LIU LIN HAI CELEBRATION
Clyde Keller 1979 Photo
SOLD-- to Garvey Schubert Barer, attorneys in Seattle, WA. 

To be included in a new video celebrating the Liu Lin Hai's historic visit to Seattle, Washington. My documentary photograph snapped inside the cargo vessel of the Liu Lin Hai, captures the normalization of trade relations between China and the United States. Used in their video presentation on September 23, 2016

Shown in my photo are Chinese and American Dignitaries in the Captain's Dining Room on board the cargo vessel, Liu Lin Hai.  The Lui Lin Hair docked at Port of Seattle's Pier 86. The event was historically important with many dignitaries attending, including Senator Brock Adams. The 637 foot Liu Lin Hai entered Washington’s Puget Sound on April 18, 1979 and tied up at Seattle’s Pier 86 grain terminal. It was the first time in nearly 30 years that a Chinese commercial vessel had entered a U.S. Port.

I could not have planned this celebratory photograph; the atmosphere was festive with many important dignitaries attending from the two countires including the Vice Premier of China, Deng Xiaoping, and the Secretary of Transportation to the United States, Brock Adams. The event was the result of efforts made by W. James Amoss Jr. of Lykes Bros. Steamship Co and Stan Barer, a lawyer to permit the calling of cargo ships between the two countries. The Liu Lin Hai, a COSCO cargo ship, calling upon the Seattle Port under the Chinese Flag, opened a new page of Sino-U.S. history. It was an historical turning point that marked the beginning of a new era of trade.  Also pictured is Washington State Governor, Dixie Lee Ray.Originally published in 1979 by the Port of Seattle and the U.S. Feed and Grain Council.  Recently used in 2010 for a promotion by the Washington State Department of Commerce for use in China."The Pacific, instead of being a barrier, should henceforth serve as a link."  Deng Xiaoping, then-Vice Premier of China

CLYDE KELLER
1964 Self Portrait

An early self-portrait I made in high school circa 1964. The camera was my original Nikon F with a 55m Micro Nikkor. The shot was made at home in the basement with Kodak Pan X, and high wattage tungsten bulbs in large aluminum reflectors. At the time I had discovered the work of the great portrait photographer, Yousef Karsh. This was my attempt at paying homage.

SCENES from my new Photo Show-- 

 "The Changing face of Poverty in Washington County"
Washington County Museum
September 10, 2015 (for one month)

"Clyde Keller gave me his camera to chronicle the exhibit of his photos at the Washington County Museum chronicling pervasive rural poverty. I took the camera and pushed a little button thingy enough times to observe a moment or two in history."  Ken Bilderback

"PHONE BOOTH LIPS"

A strange, and unplanned impromptu happening is the substance of this madcap merriment caught in the Winter of 1971.  A work cohert, from Finland caught my eye as I attempted to use the phone booth on 23rd avenue and Irving street in Portland, Oregon.  She is seen by my crouching down inside the phone booth looking up and out at her as she scrawled her finger tips and pressed her lips on to the glass pane.  The result shows her mockery of American sex in this defiant (European) portrait.

http://www.clydekeller.com/PHONE-BOOTH-LIPS-Doubles-Clyde-Keller-photo-1971-_p_436.html

NEW ABSTRACT IMAGE....

"Handicap Crossing"

New Fine Art Image offered in several larger sizes.  My abstract image of a stenciled handicap symbol partially covered with sealant scrawling to cover cracks in the asphalt, as found in a parking lot in Sisters, Oregon, in the early afternoon, Thursday, July 2, 2015. 

http://www.clydekeller.com/HANDICAP-CROSSING-Clyde-Keller-fine-art-photo-2015_p_431.html 

FLOYD BROWN FAMILY
Vintage 1973 Documentary Photo
Washington County, Oregon


In this vintage documentary image I was focusing on poverty as it could be found throughout Washington County, Oregon. The subject is of Floyd Brown and his family posed inside their house in a remote rural backwoods farming area. The entire family included the two adult figures and their grandson. This image was featured in my 16mm film entitled "Portraits of Poverty" which helped to bring into focus the effects of economics and environment as it had left its impression on the faces of the poor. 

http://www.clydekeller.com/FLOYD-BROWN-FAMILY-Portrait-of-Poverty-Clyde-Keller-photo-1974_p_429.html

Cucumbers. Acres of cucumbers in the rich turd brown fields of Washington County, Oregon  picked by migrant farm laborers.  Chicanos mostly, who were recruited from Texas to live in smallish plywood shacks built by such landowners as Ron Tankersley, who owned some of the most notorious camps with the worst conditions. It was on his land that many of my photos were taken showing the actual conditions the workers and family members lived in. He would recruit them with false advertising showing them photos of pretty "modern-style houses"-- and when they'd arrive in Oregon they found plywood shacks-- a typical bait and switch tactic.  In an interview and portrait session, Ron Tankersley,  told me, the pickers love to "camp" here, it's like a "vacation" for them.  In reality, families, sometimes over a dozen children, all lived together in square, a 20x20 foot one room plywood shacks with inadequate water, heat, and "moldy" damaged mattresses.  Later, Ron served jail time, according to an article published on May 6, 1989 in the Eugene Register Guard for using illegal contractors.


