Local Photographer Captures Extraordinary Beauty
by Matt WeiserTerry Long sees beauty where others may only see the ordinary. It’s one mark of a good photographer. Long’s images of White Pine County, Nev., capture scenes that thousands of people — locals and tourists alike — drive past every day without so much as a second glance. He manages to make them extraordinary, inspiring a new appreciation for the high landscapes of the Great Basin. For instance, his image of a red barn on the county golf course: It would prompt even a lifelong Ely resident to think, “That must be Wyoming.”
His photo of a rusting antique truck in the snow conjures those celebrated images of Bodie, the ghost town and state park in California’s eastern Sierra. But it was shot just off Highway 93 in Ely. Long says scouting the location and framing the image are two of his secrets. “One of my philosophies is what you don’t see in a photograph is what makes that photograph,” he says. Long, an Ely resident, began dabbling in photography with a Polaroid camera as a child.
Inspired by his artistic family, he tried everything they were doing: His mother’s painting; his brother’s sculpture; even his sister’s knitting and crochet. None stuck. “I tried all the mediums that were in my family, and I just couldn’t handle it,” says Long, 65. “So I tried photography, and it took.” In 1971, at the age of 17, he joined the Navy and graduated to a Pentax 35mm camera. But he soon set the camera aside as his military career got busier, including two separate stretches in the Army as a military policeman. After retiring from the military, Long moved to Ely in 1997 to work as a correctional officer at Ely State Prison. And he became inspired by the landscape.
The dark skies and vast distances of Nevada’s remote basin and range country turned the photography itch back on. His portfolio now includes a wide range of local subjects, from bucolic still life shots in Ely neighborhood gardens, to night-sky images of Great Basin National Park. He has also photographed many other landscapes and national parks around the West. But if there’s a common theme, it’s the wondrous scenery of White Pine County, a treasure often taken for granted by those who rush through. “The place just reeks of photography,” he says.
Long has no formal training as a photographer. He’s mostly self-taught, with the exception of special photography workshops he has attended. Yet he clearly has a gifted eye, and a willingness to pay some dues to get a special image. Like his photo of Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park. These days the park is so popular, it can be difficult to photograph the arch without people in the frame. So he planned to be there on Christmas morning three years ago. And he made sure to arrive at sunrise, despite a temperature of 14 degrees below zero.
“A good view doesn’t necessarily make a good photograph, “ he said. “The lighting is what really makes the photograph.” This approach lends a stunning aspect to his photo of Highway 50, “The Loneliest Highway in America.” Many people enjoy photographing the iconic road, which seems to stretch away to infinity across the Silver State’s emptiness.
Long’s version is uniquely evocative and luminous, thanks — again — to the photographer’s hard work and patience. It is one of his most popular images. Long’s photos are on display and for sale at the Ely Art Bank on Aultman Street, and via his website (terrylongphoto.com). He prints and frames them himself, helping to keep costs down. “My prices are dirt cheap,” he says. “I’m not in it to make money.
I keep my prices as low as possible — for the common people.” Today, Long shoots with Sony A-7 digital cameras and Canon lenses. He still attends workshops for inspiration and to hone his skills. He also leads his own workshops in the Ely area for aspiring photographers. These are offered informally via Facebook. And they are free. “I don’t want to discourage people from getting out to take pictures, and money might do that,” Long says. “I’ll post a photo and ask people, ‘Do you want to take pictures like this?’ So I invite them out and I show them how to take these pictures.” Participants need bring only camera — and a willingness to hear the hard truth about their pictures. “I’ve gotten chastised on Facebook for being blunt. If it’s not a good picture, I’m going to tell them,” he says. “But I’ll also give them some pointers.”
For more information:
Terry Long Photography
Ely Art Bank