here saying that Fred's tripods SUCKED. Well, that wasn't my experience at all! I used both the "lightweight" and standard (for 8x10) tripods through 18 long winters in Vermont without a care as to where I placed them. I photographed in below 0 temps, hip deep snow, blowing snow, in and along the brooks, etc, and never once had any issues. As a matter of fact, winter was my favorite time to photograph there.

For example, one November I was photographing along a brook near Moss Glen Falls with my 8x10. I saw an image that I wanted to make, but it required me to get into the water (usually does) to get the camera position I wanted. There I am standing in thigh-high freezing cold water with the 8x10 tripod and camera in the water, too, of course. I exposed two sheets of 8x10 film and when I climbed back out of the brook, I realized I couldn't feel my legs! Anyway, back to the tripod...it was simply lowered back down and tossed into the trunk; with a bit of ice formed on the legs at this point. When I got home, all I did was open it back up at full extension and let it dry out. This, of course, was not the only time I abused either of Fred's tripods! Again, no issues EVER...

[peter schrager]

I've read quite a few comments here saying that Fred's tripods SUCKED. Well, that wasn't my experience at all! I used both the "lightweight" and standard (for 8x10) tripods through 18 long winters in Vermont without a care as to where I placed them. I photographed in below 0 temps, hip deep snow, blowing snow, in and along the brooks, etc, and never once had any issues. As a matter of fact, winter was my favorite time to photograph there.

For example, one November I was photographing along a brook near Moss Glen Falls with my 8x10. I saw an image that I wanted to make, but it required me to get into the water (usually does) to get the camera position I wanted. There I am standing in thigh-high freezing cold water with the 8x10 tripod and camera in the water, too, of course. I exposed two sheets of 8x10 film and when I climbed back out of the brook, I realized I couldn't feel my legs! Anyway, back to the tripod...it was simply lowered back down and tossed into the trunk; with a bit of ice formed on the legs at this point. When I got home, all I did was open it back up at full extension and let it dry out. This, of course, was not the only time I abused either of Fred's tripods! Again, no issues EVER...

Alan I give you more credit for standing in the freezing water!! I use el cheapo carbon fiber that run about $125 and once when I was in Vermont deep in snow one of the legs just snapped off!

[Drew Wiley]

Try our wet warmer Spring snows out here. The wood takes in water, refreezes, and the leg sections won't slide. Same thing with winter tents. Something that stays dry in a powder snow might soak through or condense in wetter snow. I probably couldn't count how many times I've been in ice water. Had a friend who broke two legs off his expensive Gitzo CF tripod slipping on a rock in a high country stream. I whittled prosthetic legs from whitebark pine sticks and duct-taped them on. Now that was a hokey tripod, but it worked!