New
Member: Jim Whitcomb
When
Jim Caldwell asked me to be a poster boy I was overwhelmed. I am honored
and very pleased to be a part of the Houston Chapter of the ASMP.
All
Images Copyright Jim Whitcomb
He
asked how and when I began in photography: thinking back I find it
amusing. My father was in the Army, a thirty-year man. We traveled
all over the place; it was not until my junior year in high school
that I spent one full term in the same school. I remember it was 1956,
Dad had just accepted an assignment in Bangkok Thailand. We were en
route to California for overseas departure, so I talked my father
into getting me a camera, I settled on a Kodak Pony, I wanted to take
plenty of pictures!
On
the way from Texas to California we passed through an area called
"Four Corners" where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah come together.
Well, this spot is desert. bright sun and sand everywhere. There was
a tower placed on the very spot of the Four Corners for the panoramic
view. I was impressed and thought how neat it would be to take a panoramic
photo. I put the camera on the edge of the tower, set the shutter
to T, and took four or five pictures carefully moving the camera to
get the viewfinder positioned for the proper view. I knew what I was
doing! I wanted the horizon to be straight and I also wanted just
the correct amount of overlap from image to image. Well, you know
what I got! NOTHING! In fact the whole roll was fogged.
My
curiosity was piqued so I read every thing I could find on photography
at the library. That was the beginning of my obsession. When we arrived
in Bangkok I found a professional photographer who processed and printed
his film. I was shooting 35mm Kodachrome, the good stuff, ASA 10 (anybody
remember) and printing dye transfers.
For
the two and a half years my Dad was stationed in Thailand I worked
as a stringer for AP, UPI and did several articles for the "Stars
and Stripes".
During
my three years in the Army, I began as a target tracking radar operator
and quickly moved to photography. As the 30th Artillery Brigade's
official photographer I did a million hand shake, re-up photographs
(I counted each one). During my eighteen months on Okinawa I also
photograph articles for "Stars and Stripes."
In
1968 through 1969 I photographed many barbeques at the Texas hill
country ranch Whitehouse for President Lyndon B. Johnson as an Austin
staff member. The ranch was a fun place, hard work and when I left
to go to work for Texas Parks and Wildlife, Lyndon told me I would
end up just another "damn wall flower". I
wish I could have told him I understood before he died -- I missed
that opportunity.
I
never had more fun being a "damn wall flower"! I cherish those five
years at Texas Parks and Wildlife, three and half as Photo editor.
In the late 70's Reagan Bradshaw and I were partners in "Photo Illustrators",
in Austin Texas. We met at Texas Parks and Wildlife, where we each
had held the honor of Photo Editor.
Reagan
and I began Photo Illustrators in a wonderful old building at 505
East 7th Street, with 6000 Sq. ft. Studio. Reagan had accounts like
Texas Instruments and I had the DataPoint. We were rocking and rolling
back then. I processed all our film and prints in house. I called
it "Pro Lab", we also processed and printed images for other professional
photographers in Austin. Reagan moved out and found a place of his
own. After nearly three years, thousands of dollars though the same
bank account, lots of equipment we managed to remain good and dear
friends I think we settled on me owing him less than a $100.00. That
all seems like a lifetime ago. I miss Reagan; he was a wonderful friend,
I have never excepted losing him. I know he is flying with the angels!
Then
in 1984 hard times hit, the bottom dropped out of my world, and clients
cut back; the boom days were over. Divorce, closed down Whitcomb Photography
Associates, and I moved to Houston, TX. I accepted a position as Director
of Photography for United Jewelry. We published 58 tabloids a year,
all four color. They went bankrupt. (No, not because of my photography).
In
late 1988, Sony Corp of America ask me to help with R&D for their
studio camera, the SEPS 1000. It was a "pal" version of a production
TV camera with an images grab board. It captured a 5 Meg file in RGB
and was good enough to use in the Tabloid market. One of the first
cameras I set up was for Lucky Food Stores in San Leandro California.
I helped Lucky Foods to make the move from traditional to digital
which saved thousands of dollars per tabloid. They also moved off
the high-end pagination machines like the Scitex Chromecrom, which
at that time cost $300.00 an hour. Moving the paginations to the Macintosh
saved more time and money.
Leaf
also ask me to help with R &D, to help create software to make the
digital camera back a better tool for the professional photographer
-- It has been rewarding and fun. I trained photographers and pre-press
professionals from coast to coast for over two years.
In
1994, I started Image House, a full digital photography studio. In1996
I sold Image House to Champagne Printing. Then managed the studio
for Champagne Printing for three years. Then purchased it all back,
changed the name to Studio Houston.
It
seems like it has taken a very long time for digital to become the
"in thing". But here it is! Every body wants digital.
Today
at Studio Houston we are a full digital photography studio, (and not
the only one in town) using our experience, and the Leaf digital back
to make the Yankee dollar and still having fun!