I was there to take pictures of them-- and here in the Land of Opportunity they were all seemingly proud. But these scenes resembled another America to me, going back in time to the 1930s or before. Bathrooms, water and cooking facilities were outside the campground shacks.--  These photos may be be viewed at my website.

http://www.clydekeller.com/Migrant-Farm-Labor-Photography_c_26.html

 

"SIDEWALK CRACKS"
Image No. 4, Abstract forms, gestalt image
December 19, 2013, Bend, Oregon


Here is a beautiful abstract rendering of  sidewalk cracks I found on Newport Avenue, in Bend, Oregon near Backporch Coffee House. The left (half) image is flipped to provide an abstract visual composite from the concrete sidewalk forms. The result is a delightful rendering of animal like forms, such as the imaginary animal in the center of the image.  I made a series of twelve art prints found in these decaying sidewalk cracks, replete with ice, pebbles, debris and the effect of sunlight partially melting some it. This one is the most anthropomorphic.  The details on the larger prints will bring much pleasure in the viewing process, up-close or further away.

My Doubles Series, comprises of a series concurrent coincidences, double entendre and intriguing pairs.

"Sidewalk Cracks" No. 4, Copyright ©  2013 Clyde Keller

Customer review:
SIDEWALK CRACKS by Clyde Keller is my latest acquisition. This image looks great from across the room,but the detail invites closeup viewing to reveal many different facets including faces,human and animal alike,and many other more abstract forms. 

I'm a huge fan of Clyde Keller's work and very proud to say I own a good number of his prints. These latest acquisitions,'Ice Crystals' and 'Sidewalk Cracks'will be a much treasured addition to my collection. I look forward purchasing many more!
Bob Akers

BOBBY LINDSTROM And The Bend Tribe
POSTER ~ Photo Fine Art Print
Evening  Performance, Kelly D's
Bend, Oregon
December 5, 2014


Here is my poster of the immensely talented, local Bend music group led by Bobby Lindstrom, in concert, known as the "Bend Tribe" - Edward "the Whistler" Sharlet, Steve Beaudry (Harmonica), Derek Michael Marc, (Vocal/Gitar) Gary Flaherty (Guitar) and Bob Akers (Bass). 
According to fan, Sonja Reiter about this series of individual photographs--  "This is a fantastic montage, a collection of portraits, combined to create the feeling we had when actually THERE. Emotions ran high, warm, vibrant, with music everywhere."  

"BILL KELLER 1977"
Washington DC, late night

Available at my store website, 
http://www.clydekeller.com/BILL-KELLER-1977-Former-New-York-Times-Editor-Clyde-Keller-photo_p_391.html



My vintage documentary portrait captures Bill Keller former Executive Editor of the New York Times newspaper. At the time we were riding in his car, late night, on the streets of Washington DC.  I was there working as a photographer to cover the inauguration of Jimmy Cater for the Newhouse papers.
 
The camera I used for all of the Republican and Democratic Convention photographs was a customized Motor Nikon film camera with Nikkor Lenses. This photograph was taken with a 55mm Nikkor, a personal favorite for razor sharp candid portraiture.  Made from the original pristine negative with full tonal range and exquisite sharpness.

ROBERT F. KENNEDY, "AIRPORT ARRIVAL" Fine Art Print

"RFK AIRPORT ARRIVAL"
Portland, Oregon
May 1968

In my original documentary photo Bobby Kennedy is shown arriving at the Portland airport- his hand waving to the crowd of supporters who came to welcome him.   My Robert F. Kennedy Photo Collection comprises over 150 images I took of him during the 1968 Oregon May Primary.  Please visit my website to view this important collection of this great American.

The camera I used for all of the Kennedy photographs was an original Nikon F with Nikkor Lenses. The photograph was taken with a 28mm Nikkor, a personal favorite for fast available light photography. Exposures were made on Kodak Ektachrome film. The original transparencies and negatives from my Kennedy Collection have been kept in dark storage and are in pristine condition for their vintage.

