Remembering Rod Dresser

Just before the holiday season the photographic community lost a gifted artist, a master printer and an excellent educator when Rod Dresser lost his protracted battle with cancer. Personally, I lost a source of great inspiration and a dear friend.

Rod was one of the kindest, most gentle souls I've had the pleasure of knowing. We taught a number of seminars together and I never failed to be amazed at his ability to inform and inspire the participants. When we would talk with students about the Zone System, Rod would jokingly credit his friend, employer and mentor Ansel Adams with having an extra Zone he kept just for himself. I think Rod did Ansel one Zone better, but he was always was willing to share his secret Zone with any student willing to "do the dance" in the darkroom to reveal the most subtle of nuances he brought forth in his own work. He kept confidences but never secrets.

You are greatly missed, old friend...

THE DARKROOM: AN INTENSIVE INTRODUCTION
It's becoming difficult to find an introductory course in traditional printing that doesn't require a weeks- or months-long commitment of time. I'm frequently asked if I might offer such a class, and now the answer is yes! Click here to learn more...

Only two John Wimberley Portfolios left!!! This fundraiser for the Hayward Area Recreation District's PhotoCentral program will be sold out very soon. Beautiful art at an amazing value. Click here to learn more about this incredible - and short-lived! - opporuntity!

A number of prints from VANTAGE POINTS: Perspectives on California and the Southwest, plus a couple of newer color images, are now on display at Eyes Optometry in downtown Los Altos. For the whole virtual exhibition; just click here.

Seeking Representation: A View from the Inside