I am not a full-time photographer. Although, with a stock agent in Seattle and this fine art web site, I do consider myself to be a professional. With stints in advertising, software, mergers & acquisitions, and corporate finance—photography has always been an important and meaningful creative outlet.

Growing up near Crystal Lake, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, my German father (Otto Buhl—an internationally renowned mink rancher in his day) inspired my interest in, and love of, photography. As far back as I can remember, dad had a Leica M3. In the late 60s, he purchased a Leicaflex—Leica’s first single-lens reflex (SLR) film camera. For those of you who don’t know your camera history, SLRs represented a technical breakthrough that enabled photographers to see through the lens to more accurately frame and focus the image (as opposed to the M3 that had a separate viewfinder).

That Leicaflex became my first camera.

I have difficulty keeping track of all my lenses today. But I will always remember my father’s three Leicaflex lenses:

All relatively heavy gear that I carried around faithfully.

I marveled at that 21mm F/4 Super Angulon with its square twist-on lens hood. Despite the curvature of the lens, the images were only mildly keystoned. (Interestingly, the Super Angulon was not made by Leitz, but rather it was manufactured by Schneider Kreuznach. The lens was manufactured until 1994—a 26-year run.)

It wasn’t until I moved to Seattle in the 80s that I learned how to shoot like a pro. One Saturday afternoon I participated in an Art Wolfe photography seminar held at the mid-level of the Space Needle. Art taught me how to stop-down my shots, under-exposing the film, resulting in more vivid transparency colors. That opened up my world.