Photo Journal of Clyde Butcher

Photo Journal - Category / Title Introduction America the Beautiful     *     American the Beautiful exhibit     *     B&W Photos (out of FL)     *     Photographing Apalachicola River ~ An American Treasure     *     Apalachicola - Introduction     *     Journal #1 ~ Adventures with the Anderson's     *     Journal #2 - Means Creek ~ Torreya State Park     *     Journal #3 ~ Searching for Pitcher Plants     *     Journal #4 ~ John Spohrer and the Lower River     *     Journal #5 ~ Adventures with Richard Bickel     *     Journal #6 ~ Dead Lakes     *     Journal #7 ~ The Nature Conservancy Aquatic Preserves of Florida     *     A new project with Elam Stoltzfus     *     Aquatic Preserves Exhibit     *     Cape Romano     *     Indian River     *     Mosquito Lagoon     *     Pumpkin Hill Creek     *     St. Joseph     *     St. Martin Aquatic Preserve     *     The Premier Awards and Recognitions     *     Ansel Adams Conservation Award     *     Artist Hall of Fame Award     *     Best Florida Artist 2004     *     Best Gallery in Florida     *     Conservation Colleague Award     *     Coral Gables Key to the City     *     Cypress Award     *     Environmental Education Award     *     Everglades Coalition Award     *     Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Award     *     Heartland Community Service Award     *     Humanitarian of the Year     *     Keep Florida Beautiful     *     Lifetime Achievement Award     *     Marjory Stoneman-Douglas 101 birthday     *     Person of the Week     *     Service Award     *     Stars in the Arts     *     Top 100 Most Influential People in Florida     *     Who will be the next Ansel Adams?     *     Wolfson Award - 1992     *     Wolfson Award - 1996     *     Wolfson Award - Telly Award 2004 Big Cypress Gallery Lectures     *     Big Cypress and Fakahatchee     *     Clyde & Niki - Febuary 19, 2009     *     Clyde Butcher May 31, 2008     *     Discover Big Cypress - January 22, 2009     *     Elam & Sammy ~ April 5, 2009     *     Foreverglades - Jeff Ripple November 29, 2009     *     Mike Owen - March 19, 2009     *     Photographic Safari behind Big Cypress Gallery     *     Rick Cruz - May 9, 2009 Big Cypress Swamp Documentary     *     Making of Documentary     *     PBS Schedule Books     *     Clyde's Gifts 2008     *     Seeing the Light California     *     Yosemite Clyde     *     1998 one-of-a-kind photographs     *     Grandkids     *     Oil Painting Portrait 6'x4' of Clyde Clyde "The Artist"     *     Bio Clyde's Top Photograph Picks for the year     *     2008 Eco Tours on Property     *     Photographic Swamp Walk     *     Private Swamp Walks Edison-Ford Winter Estate     *     One of a Kind Photograph Environmental Issues     *     Bromeliad & the Mexican Weevil     *     Everglades Restoration Exhibits Traveling     *     Big Cypress Swamp: The Western Everglades Florida Everglades     *     Everglades National Park 50th Anniversary     *     Shark Valley Florida Keys     *     Windley Key Fossil Reef Labor Day Weekend Gala     *     2009     *     2009     *     2010 Swamp Walk Open House     *     Swamp Walk 2003     *     Swamp Walk 2004     *     Swamp Walk 2005     *     Swamp Walk 2006     *     Swamp Walk 2007     *     Swamp Walk 2008 Niki Butcher     *     Hand Painting Demonstrations Non-Profit Events     *     VAWL Shadow & Light     *     VAWL Shadow & LIght 07' On-line Shopping     *     Shopping Cart Photo Murals     *     Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport #1     *     Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport #2     *     Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport #3     *     Rookery Bay Photo Story - Florida     *     Big Cypress Gallery     *     Big Cypress Gallery #14     *     Cayo Costa Island     *     Clamshell Orchid     *     Dunes     *     Estero Island     *     Fakahatchee #3     *     Fisheating Creek     *     Florida Bay #3     *     Gannet Strand #1     *     Gaskin Bay     *     Gaskin Bay #5     *     Ghost Orchid     *     Ghost Orchid Triptych     *     Keywadin Island     *     Lake Istokpoga     *     Little Pavilion Key     *     Loosescrew Gator     *     Loosescrew Orchid     *     Loxahatchee River #1     *     Matlacha Pass     *     Moonrise     *     North Fork New River #2     *     Ochopee     *     Pahayokee #1     *     Pahayokee #2     *     Rock Island Prairie     *     Seven Cabbage Cut     *     Shell Key     *     Tamiami Trail #1     *     Tamiami Trail #2     *     Tamiami Trail #3     *     Totch's Place     *     Turner River Presidents Weekend Muck-Abouts     *     2009     *     2010 Price Lists     *     Colledtors Limited Edition Silver Photographs     *     Giclee Open Edition Prices Swamp Cottage     *     Echo tours and cottage     *     Reservation Information Swamp Cottages     *     Loddging on Loose Screw Property Swamp Walks     *     Saturday Swamp Walks     *     swamp choice Technical Information     *     Questions and Answers Venice Gallery Open House     *     2006     *     2008     *     2009     *     Venice Gallery Open House 2005     *     Venice Gallery Open House 2007 Videos     *     Big Cypress, Jewel of the Everglades - Skillet Str Workshops     *     Death Valley 2007

