A Look Back - The Wave Warrior Days - U.S.C.G. Umpqua River Lifeboat Station 1973

Prologue...  As part of revisiting the early days, this is a repost of a Blog from a while back. I've added a few extra photo's and hope you enjoy this glimpse of the defining days of my young adult life.   This is the First-Person account as best as I can remember it of my initial experience chasing the waves across the Umpqua River Bar.       

Keith Bridgman Image - CG44331 on the Umpqua River Bar

I stood alone, wedged between that appointment when day becomes night, and gazed toward the hills that surround this lost corner of Oregon at Winchester Bay.  Caught as I was where obscure memories find a fresh avenue of awareness, old recollections were aroused by sights, sounds, and the aroma of low tide. I returned to my old duty station back in 2007 and stood on a pier, alone, and searched the depths of my heart and rediscovered a part of my past which at that time was thirty-four years removed.

Sometimes events and opportunity pass our way and we fail to grasp the moment until years later.  The months and years I spent at U.S. Coast Guard Station Umpqua River, so long ago, were no exception.  In recent years I am finally beginning to understand how the emotions, personal connections, and the chance happenings I experienced then, touch me now. 

In so many ways I’m not the same person I was then. Even so, I realize more than ever that I would not be who I am now if not for those days.  As middle age evolved into those first vestiges of old age a desire inside to return to that place, to touch base again with a part of my past began to burn into my life.  It took a decade for those desires to find a path that lead back to Winchester Bay. It was as though I was called back to find an answer to some unknown question.  Over the next few days I sought a resolution to reconcile those emotions.  The riposte I uncovered lifted me onto another plateau of understanding, with a warming sense of confidence, and an elevated measure of respect for the current young men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard lifeboat service.  A respect they so mightily deserve.

During my tenure at Umpqua River from November 1973 until January 1976, life changing events, character refining moments, and memory building people, became my world.  We were a good crew back then, somewhat on the edge at times, always ready to lay it on the line.  We loved and hated our job at the same time.  We were young and searching and often foolish, but just as often, we were amazingly resourceful.  We had to be, as funding for the Coast Guard in those days amounted to a few crumbs of left over resources not allocated to the big four services.  

               

 It was a sense of adventure we sought, but more often than not our lives consisted of routine, mundane work dictated by long hours of  port and starboard, or maybe at best, two out of three duty rotation.  Even so, more often than we dared to discuss…circumstances carried us into that realm of high adventure and the searching inexperienced-lives that we were, became young men forced to deal with difficult and sometimes tragic life and death situations.  Although we never considered ourselves ‘elite’, under challenging circumstances we performed our job well, and whether we wanted to admit to it or not, we did so with a sense of purpose and duty.

Internet Image - CG44303 Breaker Drills

They call them Wave Warriors these young people who challenge the treacherous waters that collide with the edge of a continent. For good reason as the coastline of Oregon and Washington is home to some of the most dangerous waters on the planet. The lifeboat units of the 13th Coast Guard District have garnered a rightly earned unique place in history as a result of their efforts. Often overlooked, rarely spoken of outside the confines of their respective locations, these brave young men and women, place themselves at risk virtually every day, standing ready to save those placed in jeopardy by the whimsical nature of the Pacific Northwest. 

 (Check out the video at the end)

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November 1973....

“Standby one!”

United States Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat CG44303 rolled to starboard as it coasted to a stop less than two hundred yards from the mouth of the Umpqua River Bar as Myron Dale replied to a radio call from the lookout tower.

The forty-four foot surfboat gleamed brilliant white in the foggy dim of the morning light.  Deep echoes rumbled from within the twin diesel engines as they settled into idle. Coasting to a stop the 303 turned broadside to the swells and rolled along its central axis, bobbing and whipping left then right then bow to stern. It was a typical November winter day on the bar in 1973, overcast dreariness where a diffused layer of fog hovered suspended above the main channel to boil against the abruptly angle ridge that formed the eastern wall of the river channel. Multiple rows of twelve to fifteen foot breakers collapsed across the narrow three-hundred yard gap separating the ends of the north and south jetties. The surge rolled heavily well inside the channel away from the main surf action.

Internet Image - CG44303 on Patrol

The Umpqua River Bar held the reputation as one of the most dangerous bar crossings on the west coast, or anywhere for that matter. Rightly deserved it was. It turned into a liquid hell at times when black storms rolled in to meet the outgoing tide surging with the stained runoff of the Umpqua River to blend into a boiling dirty brown cauldron. From its source high on the flanks of the ancient Mount Mazama deep in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, the Umpqua River cut a jagged course across the western reaches of the state. It’s personality a beautiful, lively river for most of its length, a resource of unspoiled natural wonder, its flanks widened, its color turned brown, and its pace slowed as it approached the coast to eventually arch behind a thick layer of primordial sand dunes and spill into the Pacific Ocean.

