I am dedicating my first blog to photographers who have influenced and inspired me. Starting with two of my high school photography instructors Duane Carter and Warren King. Mr Carter taught at El Camino Real and Mr. King at Reseda High School. I was enrolled at El Camino but took summer school classes with Mr. King and after graduation took additional classes with Mr. King.
Mr Carter took some of his students on a field trip to visit Ansel Adams in Carmel in the early 70’s where Ansel reviewed photographs from the students. Mr Carter asked him to pick ten of his favorite photographs and not just a first, second or third prize image which Ansel liked that suggestion very much. . Photograph of Ansel was during that visit in his home and where we also toured his darkroom. Not only was Ansel a very talented artist but also photography instructor and environmentalist.
Ansel Adams - Carmel CA 1970 © Ken Karagozian
One of the lessons that I learned from Mr Carter was
The three ingredients to produce Success
Enthusiasm
Talent
Hard Work
and that a person can be successful with two of those attributes but as long one of the two is “ Enthusiasm”.
Mr King had a sign in his classroom that said “ Don’t tell me how great you are, show me”.
Both of these instructors were very dedicated in teaching and nurturing their students.
After high school continued taking photography workshops with Bruce Barnbaum, Ray McSavaney, John Sexton, Carol Brown, Oliver Gagliani, Don Kirby, Joyce Tenneson, Bruce Davidson, Charles Cramer, Jay Dusard and others. All of these instructors have enriched my photography.
The other two photographs in my blog are Ray McSavaney taken during a Southwest Photography Workshop and photographer Oliver Gagliani who taught workshops in Virginia City on the zone system and printing.
Ray McSavaney - Factory Butte Utah 1996 © Ken Karagozian
Oliver Gagliani - South San Francisco CA 2000 © Ken Karagozian