Visit to Wildcat Hill, the Weston family's home

I don't think at that time I realized how important it was and how important it was for me to be here and carry on that legacy in our family of being a photographer. - Kim Weston

Kim Weston's darkroom - photo by Eduardo Fujii

Kim Weston's darkroom

Last Saturday, a group of local photographers from the Image Makers of Monterey and I carpooled to Wildcat Hill, named after the cats in the region, where Edward's grandson Kim, his wife and muse Gina, and son Zack greeted us with a warm welcome. I even left the house with a bag of freshly picked lemons.

The house doubles as a museum maintained in pristine condition as if time stood still since Edward lived there. A retouching desk led to a conversation where we learned that Edward was a master film retoucher and had worked on many images of Hollywood celebrities. It was an incredible experience to enter the very darkroom where one of the most innovative and influential American photographers developed and printed his masterpieces. Kim and Zach, both master photographers in their own right use a separate darkroom built outside the house. The Westons still have dinner at the same table where five-year-old Kim first met his grandfather. Edward's favorite dish was cottage cheese with avocado and green olive oil. Kim only got to know Edward's work assisting father Cole in the darkroom. Cole inherited the negatives after his father passed away and had all the rights to print them until he sold them to the Arizona Board of Regents' Center for Creative Photography.

The Westons are in their fourth generation now. They keep the film and darkroom tradition alive by creating art and offering workshops in many parts of the world. They founded The Weston Collective, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to "inspire the next generation of photographers through youth and after-school programs, mentorships, exhibitions, and community workshops.

 

There is nothing like a Bach fugue to remove me from a discordant moment... only Bach hold up fresh and strong after repeated playing. I can always return to Bach when the other records weary me. – Edward Weston

Edward Weston's darkroom - photo by Eduardo Fujii

Edward Weston's darkroom


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