8mm Video Frame of The Umpqua River Bar

It is here the Umpqua changes into its alter ego and becomes manic depressive in nature, almost Jekyll and Hyde. There are days the mouth remains deceptively calm and serene only to turn violent and depressing at the slightest provocation. It is during those manic times rows of breakers exploded from the depths a turbid boil upon the edge of the continent. This anger could only come from an entity that was alive it would seem, an evil unto itself without enmity, without concern for those who must cross through it, ready to spring from its lair a watery trap for those careless enough to forget. Its history is such that numerous sailing craft large and small have suffered because of its volatile nature, and with them the lives of sailors caught within its hellish waters.

8mm video frame - CG44303 Crossing The Dangerous
Umpqua River Bar

First Class Boatswain Mate BM1 Myron Dale surveyed the face of his rooky crewman, me, perched nervously to his right in the coxswains flat of the CG44303. Myron stood tall in the coxswain’s seat helped by a frame that stretched almost two inches over six feet. His athletic form was showing signs of softening around the mid section. Even so, his youthful appearance and longer than regulation brown, wavy hair, gave him a younger look than his years would show.

8mm video frame - CG44303 Crossing the Dangerous
Umpqua River Bar

Station Umpqua River was one of the older Coast Guard stations on the west coast originally established well back in the days of the old Life Saving Service. In the year 1915 it became part of the newly formed military service officially known as the United States Coast Guard. The first new older facilities originally constructed in the late 1930’s up on the hill overlooking the bar now stood boarded and abandoned after 1962 when the newer station was built on the entrance channel into Winchester Bay Harbor. Today those older buildings house a museum.

Keith Bridgman Image - One of the 44's tied up
At the fueling dock

Small units like Station Umpqua River were not just places to put personnel, they were part of the communities in which they were built. Crew’s of these units became like foster sons to the people they interacted around and it was important to maintain as much as possible that sense of family and connection. Family is simply treated different. Experienced personnel like Myron became invaluable assets to maintaining productive relationships. Winchester Bay exemplified the quaint life that was small town life along the Oregon Coast. Scattered here and there amongst the Victorian style homes and coastal shops were well attended, stout, old churches weathered by wind and rain.

8mm video frame - Salmon Harbor Winchester Bay, Oregon

Today’s drills was one of my first times out on a 44, first time on breaker drills, first duty station out of boot camp, one of my first times to get seasick. Slightly behind Myron and to his left stood Third Class Boatswain Red O’Neil, along with Dan McKean, our engineer, another sandy headed with a dark red beard old timer.

 “Come on Sport…let’s get you strapped in,” Red shouted as he swung around the backside of the coxswains flat where he opened the white equipment storage box behind the coxswains chair and extracted two sets of a seatbelt-like harnesses. He fumbled with the tangled mess before handing one to me. After receiving it I am sure I looked somewhat puzzled as to what to do.

“See this part…snap it around low on the hips like a seat belt then pull it tight…like this,”  Red demonstrated using his harness, “ then take the two end pieces and snap them into the eyes built in the bulkhead there and there. Once you’re snapped in, lean back and take out the slack…use your legs like shock absorbers and hold on here and here…it’s going to get rather bouncy once we head into the surf…like this…”

Again he demonstrated by placing tension on his harness, leaning back until the straps tightened and then he began to rhythmically bend at the knees.  I followed suit.

Myron looked on with approval and started to verbally give his opinion when the radio cracked.

            “…303 this CG44331.”

Master Chief Boatswains mate John Whalen, Commanding Officer of Station Umpqua River and one of the best surfboat operators in the Guard, also one of the most unorthodox…was approaching from up channel in the 303’s sister craft CG44331.

I turned to my right and spotted the 331 loping along about three hundred yards behind our position. It was mid-morning and the early fog had not completely burned off. Behind them the black bulk of the Umpqua River jetties curved away into the distance filtered by the haze until they disappeared. Nothing was more beautiful than morning on the channel where the haze blended the features of the surrounding terrain into a soft gray. Then, when the sun poked its disc above the ridge, its rays would spread through the haze like golden beams and generate highlights on the dunes against the darker background. I soon discovered that I would never grow tired of witnessing such moments.

The 44’s were powerful rescue boats, yet at the same time they often appeared vulnerable out on the bar almost like toy boats thrown up against an unforgiving adversary. They first came on line in 1964 a few years before my time. Chief Whalen was one of the first to operate them, a new breed of surfboat operator in his day, who helped write the book on how to handle the new vessel.

Tom McAdams

During the 44’s initial evaluation the legendary Chief Tom McAdams would run the prototype through the treacherous waters off Cape Disappointment, where the Columbia River met the Pacific, until they broke it.  Afterward they would limp back to port, have it repaired then they tried to break it again. When it didn’t break anymore, they figured they had themselves one fine rescue boat, certainly a much better craft than the old wooden hulled 36 footers. The old 36 footers were venerable craft, but ancient by the standards required of the new era. Even so, two old 36 footers were still under commission back then, one, the CG36498, sat tied to the fuel dock still used from time to time but only when necessary. Even with the newer 44’s it was still seat of the pants operations, only now they had a vessel with far greater capabilities.

