CALUMET

It must be where he comes from.

Wyatt McSpadden claims to be "from Austin, by way of Amarillo." That Panhandle identity must be where he gets the ability to high falutin' and powerful moments and make them drop-dead honest. The shot might be of President George W. Bush, T. Boone Pickens, or Michael Dell in dirty running shoes. Wyatt crops 'em, lights 'em, and throws angles on 'em to bring out portraits of pure truth. And, suddenly, we feel like we somehow know these complex and elusive folks.

It's probably no coincidence that Wyatt McSpadden's favorite subjects are, for the most part, either in Texas, from Texas, or are Texas. When Wyatt recently summarized his resume to an old friend, he said it went something like this: "1975: Started taking pictures. Still doin' it." He says he never considered any other options. So what you've got is a clear thinking, dyed-in-the-wool, tell-it-like-it-is, one-of-a-kind Texas shooter.

Once Wyatt landed the gig as Stanley Marsh 3's official photographer, his scope widened and he found himself documenting some of the biggest cultural icons in the country. Marsh 3 (not The Third) is one of Amarillo's favorite millionaire-philanthropist-pranksters, who is perhaps best known as the sponsor of the Cadillac Ranch. The world famous Cadillac Ranch, commissioned by Marsh in 1974, is still used in music videos, television commercials and rock-and-roll lyrics. Wyatt McSpadden's photographic record of the original "planting" of these 10 Cadillacs captures that now-nostalgic era long before health clubs and bottled water appeared on the scene. And no matter how many aspiring producers think they have the first ever, totally new portrayal of the legendary art project, it will always be the authenticity of Wyatt's work that tells the whole story.

Amarillo wasn't big enough to hold Wyatt McSpadden, but it gave him the scope of opportunity to be the big fish in a small, dry lake bed … and the naïveté that protected him from any anxiety about big-city competition. "My ambitions were bigger than the place I was in," says Wyatt. "I was doing whatever came in the door. Agricultural photography, table top, studio work."

Today, as you slowly scroll through the images on Wyatt's website, the faces in the portraits tell of a deeper connection to his craft. He reaches in and brings out the story behind his subjects.

But to have him tell it, Wyatt's story isn't about the famous people or places he shoots. He tells about being more inspired by his children—and shooting his kid's graduation day. He tells about shooting a conference of high school football coaches, "because high school football is synonymous with Texas." With childlike enthusiasm, he tells about how exciting it is to get access to cool, exclusive places.

And Wyatt McSpadden is very clear about the fact that he'd still be living in Amarillo, "probably in a refrigerator box," if not for Nancy McMillen. After 10 years of telephone-based communication (Nancy was an art director at Texas Monthly magazine for 23 years), their vendor-client relationship developed into a long-distance romance. Wyatt moved to Austin, they married four years later, and they're now halfway into year-15 of their marriage. Nancy's skills as an art director and photo editor (and sometimes counselor) come into play daily in her husband's intensely personal business.

Wyatt McSpadden | www.wyattmcspadden.com/

What's the best thing about being a pro?

In 1976 I hung my shingle out in Amarillo, Texas. I'm doing exactly the same thing now that I was doing then. I'm doing it in different ways and using different techniques. But in very real ways, I'm doing the same things.

The best thing about this job is the adventure. The access and the places you get to go that people typically don't get to go to. Whether it's a refinery, the office of a big-time CEO, the inside of a factory, or going into peoples' homes. It's a ticket to all kinds of things. But that's also part of the challenge—every situation you get into is new and different, and you've got to come away with a good photograph.

Did you study photography in school?

I did. I went to a very small photography school in Sacramento, California, for one year. Then I returned to Texas in 1975. I thought that I knew enough to do what I needed to do, but then, of course, I quickly learned that I didn't know very much at all. But I was able build to on the basic knowledge that I had gained at that school.

What is your advice for people planning to become pros?

I'd probably say, "don't do it," but you're not going to stop people from wanting to. I think it's really important to find a subject that you feel strongly about; that you love or feel passionate about. Use that as a structure or template to work within. The people who are buying pictures—editorial, advertising, kind of work—they're very sophisticated. Their style and their taste is so refined that you have to try to show them something they haven't seen before, which is increasingly difficult. So instead of saying, "gosh, I love taking pictures," if you want to do it as a professional, you need to find a subject and develop a body of work around that so that when someone looks at your work, they'll think, "these pictures are about something."

Was there one key thing you did that enabled you to go pro?

I never considered any other options. What helped me go pro was support of family. I was young and naïve about the bigger world and part of that was being from a small town—which in some ways was a help because I wasn't so aware of the barriers. Amarillo was a place large enough to make a living, but small enough to get noticed and not be overwhelmed.

Are there any secrets to getting through the first few years of working professionally?

If you get into a situation where people are actually hiring you, realize that your work has value to your clients. Don't just give up all the rights because you're happy that someone's hiring you to take a picture. It's a business and you've got to operate like it's a business. There's such an emotional component to what we do. There's an eagerness to please and to have people approve of your work. But it's good to be able to step away from it and realize that you're producing a commodity that someone wants to use to produce or sell their commodity. Don't ever just give your work away.

How do you make yourself stand out from the competition in the beginning?

It goes back to having a subject. You're building a portfolio. These days it's harder and harder to be a generalist like I was when I started out. I shot everything from cattle to catalogues! Now it's more important for you to have a visual style that stands out.