 

The following are questions from Double Exposure for an interview in 2006. If you would like to know more about this online magazine the website is: www.doubleexposure.com

Double Exposure: When and how did you get started in photography?

Clyde Butcher:  Whew.....that's a book in itself! I entered college (Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Calif.) as a math major and saw how much fun the architectural students seem to be having and decided to become an architect. It wasn't until I entered architecture as a major that I found out I was missing some key knowledge. I didn't know how to draw! I had never drawn a picture of anything, so when it came time for me to draw images of my designs I was at a loss. I could easily delineate the designs, but I couldn't draw a beautiful picture of my designs that was good enough to sway a client to buy the design. I decided that the option for me was to build architectural models of my designs and then photograph them. I found some small pine trees that had recently been planted up in the hills above the college and built my models to the scale of the trees. My model was giant compared to the tiny models everyone else was building. My instructor told me I'd either get an F or an A¬hing in between. He didn't have any idea what I was doing. I got an A+.

In order to photograph my architectural models I had to learn photography. I couldn't afford a camera so I built myself a pinhole camera. Bought some film, loaded it, took the picture and everything came out black. Did it several times with the same result. Went to the camera store and discussed it with the owner...the problem: I had loaded the film into the camera in the light!....which, naturally, exposed the film.....I've come a long way!

I eventually built myself a camera that would fit into architectural models so that I could "get into" the space. I took a Cannon Rangefinder 24mm lens, put a permanent F/64 stop and fixed focus in it, removed the housing and put the lens in a metal tube to make it smaller, then put the whole thing into a small Plexiglas box painted black. The camera held one sheet of 35mm film. Since it had no shutter I exposed the film by turning on and off the studio lights.

When I graduated from college I started a business building and photographing architectural models. (That's another very long story....) In the meantime I'd become somewhat proficient at photography and was enjoying photographing the landscape for fun.

There was a slump in the real estate market and I had to find a way to support my family. A friend suggested I take my b&w photos of the landscape down to the local grocery store where they were having a street art festival and try it out. It worked&the next show worked and the next..and I found myself making more money in a week than I did in architecture. That occurred around 1970. I've been making my living at photographing the landscape photography since that time.

DE: Your website mentions that you started as an architectural model photographer and transitioned into landscape photography.  Can you tell us how this seemingly enormous difference in visual perception came about? 