Internet Photo - The Old CG36498

The 331’s gleaming white hull glowed against the dark gray background as a beam of sunlight broke thru the haze, and its red slash across the bow became readily apparent in the new light. On the hill beyond and somewhat to the south, the Umpqua River lighthouse cast its one red and two white beams through the thinning fog. Less than one hundred yards to the north of the lighthouse was the lookout tower which was not really a tower but a small building resting on the edge of the ridge that commanded a view of most of the channel and the bar along with a long stretch of coast as far as the eye was allowed to see.

            “Go ahead 331…” Myron responded.

            “Looks like a good day to break in our rooky, how's Bridge doing?”

Being the reserved sort of fellow I was at the time, I was embarrassed by the comment. Everyone at the station had nick names or shortened names…that’s just the way it was. To have one made that person feel like they were an accepted part of the unit.

            “Ah Roger that Chief…I think my young cherub here is a bit nervous.”

            “He won’t be in a few minutes. How ‘bout you take a quick run through the surf then sit outside by the number two buoy as I come through.”

Myron removed his tight fitting helmet and propped it against his leg. It felt good to get it off his head and feel the fresh air circulate around his ears again. The 303 continued to slowly roll from one side to the other and the light wind whipped the diesel exhaust into the coxswains flat with its noxious fumes. His bright reddish orange neoprene survival suit squeezed him a little too tightly around the shoulders, but was loose around the waist. He glanced at me and detected distress in my expression. He winked at Red and cast a sly grin while nodding at him. Red chuckled.

            “Hey Sport…you’re look’in a might peek-ed around the gills there bud.”

I could only muster a forced grin as my insides were beginning to turn to mush and my head was spinning. My once rosy cheeks were now pale and my jowls and under the eyes contained a delightful greenish hue. Red could not hold his laughter.

            “You know they say there are two kinds of seasickness…”

            “Oh yeah…I didn’t…ummmph…know that," I naively replied stepping feet first into Red's joke.

            “Yeah…you see there’s the kind where you get so sick you’re afraid…and there’s no doubt about it… you’re going to die…”

            “Must be pretty bad….what’s the other kind?”

Red laughed again knowing he had set up his young rookie, “Well sport…then there’s the kind where you get so awfully sick…you’re afraid you won’t die.”

 He, Myron, and Dan burst into a loud obnoxious laughter at the old worn out joke. Red must have told that to every rookie that ever passed through the station at one time or another. I could only grin but wasn’t going to let them get the best of me. I replied,

            “I figure I’ll…ooouuuumph…survive.”

Internet Image - CG44303 Breaker Drills

 A moment later I leaned over the side and emptied my gut with a loud retching much to the delight of the gulls swarming around the boat. They dove into the slime covered water and fought each other for some of the larger of the regurgitated chunks. I felt much better afterward, but also felt foolish and embarrassed. Red laughed and patted me on the back.

“Aint it amazing at how wide your mouth opens up when you barf big like that…and how those stupid gulls…man-o-man…they’ll eat anything won’t they, even something as vile as puke.”

The laughing continued, but Red could see the disappointment in my eyes. He knew that everyone was different when is came to getting seasick. Some of the boys never had a problem, while others almost never got used to it.

“Hey Sport, don’t let us laughing at you bother you none”, he said slapping me across the back, “most all of us have done the same thing at one time or another. You’ll get used to it soon enough. Next time out have ole Cookie get you a bag of plain peanuts still in the hulls so you can crack and eat them while you’re out…keeps your mind occupied where you don’t think about it so much and it helps settle your stomach. You ain't a real Coastie, until you toss your cookies a time or two.  We’re expected to ride the big stuff…and if that don’t get your insides churned up…”

           I interupted him, “Gee thanks Red…that makes me feel just all warm and fuzzy inside," then I leaned over the side one more time, only this time a thin ribbon of yellowish fluid oozed out between the strained retching sounds.

Reds laughter increased in volume as he patted me across the top of my helmet, “You’re alright Sport…you’re going to do just fine. Now, let’s get this here show off high center and have some fun.”

By now the 44331 had pulled alongside and cut the engines to idle about twenty yards off the starboard side. Myron spun the 303 slightly to get a better angle so they could hear each other above the roar of the surf and the grumbling of the engines.

           

“Looks like the middle ground is beginning to lay down some…I guess we better get some drills in before we lose the tide”, Chief Whalen shouted.

Chief Whalen loved to operate the 44’s on drills. He was quick to talk affectionately about what he considered engineering marvels. Equipped with LORAN navigation and RADAR technology, and a tough hull design, they could plow through the waters of the North Pacific in any kind of weather, and they could turn on a dime and tow a battleship with the twin diesel engines rated at 180 horsepower each. Geared and supplied with special props, they could handle breakers upwards to thirty feet, designed to make a 360 degree roll in heavy surf, snap upright in a few seconds and keep on going.  It was a simple conclusion to him and anyone who operated a 44…they were the best surfboat design in the world hands down.

