Central Florida show - Clyde Butcher

[reellis67]

There is a nice show of Clyde Butcher's work at EPCOT Center right now. MY wife and I went yesterday and were quite impressed. All the photographs are of Florida, with an emphasis on the Disney Nature Conservancy Preserve area. Other than being a bit crowded, it's a nice display of his work if you're in the area. Admission to the park is required though...

- Randy

 

[cdholden]

There is a nice show of Clyde Butcher's work at EPCOT Center right now. MY wife and I went yesterday and were quite impressed. All the photographs are of Florida, with an emphasis on the Disney Nature Conservancy Preserve area. Other than being a bit crowded, it's a nice display of his work if you're in the area. Admission to the park is required though...

- Randy

Having lived in south Florida for 13 years of my life, I've spent a lot of time in the Everglades. Sadly, it was before I got the LF rig. Many times I've taken my camera into the glades, but find I'm more into exploring, birdwatching, or just enjoying the solitude (assuming it's winter and no mosquitos).
Working in the service business there, we had many federal, state and local government clients. We also dealt with hospitals, offices, and several other commercial accounts. His images are everywhere. Clyde Butcher is somewhat of a local celebrity. Most of his work is shot in the Everglades... just to the west of Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. I've seen several of them that are breathtaking to just stand in front of and note all the detail. His work documents and captures the area in its current state. It is continually declining due to pollution and development. Enjoy it while it lasts and help to change the direction its going.
Clyde Butcher's website can be found at http://www.clydebutcher.com/
Chris

 

[Dave Wooten]

Ditto what Chris said, I have on several trips visited Clyde's gallery - the one on Tamiami Trial in the Everglades....I understand now there is another in Venice...He was at the time printing his own black and white there in the Everglades studio, and some quite large....5 or 6 feet wide. His prints are beautiful....mostly 8 x 10 work....a few years back I believe Ron Wisner made a 6 x 10 camera for Clyde...fits the 12 x 20 proportions etc...there were several others made at the time....wonder what the status is of those cameras? The studio is certainly worth a visit, and hopefully you can catch Clyde....the gallery is actually right in the Everglades and you can see a very healthy 'gator or two happily dozing in the swamp from the "safety" of Clydes porch....I hope to get back down there this summer.....

 

[Troy Hamon]

I'd love to see Clyde's work, but it's a bit far for me to make the trip...

While Clyde has certainly photographed the Everglades, I think his primary location for photography is Big Cypress National Preserve, which is where he lives.

 

[cdholden]

I'd love to see Clyde's work, but it's a bit far for me to make the trip...

While Clyde has certainly photographed the Everglades, I think his primary location for photography is Big Cypress National Preserve, which is where he lives.

If you want to get technical, sure. You are correct.
But the Big Cypress National Park is only a man-made imaginary border (and now chain link fenced in many places). As far as the Everglades being a "river of grass", it flows from the Kissimee basin all the way south to the Florida Keys. This assumes you're not counting Key biscayne as the first of them. Everglades National Park is quite small in comparison to what Mother Nature considers the Everglades. I side with Mother Nature.

Chris

 

[reellis67]

They have some of his massive prints hanging in this show, and they are absolutely mind blowing. Many of the large sized prints I've seen to date were of the 'if it's no good, print it big' variety, but these were stunning. According to the information at the show, he is still using the ULF cameras mentioned above.

- Randy

 

[ChuckP]

Is he still doing wet printing or has he switched to digital?

 

[reellis67]

Both actualy. His very limited prints (seems to be around 10-15 per print) are wet and his 'open edition' prints are inkjets and MUCH smaller. As far as I could tell at this show, he is still making negatives only.

- Randy

 

[juan]

I talked with him back in September. He's now making mostly digital prints but shooting negatives. TMX - Tmax 100. He also is having prints made from some offset ink printing process. In some ways, I think his inkjet prints are better - he seems to get a better control of contrast that way.

Those huge prints are stunning, though.
juan