Brett Weston

[Curt]

Brett Weston used many cameras in his career, can you name the cameras he is pictured with on this site?

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Curt

 

[Pinholemaster]

Large Format and Medium Format.

What do I win?

Grin.

 

[Michael Kadillak]

Brett Weston used many cameras in his career, can you name the cameras he is pictured with on this site?

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Curt

The 8x10 looks like a Wista wood. The Hassleblad is universally known.

 

[David Brown]

He was given a Rollie66 by Rollie, and I think it appears in one of the pics; but that sure looks like an RB67 in a couple of the others.

 

[df cardwell]

Wista, SL 66, then RB

He could have made fabulous pictures with a coke bottle on a shoebox

 

[papagene]

Rollie SL66 appeared in a few of the last pics in the slide show.

gene

 

[Bill Mitchell]

The 8x10 was a Deardorf.

 

[k_jupiter]

The 8x10 was a Deardorf.

I thought so too but the second knob up on the front standard doesn't look like my Deardorff. Mine has these sort of 's' shaped knobs instead of round.

Camera variences?

Some of the MFs are definately rb67 professional.

His father shot with a Graplex 3x4 series b rb.

by coincidence, I have all three of these cameras. That seems to be all we have in common.

tim in san jose

 

[bdial]

No Hasselblads there, looks like RB's and/or Rollei SL.
It's interesting that at least in this set of pictures, he is shown with mostly MF cameras.
Plus a lesson, in that there is always a tripod.

 

[scootermm]

Id like to know...
what brand sunglasses he's wearing in pic 1,
whether its a full turtleneck in pic 4, or a dickie,
where I can score a visor like he's got on in pic 5
what vintage of Nike B-ball tennies he has on in pic 8
what exactly Beaumont said to him in Pic 9 - I'm guessing something to the effect of "get the %&#@ off me, I can tie my own windsor"
and most importantly...
What brand of single malt scotch hes drinking in Pic 13, also, if he's smokin the whacky tobacky?

 

[Curt]

I thought that some would enjoy the site, I see a Rollei and an RB, what he view camera is I can't tell. The RB gets a heavier wood tripod while the Rollei gets the lighter metal one.

 

[Robert Brummitt]

In the book, "Interviews with great photographers" by James Danziger and Barnaby Conrad III, published 1978 has Brett was the last photographer. Barnaby asks "Have you used small cameras since then? (After Military's days)
Brett answers, "The last nine years I've used the SL-66 Rollei and the RB Mamiya 2.25 x 3.75. They are magnificently flexible but generally I use a small view camera on a tri-pod. I still use the 8x10 sporadically and for a twenty-year period I used an 11x14. A change of pace in cameras is a very healthy thing. A man need a change."

 

[Curt]

In the book, "Interviews with great photographers" by James Danziger and Barnaby Conrad III, published 1978 has Brett was the last photographer. Barnaby asks "Have you used small cameras since then? (After Military's days)
Brett answers, "The last nine years I've used the SL-66 Rollei and the RB Mamiya 2.25 x 3.75. They are magnificently flexible but generally I use a small view camera on a tri-pod. I still use the 8x10 sporadically and for a twenty-year period I used an 11x14. A change of pace in cameras is a very healthy thing. A man need a change."
__________________

That's some great information Robert, thank you for sharing it with us.

Curt

 

[Merg Ross]

This may have been mentioned elsewhere, but those interested in Brett and his work should have a look at the recently published, "Out of the Shadow" catalog. The catalog accompanies a traveling exhibition of his work organized by The Phillips Collection and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.


www.okcmoa.com

www.phillipscollection.org

A little added trivia to the photos of Brett taken by Mathias; that is a Baco Jr. tripod head Brett is using with the LF camera. He used the larger Baco with the Ansco and Calumet 8x10's.

It is true that Brett did very little large camera work after his arm was weakened by a spider bite in 1979. He relied mostly on the aforementioned RB and SL-66 cameras.

