In conversation with ..... Chris Calohan

[Donald]

©Image, Steve (Wirefox)

Name: Chris Calohan (aka ChrisC)
Location: Lynn Haven, FL
Website: www.myhometown@smugmug.com - a work in progress and I am behind

CiC: Chris, thanks very much for taking the time to talk to us today.

It is my pleasure and it is a pleasure to be a part of this forum.

Perhaps we can start by you telling us something about your general back-ground. What about your work history – anything interesting?

Work history would fill this dialogue but I will go with the highlights for this interview.

Started my photography career with the Los Angeles Times Examiner as a graveyard shift photographer which translated to a lot of seedy murder scenes, bad wrecks and lots of fires. While doing that, I also worked with my brother in the surfboard industry and was able to parlay that into some work with Surfer and Surfing magazine.

I mostly shot from cliffsides, but was known to go inside a nice tube with my trusty Nikonos (Pono [aka Shane] can relate to that scenario). Sometimes very scary but always a thrill. Then in succession, there was a stint shooting school photography - yuck! Then weddings - double yuck! Then, I got discovered by some bloke from a company called Teledyne who liked the work I was doing with high speed infrared film and hired me to teach certain military types how to interpret infrared in ways they hadn't seen before. Long story short on that one was - I got hidden away in some underground facility (I think in Laos, maybe the Phillipines), but honestly, other than tracking flight times to R&R places, I really only have a vague idea.

That lasted a year and a half and when I returned stateside, I left California and went to Florida to go to school..and I stayed.

I've done just about everything from drafting to technical writing to owning art and hobby stores. I got into teaching quite by accident as I was in the midst of selling out my stores and during one of the close out sales, the wife of one principals of a local high school suggested I contact her husband as he needed a new art teacher, pronto. So I did and 20 years later, I am still teaching. I have only been teaching photography for the last 11 years

And what about your family life?

The usual...except I have a cat and no dogs. Kids are all grown and gone to the winds of their own ways.

Editor's Pick

If you were staying in tonight, what would you choose as one of your favourite books and/or films to keep you entertained, and what you be having as a favourite meal?

I don't have a favorite anything, but I do have books or movies that I need to watch on a regular basis to reconnect me with my dreams, aspirations and hopes.

Herman Melville, Jack London and Jack Kerouac were must reads for me. I liked Hunter S. Thompson as well. I read anything and everything put in front of me...I still do and I find as much enjoyment in a technical manual as I do a get-away-from-it-all trash book.

Movies...'Stand by Me' is a coming of age story which could easily have been me in that same time period. 'A Man and a Woman' is a perennial favorite. I love junk movies...pure escapism. The first 'Pirates of the Caribbean' was a classic in the same way Errol Flynn was in all his seafaring adventures.

It is the same with music though I do have a propensity to the Blues of Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Paul Butterfield (who I knew many years ago) and Eric Clapton. Of late, I've really gotten into JJ Cale who writes a lot of Clapton's music.

Food….White Chicken Chili (I love the taste of Cumin) or one of my great, trashcan pizzas with everything but mushrooms (allergic) or sausage (don’t like).

OK, photography is a given, but what about other hobbies or personal interests?

Mini Coopers, specifically a 2004 S model and a 2009 S Clubman. The '04 is a little pocket rocket and has been built to go fast and corner like it was glued to the road. I attend at least 6 major Mini events a year with some of them having 600 + Minis in attendance.

My next sortie is called the Great Ice Cream Run which runs up the east coast of the USA and ends in Bar Harbor, Maine. Of course, lots of really good ice cream stops along the way.

I am a consummate learner. I attend workshops of all kinds each summer in photography, printmaking, and of late, digital media. I've blown glass, painted murals, cast aluminum and built and flown some bodacious kites.

Let's get on to photography - how long have you been a photographer, and what got you interested in the first place?

I got my first camera in 1962 (yes, I am an old toot) that my Uncle picked up in Japan, a Canonflex 35mm with a removable pentaprism. I still have it and it still shoots beautiful photographs.

