A Walk in the Garden

When Boulder photographer William Corey died of cancer in the spring, he left behind a beautiful legacy few can claim: hundreds of detailed images of gardens in Japan and other places in the world, many of them taken with an early-twentieth-century, wide-angle banquet camera of the kind once used to...

By Susan Froyd

September 25, 2008

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When Boulder photographer William Corey died of cancer in the spring, he left behind a beautiful legacy few can claim: hundreds of detailed images of gardens in Japan and other places in the world, many of them taken with an early-twentieth-century, wide-angle banquet camera of the kind once used to photograph large, formal groups. I had the luck to interview Corey ten years ago for these pages, and it’s one of those stories I’ve never forgotten: that of a man who worked slow in a medium usually associated with an instant outcome, willing to lug seventy pounds of old-fashioned equipment through paradise in order to achieve the perfect shot. “I wanted to photograph what valuable contributions mankind has made to the world. Gardens seemed like a good place to begin,” is how he explained it to me then.

Camera Obscura Gallery will pay tribute to Corey’s artistry with the William Corey (1949-2008) Memorial Exhibition, which opens today with a reception from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The show continues through November 9; go to www.cameraobscuragallery.com or call 303-623-4059. And for my 1998 profile of the artist, go to www.westword.com/1998-06-04/calendar/still-waters-run-deep.
Sept. 26-Nov. 9, 2008

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Susan Froyd started writing for Westword as the "Thrills" editor in 1992 and never quite left the fold. These days she still freelances for the paper in addition to walking her dogs, enjoying cheap ethnic food and reading voraciously. Sometimes she writes poetry.

Contact: Susan Froyd

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