Who is Bob Krist?

Bob Krist is a renowned travel photographer and videographer who has photographed for 40+ years and traveled to 150 countries.

In early December 2019, Krist released his 12th book, “Old Souls & Timeless Places.” And, yes, as the headline of this blog post states, it is spectacular.

Printed at Brilliant Graphics, the attention to detail in producing this all black & white book is astounding. If you have ever used black & white film and printed from a negative, the photographs in “Old Souls & Timeless Places” will be nostalgic. So, this book a must-have in my collection and I hope you will consider it as well.

Cover to cover, you are gently stopped to take it all in, and there is a lot to absorb in this semi-retrospective of Bob Krist's work. You can study the way the photographs are composed. The way the photographs – portraits interspersed with landscapes – makes one think that indeed we are not separate from nature, but definitely part of it. At least, that's how I am “reading” the book, “Old Souls & Timeless Places.”

The Interview with Bob Krist

I had the pleasure of speaking with Bob Krist about the book right before the Christmas holidays. If I do come off as a bit gushing in sections of the podcast, it's because of two things:

One, Bob Krist is a hero of mine. For years, I followed his work and fantasized photographing and writing about my travels as Bob has done over the years. And, two, the quality of this publication is truly remarkable. There is something special about holding a book with a set of photographs that were all created with intent, love and great care.

The Images Discussed In The Interview

These are the photographs we discussed in the interview. This is such a small sample of the wonderful photographs you have access to when you buy the book, “Old Souls & Timeless Places.” Proceeds from the book's sale benefit the Jonathan Krist Foundation, named in memory of Krist’s son, who passed away 12 years ago.

On a tangent, I interviewed Elizabeth Krist, Bob's sister-in-law, some years ago. Since leaving National Geographic magazine, Elizabeth has joined hands with some amazing visual communicators to start The Visual Thinking Collective.

“The actual process of creating something from it’s inception to completion in the form of a finished work of art was and still is challenging, and I enjoy the limitations that come with the format and time component of large format film photography.”

Who is Steve Sherman?

Steve Sherman is a large format photographer based in Rocky Hill, Connecticut. His work is currently represented by the Paul Paletti Gallery in Louisville, Kentucky.

While I had met Steve at local PPA gatherings from time to time, it wasn't until I had a question or two that I approached Steve to go over some of the functions of my 4″x5″ field camera.

The truth is, my field camera baffled me. I have a stash of old Polaroid Type55, and I recall playing with it about 15 years ago, but the camera, the shutter release, and the storage box had not seen daylight much. And, to me, that's a travesty. Steve, I'm sure, agrees, though he prefers to use a 5″x7″ field camera instead.

Given how ubiquitous screens are in our lives today, I suspect way too many of us haven't laid our eyes on an actual print produced from a large format negative.

To put it bluntly, a well-exposed negative, dutifully processed in the right developer will yield prints that are nothing short of divine.

And, if you were to walk into Steve's darkroom, you'll see first-hand these gorgeous prints, well, everywhere. It's fair to say that Steve's life revolves around his family and his photography.

When my one question turned into three or five, I had to stop myself from asking more because Steve's responses were immediately actionable.

“Here, let me show ya,” he would say as he embarked on a mini-lesson that I was sure customized on the spot for me. If you were to meet Steve, you'd find him to be patient, observant, and thoughtful.

The Interview

I didn't want him thinking that I was just there to exploit his 35+ years of knowledge on the subject. So, I invited him to what I thought would be a quick chat in his darkroom.

Peter Dylag, who had initially introduced us, was also there, setting up his video cameras to film the entire episode for Steve's YouTube channel.

If you would rather watch the chat, check it out here –

Large Format Environmental Black & White Photography

Here are some examples of Steve's large format photography. Yes, I do fully understand the irony of publishing these small and on your screen for you to see. Let me repeat – if you ever get a chance to view Steve's work in person, do it. Each frame is a wonderful journey.

In addition following Steve's YouTube channel, I recommend you check out his dedicated Facebook page for large format photography.

From one of his recent posts:

“My three part video on the theory and operation of the View Camera will premiere on New Years Day. 34 minutes of Hi Def video is my gift to all who have interest as I take a break from Social Media.”

I do hope you spend a little time away from social media learning something brand new (if it is that) in 2020!

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