Don Nibbelink was 90 when he died last month, but judging from his energy you'd have
guessed that he would live at least ten years longer. A real spark plug. Great sense of humor. A fine gentleman.
After reading this, get ready for a run on books written by Don. As I said in the forward to the book I co-wrote with Roger Hicks (Hollywood Portraits), I believe that Don Nibbelink was one of the finest editors Kodak ever offered-up. That's why I counted on him to help verify certain information for the book. As well, he put me in touch with some of the last living photographers of the Golden Hollywood era.
His work stands to prove me right or wrong. See for yourself. He wrote best-sellers such as "Picturing People", "Bigger and Better, The Book of Enlarging" (get the 1950's version.. he drafted it while deployed as a soldier in WWII...you won't ever give it up), or "Picturing the Times of Your Life" (co-written with his daughter, Monica, who died young of cancer*). Yes, his writing style was "bubble gum" simple, but it was so chock-full of useful information that even university-level photo students benefited from it.
I swear as I live and breathe that Don's "Complete Book of Lighting" (from the 1950's or '60's) is one of the best ever written on the subject. It is one of my major influences in lighting technique and motivated me to try to attain the highest level of quality in portraiture. Tells you exactly how to get that look I call "Kodak clean". Don Nibbelink was one of the few writers I have so far found who described precisely how to obtain highlight brilliance. The holy grail for a truly three-dimensional look. The only other place I've ever seen it mentioned is ... in a Kodak book. In today's world a softbox lighting, it's a lost concept (google the term and see). Here's the only copy I could find to show you.
http://cgi.ebay.ph/COMPLETE-PHOTO-BO...mZ320185670966
Don was prolific. In retirement, he and his wonderful wife Lilo opened and ran a B&B in Victor, New York. One day I called him to wish him a happy birthday. "Oh, I'm glad you called. I couldn't find your number. Can you help me get a book published?". Don apparently thought that I had some "pull" (I don't) and absolutely insisted that I help him find a publisher for a very funny —but very well written and conceived— manuscript he'd finished. Before I mention the topic of the book, you should understand that it had all started as a project to keep his *terminally ill daughter smiling. The topic? Farting, and how different cultures around the world treated the subject. I think the working title was "Around the World in 80 Farts", or something like that. **Go ahead and laugh. Keep in mind, though: this was Don Nibbelink writing.
With every little change, Don would send me new typewritten pages. He didn't have email. I ended up with tons of manuscript pages and no time to read them all (reminded me of EK catalog changes!!). To my surprise I found that many, many books had already been published on the subject, with certain publishers even specializing in funny versions of the topic. Being in Europe though, I had trouble continually trying to contact publishers all over the U.S.A. and I finally told Don that I couldn't help him.
In the letter I received today from Don's widow, Lilo, she informed me that the book, whose final title became, "Fearsome Folklore of Farting", will in fact be published, due out July 1, 2008. Apparently, I didn't shoot high enough —or look hard enough— when looking for a publishing house, 'cause you know who's handling it? Random House! **As Lilo wrote, "He had the last laugh".
I'm looking forward to reading the final version of Don's last book. Then I can have a laugh, too .. and think of him.
Best,
Chris
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Originally Posted by Ed Richards
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