The small fleet of fishing trawlers and charter boats that operated out of Winchester Bay had grown to admire the abilities of the 44’s and the crew of the Umpqua River Station. There was a kind of unwritten acknowledgment and respect they showed for each other, an almost symbiotic relationship. Each needed the other, each depended on the other, each, could only function if the other were there. The Umpqua River Lifeboat Station had a unique relationship with the community of Winchester Bay as they were located in the heart of the small community. The local folks knew the station boys treating them as though they were their own son’s in many cases. It was a bond with roots going back several generations, a bond of trust not easily broken, nor easily mended once lost. A monument dedicated to those who lost their lives operating out of Winchester Bay served as a reminder of the dangers a life on the sea subjects on those who dared to challenge it.

 Myron replaced the helmet and secured the strap under his chin. Turning toward me he said,

            “You ready for this…”

            I nodded.

            “Okay…Let’s do it…”

He waved his hand in the air in a circular motion then pointed toward the bar and pressed the twin throttles full forward.  The 303 surged, the stern driving low as the torque of the props driven by a combined 360 horsepower bit deep. He spun the wheel to straighten the bow and then cut across the front of the 331 about fifty yards out. A foamy wake exploded out from the bow and the deep staccato rumble of the engines vibrated the air. Without taking his eyes off the bar, Matt shouted above the roar so I could hear.

Internet Image - CG44303 Breaker Drills

         “Always remember…let this be the first and most important lesson you learn…never underestimate the bar and never overestimate your own abilities, once you hit the surf you have to stay on top of it at all times always keep your head moving, look ahead to the next series before you come out of the first, know what you are going to do before you do it, learn to react, learn to think quickly, this bar never stops coming at you, it will pound the crap out of you, always pushing, always shoving, always looking for a way to bust your butt. You must not let it have it’s way but you must control it. You must be in control of your vessel at all times, know what it will do and more importantly, what it won’t do.”

I barely heard a word. My mouth was dry, but my body was wet partly from sweat, partly from the spray blown into the coxswains flat as the powerful boat surged into the ever increasing chop. Oddly enough my seasickness disappeared with the adrenalin rush. I was scared but excited, intrigued, but wished I could have more time to prepare. Time ran out.

The first layer of breakers across the middle ground rose to meet us and Myron throttled back causing the 303 to surge downward toward the bow. He spun the wheel to port then to starboard lining up the next breaker, waiting for the swell to build…timing his approach…full throttles forward and the 303 lunged into the rising wall of foaming water. The bow shot upward to what seemed like vertical, then hung for moment on the crest and in a rush slammed into the trough behind the cresting swell. The jolt caught me off guard and I didn’t bend my knees in time and almost lost my footing but recovered.  The 303 sat seemingly lost between two walls of giant swells that now surrounded us.  

Internet Image - CG44303 Breaker Drills

Myron spun the 303 to port, backed off the port engine and pushed the starboard engine forward spinning the 303 within its own length. A second later he jammed the port throttle to meet the other and spun the 303 to starboard timing it exactly to rise into next breaker cresting in front of them. The 303 plowed through the top of the crest and became airborne. For a moment we were weightless as the bow of the 303 arched slowly toward its collision with the surface, the engines screaming in protest as their props broke free. The impact staggered all of us, but we adjusted to the forces applied to our bodies, our heads jerking downward and forward, our bodies twisting against the torque. An arm of the curling breaker slammed into the corner of the 303’s coxswains flat and a jolt of water slammed into my face as it shot through an opening along the side. It took my breath away as it surprised me at how cold and salty it was.  I shook my head to clear my vision and glanced over toward Red whose smoke stained teeth glowed in the dim morning light through his wide grin.

            “The old 44’s are the bulldogs of the surfboat fleet. They power their way through the surf with brute force”.  Red yelled above the roar of the surf and engines so I could hear.

 Myron slowed the 303 turning the port side broadside to the next approaching swell, working the throttles causing them to alternately rumble then whine, then roar, spinning the wheel with a delicate touch, rubber necking his head right to left and back again. He rose up slightly to get a better view, then plopped his seat down quickly and cursed aloud as he realized the next breaker was approaching more quickly than he anticipated. He spun the wheel and jammed the starboard throttle forward…there was a delay and the 303 did not respond…a loud clanging bell began to ring indicating the engine had died. I wasn’t sure what was happening as my eyes were transfixed on the approaching breaker. Myron instinctively cursed out loud and he repositioned the throttle to neutral and slammed his free hand on the red starboard engine re-start button located in front of the helm. 

The engine sputtered…and he cursed out loud again and repressed the switch.  The engine roared to life and the ringing stopped as he jammed the throttle forward while spinning the wheel to port, but it wasn’t in time and the 303 angled at 45 degrees across the breaking swell. It rolled sharply 90 degrees to starboard and tons of water began to fill the lower well and swirl around our bodies. My eyes grew wide as the 303 tipped, close to rolling, and I was plunged into a dark, salty, freezing torrent of foaming water. I held my breath knowing from previous indoctrination that the 44 can and will roll 360 degrees…it was designed to do so…but I had no desire to experience this activity, not on my first outing.  A few seconds later the 303 snapped sharply to port righting itself from the near rollover and surged forward, the water that collected in the lower well draining out the self-bailing ports.