CB:  Photographing architectural models was a great way for me to learn how to photograph the landscape. I'm really glad I had that experience. It is hard to explain how that learning experience helped my landscape photography, but I'll try&

The purpose of a presentation to a client who is interested in an architectural design is to make that client feel like he is seeing the building as though it has already been built. In other words, the three dimensional design in my head, is created three dimensionally through an architectural model, then photographed and presented to the client on a two dimensional surface&the photographic paper. In order to impress the client with the design he has to feel the three dimensional quality. It took me a few years to figure out how to do that, but I finally did. I suppose that is why everyone always thought my architectural models had already been built and were actual buildings.

The same thing happens in landscape. I see the space...it is three dimensional, I photograph it and then present it on a two-dimensional plane, the photographic paper. However, in order for the viewer to feel the scene, I have to photograph it so that the final print has a three dimensional quality. I think that may explain why people are always saying to me, "I feel like I am there." I learned how to do that photographing architectural models.

DE: In the same vein as above, what motivated your choice of large format cameras for your landscape work? 

CB:  It may be just me, but I feel like the human brain is tickled by detail. The more detail the eye can see the more enjoyable it is for the brain. I wanted my images to be sharp at just about any size that I can conceive of doing. I wanted to tickle the brain of others...You can only do that with a piece of large film.

I suppose I pushed the limit on that by photographing with a 12x20 camera and then enlarging that negative. (I built a 12x20 enlarger from an old copy camera from a printing shop) When I enlarge those images up to 5x8 feet you can see the insect holes in the blades of grass&now that is really tickling the brain!

However, I rarely use that camera&it is a REAL hassle to work with. I mostly use an 8x10.

DE: For the technophobes in our readership, can you tell us if you have a preferred film choice and why?  Also, do you use different developers for different situations? 

CB:  T-Max 100 because it looks good.

            No I don't play around with different developers. I use T-Max developer for T-Max film...I wait for the right light so that I don't need to do all of that "fancy" stuff.

DE: Your work is often compared with Ansel Adam's.  However, you make the distinction of "things" and "spaces."  Could you elaborate on what you mean by this?

CE: I create room for the person to walk into the picture, whereas Adams images were " perhaps" more graphic than mine. His are composed of shape, form and texture.  Mine are spaces&in most of my images, in the center of the photograph, where the subject should be, is a vacant space&.for you, the viewer, to walk into....

DE: What sort of planning do you do before going out on a shoot?

CB: I make sure I have my equipment ready and then follow the light.

DE: Is there any one shoot that stands out, in your mind?  Can you tell us what most inspired you about it?

CB: An image I call the Dunes. It's a long story as to how I ended up photographing this part of Florida, but to make the story short...I was there for a week waiting for the light to be right. It was overcast with the sun occasionally breaking through. Taking a picture of sand dunes without any shadows to give dimension to the shape of the dunes just doesn't work, so I was waiting for the light to hit the dunes. I'd watch the sun sparkling on the Gulf of Mexico and slowly twinkle toward the shore and then...POOF! It was gone. Did that for a week and was almost ready to pack up and leave when it happened! I managed to shoot two pieces of film, then the scene was gone..It was the longest I ever waited for a photograph. However, it was certainly an enjoyable place to wait!

DE: The Everglades is home to numerous wild creatures, among them American crocodiles, alligators, Florida panthers, bears and several species of venomous snakes, not to mention mosquitoes.  This is perceived to be dangerous and seriously uncomfortable place by many people.  Have you ever had a wildlife encounter that you felt uncomfortable with? 

CB: No&.well, actually once a very large gator got too curious while I was standing in the water and I had to hit him on the nose with a paddle. He left the scene. But for the most part, wild animals do not like humans. The only problems are if you bother them during mating season or approach (even accidentally) their young. I try to be highly aware of what is going on around me when Im out there so that I dont irritate any wild animal.

DE: Is the Everglades the only location you have photographed? 