Photography is what kept me in high school. It was the one thing I could do that only a few others in my school could match. It was from this high school training that I got the job with the newspaper.

My photography teacher had been a WWII war correspondent and shot almost everything with a Speed Graphic 4 X 5. He passed away a few years back and his wife tracked me down and sent me the camera. It still shoots good photos and I occasionally let my students take it out for a spin.

What type of photography are you interested in, and why?

Back to not really having a particular favorite genre. Though, I will say that I am not overly fond of shooting people, especially kids.

I did my Master's degree in filmmaking, with documentary film as my preferred genre. I think from that time frame, I am finding myself drawn to pictorial atmospheres. I try to frame a shot as if there was something which preceded it and something most definitely following the setup. That might sound a little crazy but I look at photographs like I do stories in a book. If the things in the scene are not promoting the plot of the story, no matter how pretty or how well written, they have to go.

I am now just getting the hang of shooting digitally and am starting to embrace most of its attributes. There was a thread on here where we discussed whether Ansel Adams would also embrace digital and while I think he would have appreciated it as another tool, I am still not convinced he would have made the crossover. He really was in love with silver gelatin printing.

Any particular photographic influences?

My high school photography teacher was my biggest influence. He was a quiet, unassuming gentleman who I never saw without a tie on. But, as quiet and unassuming as he was, he could run down the sidelines of a football game with that old Speed Graphic and fire off eight sides of film in 50 yards. To this day, I can see the orchestrated moves of pulling, tuning, inserting, and shooting in a ballet of incredible artistry.

Ansel Adams, Harry Callahan, Edward Weston were and still are favorites. I own a contact print of Adams' 'Aspens, New Mexico'. It is unsigned but has been authenticated as being his work and I have a signed copy of Harry Callahan's portrait of Aaron Siskind ( I found both at home garage sales. In the same sortie, I also found three original Audubon prints worth a b****y fortune. I paid less than $10.00 for the lot). The Callahan print is from the original negative but not printed by the artist. Weston's fruit and veggies still make me drool uncontrollably. I'd probably sell one of my kids for a original...well, maybe not, but..still...

In a more contemporary mood, I am quite fond of John Sexton and Al Weber. Al Weber was Ansel Adams printer for over 25 years. I’ve had the pleasure of doing two workshops with him. Cara Weston, the granddaughter of Edward Weston is also quite good.

To anyone living on the west coast, especially those living near San Francisco, up in the Napa valley (wine country), there is a winery called John Turnbull. The owner of the winery holds the largest private collection of photographs in the US and perhaps in the world (about 3,000). All are original prints and when you walk into the tasting room, the first print you see is Weston’s Bell Pepper. Oddly enough, it gets better from there. The gallery is changed every two months.

What do you hope to achieve through your photography - or what have you achieved already?

Goodness, just, I think, to get better each time I shoot. Achieved? ... Strange as it might sound, but teaching students the fine art of film photography is my greatest achievement. Sounds a bit corny, i guess, but to the digital photographer who has never experienced that first image appearing out of the developer in the dimmed red light of a darkroom... sigh, it is very much like watching your baby being born. It is very much like the first kiss, first time ...well, you get the picture.

I want to continue this learning & teaching thing as long as I can still suck air into my lungs. Currently, one of my new photographic loves is the old-time processes like albumen, salt, gum bichromate, platinum, etc. Hand applied emulsions are so unlike anything else. Fun stuff.

What you think of CiC? Any way it could be improved? Where should it go from here, in your opinion?

What do I think?...I think it is probably one of the best forums in existence. I am jealous, I didn't start it. Improve? ...I don't know...I still think there aren't enough separate forum arenas but I understand the horrors of having too many. Go?...don't go anywhere...this forum will evolve on its own, in its own way and I think it will stay pretty much as is. One thing…I would like to see a monthly or semi annually competition which is judged solely by the Moderators.