Myron yelled out loud with a whooping laughter and Red joined him as he turned toward the stern to take a glance of what they had just come through. I hadn’t taken a breath in close to a minute and gasped for air while I shook off the shock. That 90 degree roll on my side drenched me as much as a full roll would have. The 303 spun again lining up with the next and final line of breakers. Myron pulled the throttles back and brought the 303 to a complete stop waiting for the swell to develop before pressing them slightly forward. The final swell broke about 10 yards in front of us and slammed into the bow with the force of several tons. The 303 lunged upward and then through the swell and Myron kicked the throttles forward and headed out to open water.

Internet Image - Breaker Drills

            “And that’s the way we ride the waves!” he shouted as he high-fived Red.

 I was speechless. Never had I experienced such a rush…such a sense of fear tempered with excitement and now the knowledge that I too was a full fledged member of the Umpqua River Lifeboat Station having seen the elephant for the first time.

Myron delighted in breaker drills but his concern was with the engines as it was a real problem when they shut down during drills.

            “Dan, when we get back in take a look at that engine and figure out what’s going on there…that’s the second time it’s shut down on us this week.” he shouted at our engineer.

           Dan shouted back, “Done that already. Can’t find anything wrong with it Myron…we’ve checked it out top to bottom…everything is set up like it should be.”

            “Well, something’s wrong.  Check it out again when we get back in.”

             

For the next hour the 303 and 331 traded turns running breaker drills through the Umpqua River bar. By the time we finished, I felt like I was a real veteran. As the bar began to moderate and the surf converted into shallow swells, we headed back in. By this time, the sun was full up and the fog mostly burned off.  The experience, the sights and sounds taught me to enjoy those moments when the golden dunes were illuminated by the beams of sun that broke through the clouds. It was the colors, the sounds, the odors, and the feel of the moment that moved me the most.

Inside the Cove Near the Base of the South Jetty

Now as part of one of the oldest military branch of the United States my purpose was to perform my duty at the best of my ability. From that point on I wanted only to be prepared to do what had to be done when the time came. Somewhere inside of me I knew that destiny would bring me into conflict with this purpose.  

Any surfboat pilot could perform the routine stuff…train with breaker drills…tow in the broken down boats or run bar patrols as had been performed hundreds of times. Only the best could do the impossible.  Only the best could look death in the face and tell it to move aside. Only the best was what was expected of us. There prevailed a hovering specter lapping over our shoulders, always watching, always taunting. Somehow after that first introduction with what the Umpqua River Bar had to offer, I knew it was only time before something more seriously sinister would thrust its ugly world into ours...into mine. As it turned out, it wasn't long before I was to witness near tragic events that rammed home the importance of always being ready to face the dangerous unknown challenges that is the life of a Wave Warrior.

(From the Lassie series: footage of the CG44303 vs the Umpqua River Bar)

Connections: Revisiting The Early Days

My grandparents took thousands of photographs. Almost all of them using an old Kodak No. 1 box camera or something similar to it. They most likely didn't realize it at the time, but those photographs became a visual record of a family history a few dating back to the mid-1800's while most were captured during the early 1900's forward into more modern times. Locked away inside dogeared envelopes sitting inside old boxes and one old small suitcase resides the evidence of who we were as family.

Dormant emotions are rekindled each time I scan through a few of them. I often stare at some trying to grasp the significance of the moment like the one of my great grandfather, Robert Star Bridgman, as he stands with his hat in his hand and head hanging low mournfully saying his good-bye to my great grandmother who had died three days before my dad was born. Robert Star moved his family around 1896 from Arkansas to Poteau, just up the road from Wister, using a borrowed wagon. There he established several businesses including a hardware store, a Cotton Gin, and a newspaper. The Hardware store which is now a home furnishings store is still in business, almost 120 years now. My dad often said I resembled Robert Star. I have only two photographs of him and both are priceless reminders of my distant past.

And then there is the oval shaped image with my grandfather, Robert Lee Bridgman (Bob), my aunt Mae, and Aunt Goldie, all three obediently sitting in their Sunday best having their photo taken what must have been around 1904 or so. It looks like so many other family portraits from that era until you read what is written on the back. Goldie, who was only two years old or so at the time, shortly after this photo was taken was playing too close to a fireplace and caught fire. She was so badly burned she mercifully died shortly afterwards. My grandfather rarely spoke of the incident but his handwriting carried a distinct backward slant even though he was right handed. I discovered later, handwriting such as this is often an indication of someone having experienced a traumatic event in their past.

There are old photo post cards of Wister, Oklahoma, my ancestral home where my grandparents were born in that area and lived all their life. The old photos are throwbacks to the end of the Victorian era, an innocent capture of a slower time where people are seen dressed in the period style of clothes. Parked along the edge of the still dirt road are early models of automobiles with a horse drawn wagon working its way down the street. Oddly enough, this view of Wister changed little over the years. Most of the old buildings are still there, vacant now and the dirt road is paved. I can when I search through the archives of my own memories relive this exact shot as seen from this perspective as part of my life, a scene I witnessed during a more modern era.

