The early CSFA students enjoyed close, constant, and intense interaction with Ansel Adams, Minor White, Edward Weston, Imogen Cunningham, Dorothea Lange and others. They were together with them for long periods of time all day and often spent evenings and weekends with them as well. In many instances, the students weren’t much younger than the instructors. And as veterans of the recent war, they were seasoned and mature.
The teachers and students went on quarterly field trips to the Sierra Foothills, up and down the California Coast and to Wildcat Hill in Carmel to visit Edward Weston. They either camped on his front yard or rented funky little hotels nearby in Carmel.
Edward Weston and Minor White, 1948.Edward Weston, Brett Weston, Ansel Adams and Dody Warren, selecting photos for Weston’s “My Camera at Point Lobos,” Wildcat Hill, Carmel, 1949. Photo by Cameron Macauley.Invitation to Golden Decade photographers February 26, 2006, San Francisco.Don Whyte, taken by Ben Chinn, 1948, in the CSFA courtyard.Cam Macauley, our dear friend and co-conspirator!Ben Chinn, 2/2002. Marine’s Memorial Restaurant, Sutter St., San Francisco..Taken in The Diego Rivera Galley at San Francisco Art Institute at the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Beginning of the Photo Department established by Ansel Adams in 1945. Photo by Michael Creedon.Caroline Whyte Templeton, Stan Zrnich, John Upton, Zoe Lowenthal Brown, Gerald Ratto at filming, San Francosco State.Bill Heick in his famous red sweater!Stan Zrnich with Lynn Meinhardt who curated the Mumm Napa Exhibit with Stefan Kirkeby.Bill Heick Jr., David Johnson, at Mumm Napa Exhibit by Stefan Kirkeby from Smith Andersen North, curated by Lynn Meinhardt..Yvonne Don (neice of Ben Chinn) and “Hats” by Bill Heick.Stefan Kirkeby and Gerald Ratto at Mumm Napa Exhibit 2/14/2015..At Mumm Napa Exhibit 2/14/2015.Mumm Napa Winery, Golden Decade Exhibit, 2/14/20152006, SFAI, Diego Rivera Gallery. Golden Decade 60th Anniversary of the Beginning of the Photo Department by Ansel Adams. Photo by Michael Creedon60th Anniversary of CSFA (now the SFAI) Photo Department founded by Ansel Adams. Photos by Michael Creedon.