"Mr. Keller's photographs document America at the very highest level of photographic arts. To be in the moment of Whistle Stop, though the lens of Mr. Keller is to connect with history in a beautiful way. The print was exquisite, the service and responsiveness of Mr. Keller truly outstanding. Mr. Keller's archive is arguably the best value available on the web for the serious photography lover\collector." Washington DC Photographer, William Boling  

To buy my fine art prints please visit www.clydekeller.com   

"MIGRANT WATER CARRIERS" Fine Art Print, 1973

"MIGRANT WATER CARRIERS" 
Washington County, Oregon
Early Summer 1973, Dykes Camp


Cucumbers. Acres of cucumbers in the rich turd brown fields of Washington County, Oregon  picked by migrant farm laborers.  Chicanos mostly, who came up from Mexico to live in smallish plywood shacks built by such landowners as Ron Tankersley, who told me,  "families, sometimes over a dozen children, all lived together in square, a 20x20 foot one room plywood shacks." Later, he served jail time, according to an article published on May 6, 1989 in the Eugene Register Guard for using illegal contractors.
 
I was there to take pictures of them-- and here in the Land of Opportunity they were all seemingly proud. But these scenes resembled another America to me, going back in time to the 1930s or before. Bathrooms, water and cooking facilities were outside the campground shacks. 
 

I was hired to document these conditions and also, to record their stories. And so, in 1974, I took my Nikon cameras, lenses and my new Sony audio cassette recorder with me to the migrant farms,  out to the fields, up close to show the back-breaking reality these people endured."

I always traveled in cars driven by Chicanos who knew the farms and conditions, who now were living here permanently, and who spoke English. They had once picked in these fields and now were guides taking me to these choice areas to make documentary photographs. My principal guide for several of the cucumber field photos was a young 22 year old Chicano, Amador Arturo, who was living outside of Forest Grove, in an isolated rural highland area. He carried with him one of the pocket books from the famous “Tales of Don Juan” trilogy and was quite outspoken. He didn't trust the American culture and over a period of months became more withdrawn into his own Chicano culture. But, during these days of my project had the time to be my guide and wanted to take me to the hot spots.

We would arrive at these fields in the morning, ready to rock and roll. I recall the fields appeared vast to me, and unending sea of cucumbers with Migrant pickers could be seen across the landscape, all of them working in unison. This was not a picnic. I wanted to show the immensity, the large scale of the operation and went into the fields to work up close.  Standing in the dirt, the pickers were shown up close as they bent down towards the ground. The effect of the wide angle lens was that the rows of pickers would rapidly disappear into the backdrop of the fields. Marching forward through the rows of workers, I found many pictures.  Sometimes a single worker would be featured, so that they filled the frame of my camera. I used hand gestures rather attempted dialog, worked quickly and grabbed shots as they occurred. Then with my 300mm telephoto, I focused on individual laborers so that the background became compressed, the far reaches of the fields now right upon their backs, the workers in sharp detail. Young children, perhaps seven or eight year old beamed at me and I snapped lots of photos of them from the ground looking up so that they appeared to be giants. All of the workers were proud of their work and it showed in these photos.

My documentary image was made utilizing a Nikon F  film camera.  The detail is enhanced by my use of an ultra sharp 24mm Nikkor wide angle lens.  The exposure was made on Kodak Tri-X film. The original negatives have been kept in dark storage and are in pristine condition.

To buy my fine art prints please visit www.clydekeller.com 

 FLOATING TOTEMS, Stanley Park, BC, Clyde Keller surreal Fine Art Print

Available for purchase as a fine art print at my website store www.clydekeller.com

 To buy my fine art prints please visit www.clydekeller.com

http://www.clydekeller.com/FLOATING-TOTEMS-Stanley-Park-BC-Clyde-Keller-surreal-Fine-Art-Print_p_137.html

 

In my interpretive documentary photo the background has been given a dreamy quality while the totems remain in their full color in the mid day sun.  The effect allows the totems to float against this dreamy backdrop and to emerge within the context of their spirit. 

 

Native American Coat of Arms Panorama.

Featured are eight totems found within Stanley Park facing Coal Harbor representing various Indian equivilants for their "Coat of Arms." From left to right they are the Oscar Maltipi Pole, Beaver Crest Pole, Chief Eakas Pole, Sky Chief Pole, Kaka'solas, Thunderbird House Post, Ga'akstalas and the Chief Skedans Mortuary Pole, far right.  These unique totems are all carved from western red cedar.

"HEART"
Rockers, Ann & Nancy Wilson portrait
Photographed February 1980



Here is my portrait of two sisters and rock stars, Ann & Nancy Wilson, from 1980. Their band, Heart, remained a force in the rock music world throughout the 1980s-- to date and is considered the first monster women rock and roll band.  On August 31, 2010 they released their newest album entitled "Red Velvet Car." At the time, they had just released, "Dog and Butterfly." Previously (at the time of this 1981 portrait) they had produced, "Dreamboat Annie" and "Little Queen." This portrait captured the Wilsons at the pinnacle of their ride to meteoric fame. Please note that Ann is the figure on the left side, Nancy is on the right.