Then there is the photo of the old railroad station depot with a steam train seen pulling in. People are milling around awaiting their turn to board or to meet arriving passengers. That old depot remained in operation until the mid 1950's or so and then stood abandoned for many years until it was unceremoniously torn down. What a loss it was to have such an historic building removed from history. I remember hiking down the tracks with my dad to take a closer look at the building before it was demolished. He pointed out the two waiting rooms where white folks were separated from black folks. It seemed foreign to me even then to think of such things, but history is what it is where prejudice was often the result of fear and uncertainty.

Mingled within the hundreds of photographs are dozens of classic family pictures from around 1930 where my grandfather and grandmother stood beside my dad, a very young and dapper looking fellow. Behind them stood the old home with the water well seen in the back.

Over time they expanded on the home and across the yard trees grew larger. I remember as a lad hauling bucket after bucket of ice cold well water from that old well. It still runs cold and deep.


This one image represents the essence of their photographic work from back then. Sun in their faces, showcasing their Sunday best clothes and their home. What amazing moments from small town Americana.

There are numerous photo's of my dad, probably taken on a Sunday afternoon around 1930, as he stands alone with his boyhood home behind him displayed like the proud example of small town America it was. I played, romped, and stomped all over that big porch that wrapped around the house on the hill, and the yard was filled with adventures and mayhem, as it became my refuge as a boy, much the same way it was when he was the same age. 

Many images of a young and vibrant woman who was my grandmother are in the collection. In 1940 she stands beside a new old bicycle again with their home seen in the background. The yard is what is significant here for it appears large,open, and well kept. A while back I drove by the old place and much has changed. The new owners have allowed the yard to become overgrown with trees and bushes causing it to appear congested and choked. What at one time was a lovely and envious home has become just another run down residence. I was saddened by what I saw.


My grandmother's brother, my Uncle Polk, lived just across the gravel road next to their home and he was quite the character. I was always a little afraid of him as he was sort of gruff, but harmless, and walked around with a three days growth of stubble on his face. But he was an interesting character who added a colorful flavor to those years.

My dad was an only child but Polk had two sons, Charles and Harold with his first wife who were in essence brothers to my dad for they grew up together. They were cousins, brothers, and best of friends and eventually went off to war together.

Harold and Yoko on the left. My mom
And Uncle Denver (my grandmothers
other Brother) on the right

Uncle Harold eventually married a Japanese woman, Yoko shortly after the war. My grandmother, although superficially accepting of Yoko never fully let go of her anger toward the Japanese who had caused her son along with Harold and Charles to fall into harms way during the war years. I always felt a little sorry for Yoko, because my grandmother although a wonderful person, never fully allowed herself to embrace her as part of her family. I was never around Yoko very much, just enough to see her as a polite and respectful person. Even so, she became a unique, distinct and ironic part of our family history.

Dad on the right, Charles, and Harold

Uncle Polk remarried and they had four daughters, Jennie, Phyllis, Mary, and Paula. Paula and I were born on the same day if I remember correctly. Their mother, Loney (not sure I spelled that right) was an amazing lady who churned butter on her back steps, and raised her family with an iron will and was perhaps the fattest person I've ever known. Uncle Polk always grew a garden outback and always had a milk cow in the pasture next to their old, unpainted, rickety home. He loved St Louis Cardinal baseball and would sit under the shade tree drinking lemonade listening to the game on his vintage Philco radio. It's been some years ago now, but the old home they lived in caught fire and burned to the ground. They were lucky to get out of the inferno.

Uncle Polk...man what a Car!

Even in her last days as my grandmother grew closer to heaven while in a nursing home, she would speak of her big house on the hill and tell everyone who would listen about it. She as a young girl watched it being built and told her friend as they were walking to school that some day she would live in that house. And so she did...she truly Lived in that old home and because of their lives, a family history was written and chronicled photographically. Of all of those family members who had original connections to that home, I am the only one left to remember those days. Maybe, just maybe that is why I will from time to time write about them, just so others from a newer generation will know and understand just how important those days were.

I suppose I could go on and on about those old days, but space and time makes it difficult to do so. Each of those hundreds of photographs tell a story that still live inside my collective memory. My dad eventually moved us, his family, away and we began a new era of family adventures in new places, but the days before I was born are as real to me as if I lived them myself. Through those old photographs I learned about my family history and today as I browse through the hundreds of digital photographs I've taken, I realize not very many of them are family photos and even fewer of them are printed images. Maybe it is time to return to the habits of that early time and start taking and printing some of these. Someday, just maybe, there will be a family member from a newer generation who just might enjoy revisiting these newer, old days.

Lighten Up - Don't Be So Serious

I take my photography way too seriously at times...concentrating so much on what I'm doing, that I don't always simply enjoy being there.  It's a bad habit to fall into.  Looking back over the tens of thousands of images I've captured over the years, the ones that hold the most importance are the ones I took when I was simply having fun doing what I was doing.

I've had a number of occasions over the years to talk about photography to not only groups of people but individuals.  One question that comes up from time to time is..'How many good ones do you normally get on a photo shoot?'  At one time I tried to come up with some kind of profound words of wisdom on the subject and most of the time tended to say all the wrong things..."10 out of a hundred maybe...2 or 3 normally...depends on how many shots I take..." when in reality the way I should answer is like this..."It really doesn't matter as long as I get the shot or shots I wanted and had fun doing it."