Getting more personal if you don't mind...what keeps you awake at night, apart from Photoshop?

Whirled Peas. Nothing keeps me awake at night. I sleep like a baby. I guess when I was younger I worried about the kids, and all that kind of stuff, but as I get older, I find I really don't worry about much at all. No head in the sand, much more I don't give a .... about much.

I have to ask this…. What photographic gear do you own, and what software do you use for editing?

When I was a kid, I was the absolute consummate Canon man, but because of necessity and because of school contracting deals, I found myself teaching with Nikon both in film and now in digital as well. I went with the Nikon D7000 because of the familiarity of the product.

So, I shoot a Nikon D7000 with the 28-105 kit lens (softy at maximum focus) and a Tamron 70-300 Macro Zoom that a parent donated. It too is a soft lens at longer focal lengths but can be compensated for by using a shallower f/stop like 8, 11, or 16.

I did, however, just order the Nikkor 1.4 50mm AF lens from B&H. Next on my wish list is the 12-24. In the film world, I have everything. Really, from a Minox 16mm to a Deardorf 8x10 plate camera.

It’s a tough one to answer, but how would you rate your photographic skills and ability?

Filmically, a strong 9, Digitally, I am a babe in the woods ... for now. I do have strength in my compositional skills which applies to either medium and I know this is why I have been able to get pretty much up to speed with the rest of the folks on here ... though need to learn a whole lot more.

Editor's Pick

What will the digital camera be like in 2020? And will you still own one?

That's only nine years out ... Same but different. I think the whole pixel concept will change and become more dot-like and I see where it might be helpful to have a built-in black matrix to fill in the RGB. Of course I'll have a camera...no guarantees it will be a digital, but I'll shoot whatever I have at hand.

Are you in a position to help or encourage others in their photography?

I am a high school photography teacher so that is the obvious answer of yes, but I feel in my case, this goes deeper. I try to help newcomers to photography on this site and in other venues whenever possible. Sometimes, I mix metaphors, so to speak giving film advice when I should be offering digital, but for the most part I am pretty on track with my responses

Another tough one for you…do you consider photography to be art?

This also falls into the duh-uh department for me, given my teacher status. It is not just an art form, it is one of the most freely used expressions of art in the world.

Everyone, from George Eastman's kids to my grandson has or will take a photograph that is cherished for life. I once spoke before the House of Representatives at the State capital in regards to their seeming desire to cut the arts from required courses at the high school level. In my response, I challenged any one of them to find me three things in that huge rotunda that wasn't designed by an artist and if they could, I would shut my mouth forever on that subject, but that if they could not, then arts had to stay ... and I am still teaching art 12 years later. I ended my presentation with photographs from the MOMA's 1955 Photographic Exhibit, The Family of Man

How do you feel about having your own shot taken?

No way, man. Cameras steal your soul; just ask any native of Papua New Guinea.

What single piece of advice do you think is most useful to someone starting out with photography?

SHOOT A LOT. Keep record of what you shoot. Learn from your mistakes. Photography is an art form but as one of my art professors had us write a hundred times every day in our drawing class... 'Art is Work..Art is Work...'

Learn to learn how to see and not just look. Fill the frame, and watch your horizons. Look past the primary subject and see what's in front, behind or to the side that might be a distraction. Learn Photoshop (or, GIMP).

Can we see two of your shots that mean something special to you, and could you explain why.
The two photos are Cherished by the Sea and Kite Flyer as each represent a great leap in my understanding the complicated elements of getting the right exposure points set so Photoshop can perform its magic.

In 'Cherished by the Sea', the middle level of the building is (approximately) half/or twice the light value of the layer above and below.

'Kite flyer' is one of those frozen moments that takes me back to my own carefree beach adventures as a child. I like very much the whole airiness and lightness of the shot. I especially like that both her feet are in the air when the frame was snapped. It is just nicely lit, composed and I feel it evokes an image of that little kid in all of us.

