Calendars out, all - Ken Burns' "The National Parks"

[Ron Marshall]

I'ver enjoyed most of what Burns has done previously; I am looking forward to this.

[Brian Vuillemenot]

Didn't Ken Burns' "The Civil War" series go on longer than the actual civil war?

I have to admit I enjoyed it quite a bit, though, and still have it on VHS; I'm looking forward to watching the national park series, that is, if I can find the time!

[QT Luong]

I've elaborated on my small part in the film in my second blog post. There is also link within that you can follow to see me with my Canham in Glacier Bay National Park, an interview extract, and a few images http://bit.ly/y7VKe

[Bruce Barlow]

Fatherly pride here. My 18-year-old son is interning in Burns's shop right now (before leaving for college! When did he grow up?).

He's cataloging scans of pictures about the Roosevelts (Yeddy, Franklin, and Eleanor). He found a picture of the Rough Riders riding, and three of them are doing handstands on their saddle pommels as they ride!

"National Parks" should be great. I saw a QT photograph in the advertising pull-out section in Harper's this month. Way to go, QT! You make us proud.

[Sal Santamaura]

I've elaborated on my small part in the film in my second blog post. There is also link within that you can follow to see me with my Canham in Glacier Bay National Park, an interview extract, and a few images http://bit.ly/y7VKe

Tuan, are the images in that blog post made with your 5x7? Their aspect ratio seems consistent with that, but I'm still curious whether you used digital for them. Thanks in advance.

[QT Luong]

No, I don't use LF for action shots (and most images those days). The film poster is derived from a horizontal 5x7 image, though.

[Bruce Watson]

Just for the showing starting tomorrow of the 12 hours of Ken Burns The National Parks: America's Best Idea, I climbed on the roof and installed an HDTV antenna. It's been years since I've seen my local stations -- since I quit cable and turned my TV into a DVD / BD only device.

My local PBS station did their part too -- they finished moving their transmitter to the top of their tower (after the June 12th 2009 end of analog transmissions), and they cleared an FCC hurdle and upped their power in just the last couple of weeks. Just in time for their fall fund raiser of course! Anyway, I receive their signal nicely now so I'm all set for the Ken Burns marathon.

Anyway, thanks to Ms. Rafferty for the heads up at the beginning of August. Starting this thread is what kicked me into gear to get the antenna up.

[ASRafferty]

A pleasure, Bruce... everything happens when it's supposed to.

Burns was on NBC Nightly News last night in a feature on the series, talking about how important it is to never take the preservation of these places for granted and assume the job is done. The man is right up there on my heroes list. If there were no other reason to throw PBS a few bucks when they ask, making sure his work is seen is reason enough for me.

[Mark Sawyer]

As QT noted on his linked site, "photography had, from the start, played an important role in helping the parks get establish, many photographers are featured in the film, incidently all of them working in large format."

I'm hoping Burns used some of George Grant's images from the Parks, as Grant was the first NPS photographer, working in lf (whole plate, then 5x7) from the late 1920's through the mid-'50's. Beautiful work, but mostly forgotten today...

Zion on whole plate, 1929:


Muir Woods, 5x7, 1936:


Canyon del Muerto, 5x7, 1940:

[Robert Hughes]

Didn't Ken Burns' "The Civil War" series go on longer than the actual civil war?

Word. Years ago I came down with a life-threatening pneumonia and was laid up for weeks. My wife brought me various tapes from the library to watch in my feverish state, one of which was Burns' Civil War. All those faces with their blue sensitive white eyeballs seemed like ghosts to me, gave me nightmares for years.