Local Artist

Robert Schwein - Photography

My exposure to the camera and darkroom began as a ten year old in 1951 under the tutelage of my best friend's father and next door neighbor. My first camera was a Kodak Duaflex reflex model using 620 black and white film. My love of the media continues to this day.

I began my engineering career as a metallurgist and metallographer in a materials testing laboratory. A major portion of my work involved technical photography using optical and electron microscopes. Often the microstructures of engineering materials are natural art forms. Discovery of this led me to explore the art forms of our natural environment with a camera.

As my skills developed, my interests broadened leading me to pursue course work and a Certificate in Photography from the University of California, San Francisco Extension. Exposure to the work of Salgado, Lange, Kertesz, Evans and others has led me to my greatest challenge of photographing people in their everyday surroundings.

I have exhibited my work in many group and one-person venues in California. Photojournalistic assignments for non-profits have taken me to Viet Nam and to Guatemala on several occasions.

My black and white work is done with classical film and darkroom chemistry. I work with medium format and large format, view camera equipment. I enjoy the challenge of taking a negative through the exposure, developing and printing stages attempting to recreate the image impressed in my mind from the field.

I am a member of the Bay Area group, i-contact and a past member of the Bay Area Photographers' Collective.

Contact Information: Robert Schwein PO Box 383 Point Arena, CA 95468 Email: rschwein@hughes.net Phone: 707-884-1356 Website: www.icontact.org

© copyright 2008 - all rights to the images are retained by the artist