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Vintage Camper Rally at Riverbend Campground in Hiawassee, Georgia, 2016

8/30/2016

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My 1985 credentials  - it used to have more pins.

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We sometimes tested light and composition with Polaroids before taking certain photos. This is me during a test. The owners of this Airstream had an organ.

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Not a Wally Byam rally...just a get-together I photographed.

During that one week, I fostered a love of the Airstream and camping that would last a lifetime. I especially fell in love with the Bambi. Some 30 years later, I still don't have my Bambi, but my love of the road is strong and I still enjoy talking to campers and photographing vintage campers, especially the smaller models.

When I heard that a vintage trailer rally was happening near me I went through my arsenal of photo gear, picking just one camera and one lens (a wide angle) and headed to the Riverbend Campground in Hiawassee to take a few snaps and see how much 'camping' had changed; not much, I quickly discovered. There were no tape measures, police, or post-offices, but the people were the  same: warm, friendly, and enthusiastic about the camping-life. I wasn't around to see the night come to life under little strings of colored lights, but I would imagine it would have felt like that first night in the Adirondacks: magical.

Some things never change and the vintage-trailer enthusiasts are aiming to keep it that way. I hope to join you one day, not as a retired photographer, but as a member, sitting under the awning of my Bambi - vintage, of course.

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 In 1985 I traveled to the Adirondacks with another photographer to assist him in a photo shoot for the Smithsonian Magazine. The subject was the WBCCI International Rally. Around 4,000  Airstreams  created  an awe-inspiring vision; each meticulously dotting the pristine landscape. I use "meticulous" because the motor-homes were parked by a volunteer crew that used measuring tapes to insure that each motor-home was separated by precisely measured spaces. Even the wheels had to be facing the right direction. It was captivating to watch the members work at making a complex mathematical design out of large silver objects.

The entire place was abuzz with golf carts and 'officials' making sure everything was perfect before the sun set. I quickly found out that members had their own post office, medical staff, and police, not that there was any hint the police would be needed, especially in those days, but they were there, just in case, and because it was a proper thing for a city to have. I didn't think much about a fire department at the time but looking back, I know there must have been one.

Gradually the buzz died down as one-by- one the motor-homes and their occupants, like pieces of a complex puzzle, came together, creating a picture-perfect evening of red sky, sizzling steaks, campfires, and faint laughter. By morning the landscape had been transformed into an gleaming city  of silver, with nothing lacking.

We spent a week with the members, sharing food, drink, listening to stories, and photographing endless activities, even the pet show. If you still have an old copy of that issue, I took the pet show photo, though I was not credited.

I learned from members little quasi-rules that created a refined but relaxed atmosphere. For instance, one woman told me that stepping out of the motor-home with curlers in your hair was a no-no. Another man told me that, unless entertaining, booze should be covered with a cozy or put away in a cabinet.

During a time when few people had satellite TV, I was amazed at the number of satellite dishes on the Airstreams. Inside, each motor-home had a unique and professional look; and a few sported pianos and even organs.

I  remember that the Airstream was never referred to as a trailer or camper. I believe it was proper, at the time, to call it a motor-home or RV. But things have changed (they are referenced as trailers all over the Internet) and I would suspect that getting 4000 Airstreams in one place would be a difficult chore today


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Inside a Vintage trailer in Hiawassee, Ga. 2016.
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More photos from 2016 Hiawassee Vintage Trailer Rally at Riverbend

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A small rally on the East Coast.
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Retired Photojournalists

8/25/2016

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I was recently dining with a few friends and the subject matters jumped from politics to  to grandchildren to clothing styles. I was distracted by several photo ops (could I have been bored?)  I knew it was useless to share my 'visions' with my party and opted to turn my attention back to the table where the ladies were now talking about a You Tube cat video. Yawn.

On my way home I realized that, since retiring, I had lost touch with most of my photographer pals. Some had moved, some were too ill to get out and shoot, and some had even passed away. And I had moved, too. I felt disconnected.

There were no more photo editors, no more assignments, no deadlines, no more photos on  front pages or in the newspapers that had my printed name, and no more complaining about how some editor, usually a news editor, had ruined a photo with cropping.

In the old days, especially when on an 'away' assignment, news people would gather at a local pub and complain or brag about their day, something we loved to do. I remember outdoor gatherings in areas where political unrest was prevalent, our reason for being there. Sitting around sometimes homemade tables we sipped (or chugged) the local libations and sampled the food of the day (often with care) as we watched the red ball in the sky give way to night. Sometimes the night beat us to the table and little strings of lights greeted us and illuminated our sunburned faces.

Unlike office managers or teachers or doctors news photographers don't just retire and pick up a hobby or travel or volunteer. A photojournalist is a photojournalist 24/7. Even if you took away our cameras our eyes would still be capturing photos, manipulating the light, composing, and cropping.

Some people asked me why I don't get back into news photography. Things have changed. I now live in a more remote area that has a twice a week news publication that covers church news and festivals, newspapers everywhere have cut staff, many relying on interns and graduates in order to save money, and I like retirement. I just wish I could sit with a group of people and say, "Look at the light on that," and have them understand.

​If you are interested in photography or would like to share your stories please join my Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/ourlifeinphotos/





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