CB: I have photographed all over the United States, Cuba and the Czech Republic. My most recent project is called "America the Beautiful"  the Monumental Landscape". It is an exhibit of my work, presented in very large sizes...up to 5x8 feet&from across the United States. The Muscarelle Museum at the William and Mary College in Va. handled the first exhibit of the work.

DE: You have received numerous awards.  Is there any one award that you are most proud of?

CB: That's a hard question. Every award is a deep honor. I appreciate the fact that people like my work enough to give me those honors. Getting to this point has been a long road. I have photographed for the love of it...never for the money or honor of it...so getting awards is always amazing to me. But, I guess the best one is the Hall of Fame Award in the state capitol at Tallahassee Florida. It is the highest honor a private citizen can receive from the state.

DE: You seem to specialize in large prints.  What are the largest prints you have ever made?

CB: A couple of years ago I completed an "Art in Public Places" for the Ft. Lauderdale International Airport. I created three images, each were 6 feet x 16 feet. Two were photographed in Broward County and one in the Florida Keys. My intent was to show the three basic eco-systems in South Florida...grass, swamp, and mangroves. It was a fun and challenging project. The hardest part of it was figuring out how to hang those very large images above an escalator! If you are coming into Ft. Lauderdale, they are located in Terminal 3.

I am currently working on another project for the Archaeological and Historical Conservancy. They are preserving a Seminole Historic site and needed an image for the educational center. I have photographed the site and then will make a 10 foot x 25 foot photograph for a wall in the building.

DE: How many books have you had published?  Are they all still available and where can they be purchased?  What other publications do you have? 

CB: I think its around ten books. A few of the books can be purchased at Borders, but probably only in Florida. I mostly sell my books through my gallery or in the gift shops when I do museum shows. We also have note cards and every year we produce a calendar.You can check them out on my website at www.clydebutcher.com

DE: Aside from still photography, you have been involved with films.  How did this come about? 

CB: Life has so many doors that open&and when this one opened, I stepped into it and gained a wonderful friendship with Elam Stoltzfus of Live Oak Production Group. Back in 1990 The South Water Management District in Florida wanted to do a film to educate the people of Florida about the water system in the state. Elam was, at that time, working for another production group. He was the young, enthusiastic, video camera man. The South Water Management District chose me to be the person who guides the viewer through the different water areas of South Florida. It was a great idea to use an artist instead of a scientist to explain the beauty of the place. The production group, my wife, Niki, and I spent two weeks together filming, then continued filming on and off for another several weeks. The film was aired on PBS and became an award winning film.

During the filming I found in Elam a fellow soul mate in the way we both view nature and life. We have created several films together since then and have been friends and artists working down the same road to use our art to help people see the beauty around them. Its been a fun trip with Elam.

DE: What projects do you have planned for the future?

CB: Strange as it may seem, the answer is shooting the Everglades. I havent done much photography in the Everglades National Park&except by boat&mangroves and such. I want to shoot the land part of the Park. I also want to shoot the entire system. I have already photographed most of it, but there are major gaps here and there. My goal is to produce a book that covers the ecosystem from its headwaters near Disney World to the Ten Thousand Islands.

DE: This is the digital age according to many observers.  Is there any possibility that you may go digital in the future?

CB: Lugging around a 60 pound backpack surely makes me wish someone could create a digital camera that can do what an 8x10 or 11x14 piece of film can do&but I dont think it will happen. I also like the feeling of having the negative, and that the negative will last without any technology to preserve it. I will be shooting film as long as I live.

However, I currently scan many of my negatives and use the digital technology of Photoshop to produce the image. In the gallery we carry both prints from the wet darkroom, silver gelatin photographs, and prints from the computer, giclees. Niki uses a digital Rebel, so I bought myself one too, but its just for having fun. If Im serious about a picture I use film.

Just a quick word about the new digital age&I have always believed that the art of photography is a technical art form. With every generation new technology comes into the field&better lenses, better paper, better cameras, etc&Now we have this new technology in the field of photography and it is not better or worse than traditional photography. It is just different.