Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Celebrating local photographer Fred Weyman
Anybody who says there is nothing of value on social media has never seen Fred Weyman’s photos.
WEST CHESTER » Anybody who says there is nothing of value on social media has never seen Fred Weyman’s photos.
It was on Facebook that I recently discovered Weyman’s colorful and delightful photographs of the Brandywine Valley.
The West Goshen Township resident uses a digital Nikon camera to beautifully capture the landscapes of Valley Forge National Historical Park.
He is attracted to the “rural atmosphere in the middle of suburbia,” he said about the park. “The historic aspect is important. “It all works together.” Surprisingly, in high school and at Earlham College, in Indiana, the 63-year-old shot mostly sports for the school yearbook and newspaper.
Now he photographs primarily landscapes.
“People say I have a good eye because of my composition, but every picture that fits in my good category has that critical moment.
“You get that feeling before you take that picture, taking the picture is just that formality.”
Weyman was hooked on photography during his freshman year at Westtown School after discovering the darkroom there.
Seeing the pictures
come up in a chemical bath, watching them appear and to have a degree of control over the final product, was all magical.
Weyman learned to manipulate and change the image from film to photographic paper.
“I did my time in the darkroom,” he said.
The Baroque recorder instrumentalist evaluated hazardous waste sites for toxic admissions at big industrial facilities and manufacturing plants. He is single with no children and enjoys classical music.
His first big project, a coffee table book of the Sierra Nevada, “High Sierra, the Range of Light,” features photos snapped from Lake Tahoe to Yosemite, and then some. He is working on another book depicting the Brandywine Valley.
“People say the Sierra are the most beautiful mountains in the world,” Weyman said with a smile. “I’m not going to disagree
with them since I haven’t been to as many mountains as some people.”
Weyman hikes and backpacks. His best work is done alone.
“It’s unique — sometimes you see no one,” he said. “It’s more fun with friends, but better pictures with myself.”
Timing plays a major role.
The photographer patiently waited eight years to capture an oak tree overlooking a reservoir in Sacramento at sunset. He rode five miles each way by bike to capture the perfect image.
“It was my common evening workout to check out the sunset and usually not take a picture,” he said. So, he waited. “I wanted to get just the right sunset behind it — and got a good one,” he said. “Those aren’t instants. “A sunset lasts.” I’m moved by Weyman’s work. He creates a mood. You feel like you are there.
I need to get back to Valley Forge soon, but I can always feel like I’m visiting when viewing Weyman’s photos.
To view hundreds of Weyman images, most locally photographed, go to https://www.flickr.com/ photos/foweyman/albums
Prints are available on Weyman’s website, www. fineartamerica.com/profiles/fred-weyman
Bill Rettew is a weekly columnist and Chester County native. While he shoots mostly politicians and ribbon cuttings for work he enjoys taking photos of landscapes on weekends with his cell. He may be contacted at brettew@dailylocal.com.