My documentary image was made utilizing a Nikon F2 film camera.  The detail is enhanced by my use of an ultra sharp 35mm Nikkor wide angle lens.  The exposure was made on Kodak Ektachrome film. The original negatives have been kept in dark storage and are in pristine condition.


Buy this print at www.clydekeller.com/HEART-Rockers-Ann-and-Nancy-Wilson-Clyde-Keller-photo-1980_p_216.html

 http://www.clydekeller.com/BOB-CARVER-BALLET-Hi-Fi-inventor-Clyde-Keller-photo-1980_p_385.html

"BOB CARVER BALLET" 
Inventor with his Magnetic Field Power Amplifier
M400-a, 201 watts minimum per channel
Woodinville, Washington circa Spring 1980

Bob Carver is known internationally, since the 1970s (or before) for his high powered sold state amplifiers and later for his unique vacuum tube designs and products. In the Spring of 1980 I was hired to photograph him with his new 7-inch, 9 pound cube, which quite possibly was the "most powerful story in the history of high fidelity amplifier design." The resulting portrait I made of him shows him dancing in his factory laboratory holding his new, light weight, miniature amp. My image was published at first in the New York magazine, The Village Voice, and then later in other publications. 

Bob was responsible for inspiring my interest in hi-fi.  I have pursued this interest since meeting him, and got into vacuum tubes early-- well before Bob, in fact!

Buy this print at www.clydekeller.com
http://www.clydekeller.com/BOB-CARVER-BALLET-Hi-Fi-inventor-Clyde-Keller-photo-1980_p_385.html

NEW SUBJECT CATEGORY--

MIGRANT FARM LABORERS

My vintage 1973 hard hitting look--

Cucumbers. Acres of cucumbers in the rich turd brown fields of Washington County, Oregon  picked by migrant farm laborers. Chicanos mostly, who came up from Mexico to live in smallish plywood shacks built by such landowners as Ron Tankersley, who told me,  "families, sometimes over a dozen children, all lived together in square, a 20x20 foot one room plywood shacks." Later, he served jail time, according to an article published on May 6, 1989 in the Eugene Register Guard for using illegal contractors.
I was there to take pictures of them-- and here in the Land of Opportunity they were all seemingly proud. But these scenes resembled another America to me, going back in time to the 1930s or before. Bathrooms, water and cooking facilities were outside the campground shacks.
 

I was hired to document these conditions and also, to record their stories. And so, in 1973, I took my Nikon cameras, lenses and my new Sony audio cassette recorder with me to the migrant farms,  out to the fields, up close to show the back-breaking reality these people endured.

I always traveled in cars driven by Chicanos who knew the farms and conditions, who now were living here permanently, and who spoke English. They had once picked in these fields and now were guides taking me to these choice areas to make documentary photographs. My principal guide for several of the cucumber field photos was a young 22 year old Chicano, Amador Arturo, who was living outside of Forest Grove, in an isolated rural highland area. He carried with him one of the pocket books from the famous “Tales of Don Juan” trilogy and was quite outspoken. He didn't trust the American culture and over a period of months became more withdrawn into his own Chicano culture. But, during these days of my project had the time to be my guide and wanted to take me to the hot spots.

We would arrive at these fields in the morning, ready to rock and roll. I recall the fields appeared vast to me, and unending sea of cucumbers with Migrant pickers could be seen across the landscape, all of them working in unison. This was not a picnic. I wanted to show the immensity, the large scale of the operation and went into the fields to work up close.  Standing in the dirt, the pickers were shown up close as they bent down towards the ground. The effect of the wide angle lens was that the rows of pickers would rapidly disappear into the backdrop of the fields. Marching forward through the rows of workers, I found many pictures.  Sometimes a single worker would be featured, so that they filled the frame of my camera. I used hand gestures rather attempted dialog, worked quickly and grabbed shots as they occurred. Then with my 300mm telephoto, I focused on individual laborers so that the background became compressed, the far reaches of the fields now right upon their backs, the workers in sharp detail. Young children, perhaps seven or eight year old beamed at me and I snapped lots of photos of them from the ground looking up so that they appeared to be giants. All of the workers were proud of their work and it showed in these photos.

My documentary images were made utilizing a Nikon F  film camera.  The detail is enhanced by my use of ultra sharp Nikkor lenses.  The exposures were made on Kodak Tri-X film. The original negatives have been kept in dark storage and are in pristine condition.

To buy my fine art prints please visit www.clydekeller.com