Finally, can you give us one interesting/weird/silly thing about you that we probably don’t know?

I have very few photographic links to my past. Shortly after moving to Florida, a waterspout jumped the waves and headed inland, taking a shed with every piece of photographic equipment, slides, negatives and prints I owned. What was found and restored didn't amount to a hill of beans. The silly thing is, it didn't really upset me as much as it probably should have. It was one of those life altering events when you know as catastrophic as it was; it helped to close a chapter that needed to be finished.

That's all we have time for, Chris. Thank you for taking the time to talk to CiC.

Far more my pleasure. To have as few posts as I do and be chosen to share my story in this forum is one of those nice, pinnacle moments in my life. Thank you for the opportunities I enjoy here, each day.

[ilovelucydog]

Thanks for sharing with us, Chris. How fun it would be to meet you and so many others here. Thank you for this comment:

"Whirled Peas. Nothing keeps me awake at night. I sleep like a baby. I guess when I was younger I worried about the kids, and all that kind of stuff, but as I get older, I find I really don't worry about much at all. No head in the sand, much more I don't give a .... about much"

I look forward to the day that I can say that...

[jiro]

Very interesting life and passion you have, Chris. Thanks for sharing it to us and letting us know more about you. Cheers!

[jeeperman]

Very interesting indeed Chris. Always find it makes viewing an individuals photos somewhat more captivating once I have had a glimps of the person behind the camera. A bit of understanding maybe as to where the message or feel is born, each of us have our own path much like eachothers yet so different at the same time. Fingerprints of a photographer if you will. Thanks for sharing.

[mythlady]

Okay, this is weird. Teacher, as you know. Hate mushrooms, not fond of sausage, except certain kinds. Every semester, I write "Visualize Whirled Peas" on the board by way of illustrating intertextuality. One of my photography teachers pounded "Think about the story you're telling" into our heads, repeatedly. Hmmmm.

Anyway, I really enjoyed learning more about you. I absolutely love the two pictures you chose, especially the yellow building one. Love it. Thanks for doing the interview.

[thienthu]

SHOOT A LOT. Keep record of what you shoot. Learn from your mistakes. Photography is an art form but as one of my art professors had us write a hundred times every day in our drawing class... 'Art is Work..Art is Work...'

I am learning Photography, to see the words on a different eyes, to write with the camera...Thank you for sharing your life, your works . Wishing you all the best.

[wilgk]

A great read Chris!
I am very happy you agreed to share some more about your life.
I for one really appreciate how this forum has let us share a little bit in the lives of really interesting people...Thankyou again

I will now go and ponder the phrase bodacious with respect to kites....quite an interesting image is forming in my wee mind, might I tell you

[MiniChris]

Thanks for everyone's feedback...I really enjoyed the opportunity to share all my trials and tribulations...though have to admit, more smiles than frowns. Like someone else uses in their signature, "a good day is when your feet hit the floor." Mine hit with pretty clean consistency.

To Kay: Bodacious - Remarkable; prodigious. Some of these kites were 12 and 15 feet high (2-2.5 meters) and of all manner of design...the best was a 40 foot (8 meters +/-) dragon. Bodacious is a commonly used word in the southern region of the United States and is an ajective I've heard used to describe everything from food to certain female body characteristics. It ranks right up there with Y'all..."Y'all come back ya hear!"

[wilgk]

- Dolly Parton did spring to mind

[MiniChris]

That would be the Bodacious Ta-Ta southern connotation. A very commonly used phrase.

[CNelson]

Great interview. Thanks CiC and Chris. It's interesting to get a peek behind the scenes. I admire your work Chris and hope to learn from you thanks to CiC.

Chuck

[PopsPhotos]

Very interesting piece, Chris. One thing very interesting to me is that my paternal uncle was a sub-editor and photographer for the LA Times Examiner in the 50s and 60s. I thought you might be talking about him at one point, except that he was Sparks on Pacific tankers during the War. I seldom saw him that he didn't have the Speed Graphic with him.