Lastly, and most important, his favorite drink at snake time was bourbon (usually Jim Beam) and for lunch break it was beer, to wash down the sardines and hardtack.

mergross.com

 

[Robert Brummitt]

Gosh! I really hope and wish that the Out of the Shadows show comes to Portland. I even travel to Seattle or Tacoma to see it.
I had always wondered by Brett's term of "Snake Bit time" until I asked Martha Casanave and she filled in the gap for me. DUH! Me know so smart sometimes.
I Love Brett's work!

 

[Merg Ross]

Robert, Merle Armitage describes the origin of the snake reference in the film Art Wright made about Brett.

I don't know where the show will travel after Santa Barbara, but Portland would be a natural. Brett, as you probably know, loved Oregon and even purchased land near Eugene to build on. Hawaii won out. He had good friends in Oregon, Bernie and Jerry Robinson come to mind.

Merg

 

[keithwms]

rb in several

 

[Robert Brummitt]

Robert, Merle Armitage describes the origin of the snake reference in the film Art Wright made about Brett.

I don't know where the show will travel after Santa Barbara, but Portland would be a natural. Brett, as you probably know, loved Oregon and even purchased land near Eugene to build on. Hawaii won out. He had good friends in Oregon, Bernie and Jerry Robinson come to mind.

Merg

I've met Jerry several times at his home. He has three 20x24 (They may have been 16x20's)Brett prints on his wall. Jerry says Brett rarely printed that large. Then Jerry pulled out his Brett collection. Damn!

 

[Curt]

Thank you all for the great information on a great photographer.

 

[Merg Ross]

Robert, I thought you might know Jerry. His 2006 book "Photography, History & Science" has a good chapter on Edward and Brett. I have not seen him since Brett's 80th birthday celebration, hope he is well.

Brett did make 20x24 prints, however not many. They were made quite late in his career. I bet Jerry's collection is a feast for the eyes!

 

[WarEaglemtn]

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The link above should get you to Lodima Press which is printing all the portfolios of Brett Weston. The printing quality is excellent.

 

[Robert Brummitt]

Robert, I thought you might know Jerry. His 2006 book "Photography, History & Science" has a good chapter on Edward and Brett. I have not seen him since Brett's 80th birthday celebration, hope he is well.

Brett did make 20x24 prints, however not many. They were made quite late in his career. I bet Jerry's collection is a feast for the eyes!

I got an email from Jerry saying that he is giving up photography. I think his health is slowly failing. He also never got over his cat passing. He loved that cat so much. Its sad. Jerry was working on a book on the new deal farm security Association. I hope he finishes it.

 

[Merg Ross]

Thanks, Robert, for the update on Jerry. Sorry to hear that he is not doing well. That thought had crossed my mind as I never heard back after congratulating him on his "Photography,History & Science book". By the way, the chapter on the Weston's is a good read for those interested in Brett and his father. Jerry knew Brett well and writes from personal experience, not from hearsay. So much garbage has been written by individuals who never knew Edward or Brett. Published by Carl Mautz Publishing, 2006, author Gerald Robinson.

 

[Merg Ross]

Curt, I apologize for taking your thread in a different direction. I have been away for a few weeks photographing in Canada, and any mention of Brett gets my attention.

Mathias and I met in 1982 at Brett's home and share a similar love for the man and his photography. Thanks for making the link to his site.

Merg

 

[Curt]

No need to apologize, I know that I and a lot of members here enjoy hearing the personal stories and annotations. When I saw the Mthias site I thought I needed to share it with those who weren't aware of it. I still get a kick out of the Art Wright film where you are photographing at Point Lobos. That's a lot of bellows extension there. I was surprised to find that Brett found Oregon such a great place that he wanted to have a house there. I was in Newport, OR a month ago, the Oregon coast is a place of its own.
Thanks all for such a delightful conversation.