Clyde Butcher (born September 6, 1942) is an American large-format camera photographer known for wilderness photography of the Florida landscape. He began his career doing color photography before switching to large-scale black-and-white landscape photography after the death of his son. Butcher is a strong advocate of conservation efforts and uses his work to promote awareness of the beauty of natural places.[1]
In 1961 he began dating Niki Vogel. They married on June 15, 1963. He was 20. She was 18.[3]
Beginnings of photography career
During college, Butcher presented his architecture projects by creating and photographing miniature-scale models instead of making drawings.[4]
After graduation, Butcher began a career in architecture. He worked with architect William Pereira on such buildings as the Transamerica building in San Francisco and worked for architectural model companies. With the downturn in the economy, Clyde lost his job and began showing his black and white images at local art festivals. He soon realized that he could make more money in photography than he was making in architecture. By 1970, he left architecture for landscape photography.
Commercial success
Eventually, Butcher had a partnership that marketed and sold his images to the wall décor departments of Sears, Montgomery Ward, and J. C. Penney. He eventually accrued around 200 employees and offices in Akron, Ohio and Southern California. In order to increase sales, Butcher started photographing with color film so his images could match the avocado green shag carpets and gold couches. The bulk of his photography during this time took place west of the Rocky Mountains and in the Pacific Northwest.
To escape some of the stress of the business, he moved onto a sailboat with his wife where he lived for seven years, moored in the harbor of Newport Beach, California. The boat had no electricity or refrigeration, conditions were spartan. Living without a television on the boat gained the family a sense of peace and solitude while they could take advantage of the city.
Move to Florida and Personal Life
Butcher's love for boating and the television program Flipper inspired him to explore Florida. Butcher sold his business in California, moved to Florida, and returned to selling art in street festivals.
In 1984, the Butchers attended an art festival in Winter Park and visited Tom Gaskin’s Cypress Knee Museum on U.S. Highway 27.[3]
In 1986, the Butchers' son was killed by a drunk driver.[3] Butcher retreated to the wilderness for solace and restoration. He put aside color photography and became a black-and-white landscape photographer using large-format cameras.[5]
In 1993, Butcher purchased "Orchid Isle, a former orchid farm" consisting of 14 acres in Big Cypress National Preserve in Southern Florida which is surrounded by over a million acres of wilderness.[2] This is where he built his gallery and home. He then realized that he needed to help the public to understand the beauty of the swamp and began leading guided tours through the swamp behind his gallery in Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress Gallery is open seven days a week from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.[6]
In 1997, Butcher began creating very large images up to 5' x 9' and needed a larger darkroom. To accommodate his expanding practice, he purchased a building located in an industrial park in Venice, Florida. The building is home to his 2,000 square foot darkroom as well as a gallery. The darkroom is open to the public twice a year for tours. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday, from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm.[7]
Conservation work
Butcher's deep appreciation for the Everglades inspired him to work for the restoration and preservation of the environment. He has received recognition for his community service as well as his photography. In 1992, PBS aired a documentary about him, Visions of Florida, which won a Wolfson Award.[8]
Butcher and his work have also inspired other artist-conservationists, such as film producer Elam Stoltzfus, who was struck by Clyde's art. The pair have formed a friendship over the years and have collaborated on several multimedia projects together as a result. Butcher hosted the documentaries "Big Cypress Swamp: The Western Everglades"[9] and "Kissimmee Basin: The Northern Everglades,"[10] sister films that highlighted the importance of conservation and art in the state of Florida.
Exhibitions
Clyde Butcher's photographs have been exhibited in many museums across the country including:
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