Charles Cramer
studied piano for 20 years, receiving an M.A. from the Eastman School of Music
in Rochester, New York. This conservatory was endowed by George Eastman, who
also founded the Eastman Kodak Company. This connection between music and
photography can be seen in the lives of many photographers. Cramer gradually
turned to full-time photography by 1980. He continues to play the piano, however,
and has presented recitals at the homes of photographer Don Worth, and in
1985 for Mrs. Ansel Adams.
Ansel Adams regarded the negative as the "score", and the print
as the "performance". Being very concerned with "performing"
led Cramer to become involved with one of the most complicated methods of
making color prints---the dye transfer process. A dye transfer print, with
its startling depth and brilliance, has long been considered among the finest
methods of color reproduction. Since it is also one of the most time-consuming
and costly methods, it is rarely seen today. Cramer labored mightily with
dye transfer for 16 years, and is recognized as a master printer.
The end goal of his photography has always been to make beautiful prints and that is evident in his work.
In 1997, he began emerging from the darkroom to sit in front of a large, color-calibrated
monitor. This new digital process involves scanning the transparency, using
Photoshop as a digital darkroom, and writing the final image to chromogenic
photographic paper at very high resolution with red, green, and blue lasers.
Although far removed from darkroom-intensive dye transfer, this process also
gives him incredible control over the final image. These new advances allow
Charles Cramer to realize his lyrical landscape images at their strongest
and most compelling.
Charles is in great demand as an instructor has taught various photography
classes for the Ansel Adams Gallery Workshops. In 1987 he was selected by
the National Park Service to be an Artist-in-Residence in Yosemite.
His photographs have been published by National Geographic Books, the Sierra Club and he is included in the book Landscape: The World's Top Photographers. A selection of Charles’ images are featured in the new book First Light: Five Photographers Explore Yosemite’s Wilderness. He has written for Photo
Techniques Magazine,
and been profiled in View Camera Magazine and many other magazines.
His most recent work stems from his fascination with the color, mood, and spirit of the Southwest. We have many of Charles Cramer's exquisite prints in stock at sun to moon gallery. We invite you to come in and see them.
Sun to Moon Gallery
1515 Levee Street
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone 214.745.1199