Al Weber

Foundation for Photographic Preservation

written by: Al Weber

When Carmel photographer Steve Crouch died in 1984, his work was headed for the dump. A telephone call from Huntington Witherill alerted me as to what was happening and I was able to persuade his son to let me have the whole archive. I didn’t have a clue as to what I’d do with it. Three years later I was able to talk the University of California, Santa Cruz into placing it in their Special Collections. That was the start. I found to my surprise that the majority of photographs from deceased photographers end up in the dump. Family and Read more »

Influence of Flying

written by: Al Weber

During the Korean Conflict (1950-1953), I served as an aerial observer for Marine Corps Artillery. Sometimes called “The Coldest War,” I volunteered for this, as the L-119 planes used were equipped with heaters. Flying low over the mountainous Korean landscape gave me a new perspectiv—an unexpected surprise—a visual reality in map form. This assignment opened a way of seeing from the comfort of a heated cockpit. It started me on a 50-year journey of photographing while flying in a small airplane. Released from active duty, I moved to the Monterey Peninsula, CA where I established myself as a commercial photographer, Read more »