Thanks for sharing with us.

Pops

[MiniChris]

What was his name? Not that I would remember, but maybe. I wasn't what you would call a high profile photographer...I was that guy who got to shoot the "police beat" and in those days, it was rare to find a cop who could point a camera in the right direction, much less shoot a crime scene without stepping in something. My shift was also from 11:00PM to 7:00AM - when the city wakes up to the not so nice side of life.

My nickname was, "Manual" as in Manual Labor...who knows how these names get attached to people...just remembered that...funny how someone else's comment can trigger a memory. I think the moniker came beacuse when I wasn't shooting, processing or printing, I was what everyone now calls a "go fer."

I wish the nickname, "Sparks" rang a bell, but it was 40-ish years ago and I can remember pretty girl's faces which I can't put a name to in that same time period, so that will give you a hint to my recall abilities...hmmmmmmm, maybe some things are best forgotten.

[PopsPhotos]

His name was Marvin Carter. He held a number of editor jobs there over the years, but the one he liked best was caption writer. He confessed that he would sometimes think of a caption and then grab his camera and go looking for the picture.

Forgot to mention, "Sparks" on a Merchant Marine vessel was the radio operator.

Pops

[MiniChris]

His name doesn't ring an immediate bell. All my memorabelia from that time went up with the shed and I wasn't there all that long (four months, maybe five). I discovered pretty quickly that UPI and Reuters paid much better shot by shot and I could keep my own hours. It was the best of both worlds. In essence, I became a caption photographer myself, stationing myself around all the Vietnam protester events, I could make three times in a weekend what I made at the Examiner in a week. You never got any credit for the shot, but neither did you with the newspaper until you'd established yourself, so to me, it was a matter of the moola.

I knew what a "Sparks" was. Seems to me there were a ton of those guys from WWII with fun monikers. A lot of Chiefs, Pipers, Gunny's, etc. It was such a short moment in my life...it was just a time and a place to start...we all have to start somewhere. Now that you've streched my brain to the limit... thanks for the walk down memory lane.

[3Wheels]

To get a little insight into the world of MiniChris makes great read, Chris. I admire your work and realise I still have a lot to learn.

[Shadowman]

Hi Chris,

Ever put yourself in danger, you mentioned photographing fires, is it worth it to get that close up shot of wildfires, etc.? When I was younger, pre camera days, I had a habit of going towards the flames. But a few too many industrial fires (with the chance of chemical as well as smoke inhalation) made me realize that obsession with flames can be explored just as easily with a telephoto lens.

[MiniChris]

I've been so close to fires in the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California that I've seen firetrucks explode from the heat. I once had a great shot of fire arcing from one tree on a ridge to another almost 200 yards away on the next ridge, and I was on the third ridge....one shot wonder then ran like hell itself was chasing me..and it was.

Youth is a scary time of life as it has that tendency of thinking nothing can get you...no burns, but I've been singed pretty nasty a time or two.

My biggest dangers came from cops who on a regular occasion would ignore my press badge and take a swing at me with their billy clubs when I was shooting anti-war protestor rallies. I never got hit, but I sure got gassed a lot. I don't think they liked their pictures taken.

[Shadowman]

I've been so close to fires in the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California that I've seen firetrucks explode from the heat. I once had a great shot of fire arcing from one tree on a ridge to another almost 200 yards away on the next ridge, and I was on the third ridge....one shot wonder then ran like hell itself was chasing me..and it was.

Youth is a scary time of life as it has that tendency of thinking nothing can get you...no burns, but I've been singed pretty nasty a time or two.

My biggest dangers came from cops who on a regular occasion would ignore my press badge and take a swing at me with their billy clubs when I was shooting anti-war protestor rallies. I never got hit, but I sure got gassed a lot. I don't think they liked their pictures taken.

Photographers are really outsiders at demonstrations, neither side knows your true intentions.