Random Excellence: Judy Dater

Judy Dater, Graham Nash, 1978

Even if you don't know the name Judy Dater, you probably do know her most famous picture, "Imogen and Twinka at Yosemite" (there's an "art nude" at that link, just so you're warned), one of the most famous American photographs of the 1970s.

This picture of musician Graham Nash was in the section of Judy's website titled "Photo World." Aside from being one-third of the famous '70s folk-rock group Crosby, Stills & Nash (and one-fourth of CSN&Y), Graham Nash is a longtime photographer and photography enthusiast. He also has a firm place in the history of digital photography, in that his atelier, Nash Editions, was one of the pioneers of digital printmaking. You can read more about that in Richard Benson's The Printed Picture, or from the book Nash Editions: Photography and the Art of Digital Printing. Both were previously TOP recommendations.

Judy has a new book coming out soon which, understandably, is occupying her attentions right now. I'm looking forward to the book and I'll tell you about it when it gets here.

Mike
(Thanks to Judy)

Judy Dater comments: "The photo was taken at Graham's house which was just off of Haight Street and across the street from Buena Vista Park. I remember being excited when I discovered the skylight at his house and realized he could climb up on to it. I wanted to make it look as if he were floating.

"I rarely photograph famous people but I knew him slightly because he had some of my work in his private photography collection. That collection became an exhibition and catalogue titled 'The Graham Nash Collection' that premiered at the de Saisset Museum at the University of Santa Clara."

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Comments

[Patrick Dodds]

She took one of my so far all-time favourite photographs:

http://judydater.com/egypt/fxisd65b796yk9rgsi677azx5uiih1

[Bill Bresler]

I discovered Judy Dater and her wonderful large-format portraits way back when I was a kid in college, in the mid-1970s. In 1978 I picked up a book from Ralph Gibson's Lustrum Press, Darkroom2, and there was an essay by Ms. Dater about how she made her portraits. There were photos of her working with a subject. She just looked like she was having a great time while working hard at her art. I confess, I fell a little bit in love with Judy Dater. Now I'm an old guy, and I think I'm still a little bit in love with her.
Thanks, Mike, for allowing me to post the Creepy Comment of the Day.

[Ernst L. Wehausen]

Love Judy's work. Have a very nice portrait of her from a 1976 workshop. Would like to share it with you. How can I get it to you?