Photography should be exactly that...a way to have fun and express our creative instincts.  I've often had the desire to actually make a living at photography. A few friends have indicated doing so might be a good idea and I should pursue it.  But, when I think about it, trying to make a living at it just might be the wrong way to go about it, for then it becomes a job filled with all the job-like responsibilities and problems. Most all the fun might be removed out of it by doing so.  I'd rather keep on doing what I'm doing...earning a little here and there...but having fun at it and taking joy and excitement in seeing for the first time a new amazing moment of light come to life as captured through the lens, and to share what I've learned with others.

I suppose if I were to provide a bit of insight for new photographers on how to improve their photography...the best advise I could offer is to simply encourage them to approach their photography from the concept of simply having fun with it.  Not to get all caught up in the whistles and bells and technical jargon that goes along with it.  All that stuff will come in time if one continues to read and learn about the craft...but, it is far more important to begin at the beginning...and simply have fun learning about a fascinating hobby.

You might be amazed at just how amazing your pictures will turnout.  Always remember...there is no such thing as a bad photograph as long as you like it...so, lighten up and simply enjoy being there!

Keith

A Place Where You Leave Something Behind - Photographing Kentucky's Backroads

I find it comforting the way the backroads of Kentucky seemingly weave and twist and converge upon themselves. Not any kind of rhyme or reason to their meanderings, they just follow the lay of the land and end up where they were meant to arrive. Coming from Oklahoma where all the roads were situated across a giant grid, I found myself lost several times as first I explored the natural charms found across Kentucky. One road may change names about as often as it changes directions here with side roads leading off into a patch of enchanted woods or across a nostalgic low water bridge that spans crystal waters flowing across ancient gravel. It is the haunting call of the side roads that entices a photographer for they represent the very best the state has to offer. Photographs of the low keyed life discovered along these often forgotten places is best presented in black and white for it is within this realm the true charm and simplicity of this wonderful example of Americana can be found.

Sometimes I will make sure I have a full tank of gas and when the opportunity presents itself I head out just to see what I can find. A good map or a GPS locator APP on your phone helps as long as you can find service, which isn't always available. Even so, just take off down a road you have never been down before. Odds are in Kentucky you will end up back where you started anyway.

I especially enjoy running across a small country church. More often than not they are tucked into some scenic corner with a small cemetery behind or to one side of it. These old cemeteries are a unique connection to the past some with headstones dating back to 1700's. Sometimes you will simply run across a small family cemetery standing alone just off the road. They are usually well kept and in the spring and summer you will find wildflowers growing around the area.

Mornings when dew gleans in the early light and fog settles in the low areas are the best times to travel down these nostalgic lanes. I will often simply stop and stand alongside the road during those early hours just so I can gather in the fresh aroma of the country air and experience the atmosphere of the moment. There's not many things better than a country morning.

You will discover old barns, fields of grain, and rolling hills interspersed between wide open farm country to accent the small streams and heavily wooded areas. There will be pastures with horses and cattle along with small fenced in spaces where you might find goats or even an exotic animal or two.

Wild deer and turkey will make themselves present as they add their natural instincts to the landscape. On a summer morning you might find some kids fishing a farm pond or riding a horse across a field. During the fall you will experience colors second to none across this country and the winter brings its own flavorful accent across the land. Spring will explode with dogwoods and redbuds splashing their color across fields, and old barns suddenly come to life again with their own stories to tell.

When the corn fields are ripe, they cast a golden aura across the landscape and when the wheat turns brown, there is nothing more soothing, more beautiful than when the winds send the fields into motion, and nothing more American than when the farmers gather in the harvest.

You will discover old bridges, although no longer safe to cross, who still retain their connection to the history of the country.

Not far down the road you will encounter the heart and soul of Kentucky, the old homestead farm house often seen at the far end of a side road. It is here, at these locations where you experience the true wonder of Kentucky's backroads. It is almost like the these locations sing to you, "Stop here a moment...and take part of what you see home with you." When you listen to the country song, you will certainly understand why most likely you left a part of yourself there as well.

Making Your Flash Lighting Look Like It Is Supposed to be There

Sometimes I am amazed at the technology of photography today. Back in the day when I first started using a 35mm SLR camera, the technology was rather old school with just a hint of what was to come being suggested. I have to admit though, back in the day was a great learning experience and I owe a great deal to being forced to learning how to think thru the photographic process to those days.

My first experiences with using an electronic flash unit were at best rudimentary attempts of filling in light. I knew nothing about how to use a flash unit except to attach it to my camera and point it toward my subject. At best I would bounce it off a ceiling and feel like I was doing something real creative in the process. Fact is, I had no clue what I was doing and that clueless understanding followed me right up to and well into my digital transformation.

Fast forward a few years and today I use electronic flash (speed lights) units all the time and rely on them to help me create some wonderfully lit compositions. The technology today when it comes to flash units is superb. You can control the power output of multiple flash units from your camera or from the transmitter attached to your camera. Built in Through The Lens (TTL) systems in today's cameras and flash units can take a great deal of the guess work out of effectively using your flash. Of course, shooting manually opens up all kinds of creative options.

