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Dan Knowles (1931-2005)

Picture of the Month - March 2005

This space is usually reserved for showing my favorite photo from the previous month. I'm making an exception this month, instead featuring a photo that I took of him about six years ago for a school project. It is probably the only photograph of my father sporting a mustache and goatee. I thought it made him look very distinguished, but he soon went back to his traditional clean-shaven look.

There were two men who were very influential in me becoming a professional photographer, Galen Rowell, and my father, Dan Knowles. Galen both inspired me and taught me more than any other photographer. But long before I ever met Galen, my father was showing me how to take pictures that shared a vision. When we would go on vacations, he would always come back with beautiful photographs, not just snapshots of the family posing in front of this or that. I remember when I was a young teen my dad took me to Laguna Seca and showed me how to pan the camera to capture the speeding cars. When the photos were developed, I was so excited to see that I had captured a Porsche coming down out of the corkscrew with only three wheels on the ground, I knew I was hooked on this new hobby.

My dad owned a small business which helped other small businesses. He was my role model for avoiding the corporate lifestyle and the joy that I have running my own business, I owe to him.

My father passed away February 13th, with his loving family at his bedside.

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