My father's timeline was almost impossible to decipher. He wasn't secretive in the least, but telling the difference between his tall-tales and reality was a futile effort. I encourage everyone to share some of his big-fish stories, real or imagined. Maybe some of them can even be verified!

Among the stories of questionable veracity, or at least as-yet unverified, was his work as assistant to Ansel Adams in Carmel CA. I got the impression it was in the late 60s or early 70s but I can't quite make that timeline fit, so he may have meant in the early 80's when he moved back to CA from VT.

Either way, he had an intimate understanding of Adams' iconic photograph, "Moonrise, Hernandez , New Mexico", and said he spent weeks trying and usually failing to make large prints of it that held up to Adams' exacting directions. Apparently most of his prints ended up getting ripped in half, with Adams firmly but benignly saying something to the effect of, "well, we'll try again tomorrow I guess". He said he still remembers the timings and where to dodge and burn, lamenting all the mass-market prints out there that don't hold up to his own scrutiny, much less Adams'.