The trick then boils down to two things: Understanding how your camera interacts with a flash, and then understanding how to apply your flash unit(s) to your composition. We will in this post concentrate on the second concept. For more information on how your camera interacts with a flash you can visit a previous post: Combining Flash with Natural Light: The Mystery Unraveled  https://beyondthecampfirebykeith.blogspot.com/2017/04/combining-flash-with-natural-light.html
on this blog site. Just do a blog search to find it.

We are going to break down a few photographs and explain how the flash unit was used to light the scene. The first thing to remember about using a flash unit is this: If your image looks like a flash was used, then your probably did not do your job correctly. Artificial lighting requires that it looks like it is suppose to be there. This applies to both your main source of light and any kind of secondary fill light you might use. With a few exceptions, the only time light should be noticed is if you remove it. The exceptions being if you are trying to create a specific spotlight effect or a harsh light effect.

Probably the least effective creative way to use a flash unit is to attach it to your camera and point it straight at your subject. This will almost always create a spot light effect and is a dead give away you used a flash. Sometimes you can get away with this when the light is used solely as a subtle fill light. Most of the time, flash units should be used off camera. We're not going to get into the technical how-to explanation because there are several posts on this blog that cover the how and why of doing such a thing. However we are going to look at some simple techniques of how to use an off camera flash and make it look like you were using natural light.

Why not just use natural light? Well, you can, but you cannot effectively control natural light and sometimes the quality of light just isn't there. You can with some easy to employ techniques make your speed lights look like natural light. Let's break down the photo above of the young lady. This was taken indoors on a dark and overcast day. The natural light was very flat and carried a very cool temperature. Because we were shooting indoors in a rather dark room, I needed to add some light, but not just any ordinary flash lighting would work. I needed to control several aspects of the light; the softness or tone of it, it's intensity, and the direction .

There was a large window that provided some light, but it again was very cool and flat and did not provide enough illumination to do the job effectively. To over come this, I attached an ordinary bed sheet to the outside of the window, completely covering the window. I also placed a single speedlight on a stand outside the window powered to full power shooting through the sheet into the room. The flash was about 3 feet from the window and about 7 feet or so from my subject. My exposure was manually set. I set my shutter speed (125/sec) so the ambient light in the room would just barely register, and set my aperture (f/5.6) to capture the light from the flash. ISO was 200. The bed sheet served two purposes. First is softened the light and second it turned the relatively small light source into a large light source that wrapped around my subject.

The finished photograph was exactly what I was trying to capture. A warm, soft light, that gently caressed my subject. Although it was artificial light, it appears to be natural. Using natural light from the window would have been too cool in temperature and much to direct.

This second photo above was made using the exact same setup with a slight tweak of the exposure to capture additional ambient light. Using simple tools like bed sheets is an effective method to create soft wrap around light.

The next photo was taken outdoors in a shaded environment. A single light was used and was attached to a 20x30 softbox. The exposure was set to slightly overexpose the image to allow for a high key capture...in this case the specifics were f/8.0 1/80th second ISO 200. There was quite a bit of ambient light floating around and the softbox light was moved in fairly close, probably about 2 feet way, to provide a full encompassing and overlapping fill light source. The idea here was to not create an ordinary exposure, but an exposure that would allow in post processing the ability to push the exposure out just enough to create a soft yet high key look. I wanted to keep the shadows to a minimum in this image and by moving the light close in I was able to provide just enough shadowing to enhance facial features, yet keep it subtle.

The next photo was taken using two flash units. The main light was again attached to a 20x30 softbox set about 4 feet from the model and a second light was placed on a stand set about 10 feet or so behind the model. The day was very overcast with a gray soft light diffusing through the myriad of trees in the background.  The idea then was to blend both the speed lights and the ambient light into a pleasing combination. This ambient light was important to use in conjunction with the speed lights and the base exposure was set to create a subdued background. The speed lights then were used to illuminate the model and separate her from the darker background by introducing a lighting element that appeared to be coming from a natural source. The softbox generated a subtle wrapped light creating just enough shadowing to bring out her features. A straight on flash coming from the camera would have generated a less pleasing and unnatural spotlight effect.

This last image was made using two lights similar to the previous setup. The main front light was a single speed light attached to a 20x30 softbox and the second light was a single speedlight on a stand placed a few feet behind the bride. The idea here was to set an exposure that would capture the setting background and use the lights to fill in the subject. The back lighting was supplied by the second light and provided a subtle yet effect halo around the bride. This halo served to separate her from the background just enough so it appeared natural. Again, the front lighting had to appear natural. To accomplish this the 20x30 softbox diffused the light enough to soften it and was placed about 4 feet in front and to one side. This angled setting created some shadow effects but shadows are good as they bring out the features of your subject. If I had used a single light attached to the camera the effect would have been too harsh and too direct. The lighting looks like it is suppose to be there.

The idea then is for the lighting to enhance your subject but not to look like you were lighting it. That is the subtle nature of using speed lights. How much is enough and how much is too much.? Those are questions answered through experience. A subtle touch of light is often all that is required to create a wonderfully lit composition.