I had to be a generalist because that's what the marketplace required. I shot all formats, had a studio and all the paraphernalia. Now there are so many more people doing specific things so well that it's more important to develop a personal style. There are also some super-talents that stand out. Like Dan Winters. I love his work. There's a young kid named Peter Yang who recently moved from Austin to New York who is a sort of transcendent talent. He can go into any situation and make a beautiful portrait. And it's always got a little quirk or twist to it. You've got to get familiar with who else is out in the marketplace; what the look is, who's doing what. Emulate the look or develop one of your own —if you can create one of your own, that's all the better.

What was your worst mistake ever on a shoot?

I made a lot of mistakes. The best/worst one was when we arrived at a location and we didn't have our strobe power packs. We'd driven from Austin to Beaumont Texas —300 miles—to take pictures of old Texas dance halls! So we just had to figure out how to do the pictures without the stuff. That's when I started using a checklist. No power packs. That's probably a common mistake, but I haven't done anything like that in a pressure situation, where you have Michael Dell, for instance, and you're taking corporate pictures for the annual report. You have your stuff together for that one.

What was your best assignment ever?

There's a whole lot of best ones. I went to the Mississippi Delta with a writer friend of mine for 10 days doing a story about all those Mississippi juke joints and honky-tonk bars. I shot all black-and-white. We had time and we had a little budget. It was a wonderful assignment. Recently there was a three-day conference of high school football coaches here in Texas. It was a huge deal—because you know, high school football in Texas is a huge deal. This was a conference that's been going on for 33 years. So I set up a background and wandered around picking up coaches to take shots of and I did these real nice portraits of each one. That was a blast.

Aspiring pros sometimes become blocked putting together their first portfolio. How do you overcome this barrier?

You have to be realistic and critical of your images. If you have any misgivings, don't put it in. Focus. Style. Subject. It's got to be a beautiful presentation. Clean and short.

What's the most important personal quality to have to help ensure success as a pro?

I like people. What I've done for the last 14 years has been editorial portraiture. I found out that's what I'm good at. And though you don't always connect with the subject, I appreciate the fact that people are willing to take the time to let me take their photograph, and I want them to have a good time while it's going on! I want them to enjoy the process because I want to enjoy it too!

How do you balance work/personal life?

I took up golf nine years ago. It was the first time I had a hobby. I fell in love with it. And so it's been a great outlet for me. I bring my Border Collie with me (some courses in Austin actually let you bring your dog!). I have great shots of my dog on the golf course.

What photo accessory is indispensable?

The thing that I've had the longest that I value the most is my Gitzo tripod. I hardly ever do anything without it. Everything changes, but I keep going back to that.

How has the business changed recently?

Obviously the explosion in the digital world. For someone like me who has come up in a more traditional or old school world, it's been a challenging transition, but it's getting more fun for me. I'm 60% film and 40% digital. I have finally begun to make pictures that I actually like with my digital camera.

Do you still work in the darkroom?

I still use a dark room. In fact, I just got through doing 30 prints of these coaches.

What got you interested in photography?

I got interested in photography and had friends who were into it during high school. After graduating in 1970, I went to work for Stanley Marsh—the guy who commissioned Cadillac Ranch. Stanley's an eccentric millionaire who had a big home out in the country on lots of land. He had a bunch of hippies working for him out there. He also had kids, lots of animals, and was involved in the creation of various art projects, so he always wanted to have a photographer around. One day circumstances were such that I became the official photographer for Toad Hall (the name Stanley gave to his home and headquarters). That's what put me in the position to document Cadillac Ranch being built. I was always taking pictures of art projects and all kinds of zany stuff that was going on out there. Later, when I was figuring out what I was going to do with my life (instead of remaining a hippie at Stanley Marsh's house), I started scouting around for photography schools.

What was your first camera, and how old were you? How did you get it?

I remember my grandmother gave me a Brownie Hawkeye. But the first camera that I ever really used that got me doing what I'm doing was a Petri 35mm. And the Exaktas—but one camera that I still use now that I bought in 1974 is a Rolleiflex. Beautiful, twin lens Rolleiflex. I still use it now for family pictures and vacation pictures.

What photographer(s) inspired you?

Arnold Newman, who recently passed away.

What is your favorite photography book?

Newman did a book, One Mind's Eye. That one always fascinated me. Plus I had a series of books, Time Life Photography Books. I used to look at them for hours.

How do you find inspiration in your daily professional life?

I don't have to be inspired every day! Professionally, it's just a personal need to try to do the best I can do. Some assignments are more exciting, some subjects more appealing. But at the end of the day, you still have to do the best you can possibly do. Because the people you're competing with are doing that.

Would you like to recognize any teacher that was inspiring beyond the call of duty?

Years ago at a small advertising agency in Amarillo there was an older art director named Bill Thomas who'd worked all over the U.S. He was kind of a troubled character who eventually moved back to Amarillo. He really ran me through the mill. He liked me, and was willing to spend time with me, but he was brutally critical—I remember shooting and re-shooting until something finally pleased him. He was my first art director, and his demand for high standards has always stuck with me. It didn't make any difference that he was working in a small agency in Amarillo, the expectation was always perfection. He made me see things that I wouldn't otherwise have seen.

Does Stock figure into your work?

I sell some stock. I do quite a bit of work for different business magazines so that's a good thing about being an editorial photographer. I retain the rights (the magazine gets one time usage). So I have lots of images of Michael Dell, and Skilling and the guys from Enron. That's been a pretty good secondary revenue.

Do you use a rep or an agent?

Never used an agent.

Do you have any ongoing personal photographic projects?

I still love taking pictures of my kids. My younger son just graduated from college in Baltimore. I took this picture of him in his cap and gown standing in the middle of the street right outside the railroad tracks with one foot on a manhole cover. It was such an exciting picture to print because it reminded me of this whole magic of photography.