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Monte Nagler: A Free Spirit Who Dared to Soar
By Della Cassia
Taken from the Farmington/Farmington Hills Gazette
Through the lens of his
camera he has managed to capture the beauty of nature and its wonders
for all of us to enjoy.
His photography talents have earned him national recognition and respect.
But for Monte Nagler, photography came as a surprise-he stumbled upon
it haphazardly when he was 29 years old.
Nagler, a Farmington Hills resident who was born and raised in Ann Arbor,
obtained his degree in engineering as well as his MBA from the University
of Michigan and went on to work at Ford Motor Company.
His distaste for corporate politics and love for freedom spurred Nagler
to leave his well-paying job and sizeable benefits and open two Midas
muffler shops.
Even though he was finally free from the bounds of bureaucracy, Nagler
still yearned to do something different. That's when he stumbled upon
photography.
"If somebody had told me that I would be a photographer by my 301s, I
would've laughed at them," said Nagler. "It started as a hobby, but I
got into it real fast."
Now, Nagler is not only a renowned black and white photographer with exhibits
all over the United States and various awards and recognition to his name,
but also a published author and a lecturer at numerous schools in the
state.
What is more impressive, is that Nagler is self-taught. Besides attending
a few photography classes and spending one week in California in 1979
with world famous photographer Ansel Adams, who became Nagler's friend
and role model, he developed his talent on his own. His love for photography
developed fast. Soon after he attended his first photography class, he
joined a camera club, only to become its president shortly thereafter.
He then went on to sell his two Midas muffler shops and concentrate on
photography full time. "I thought, wouldn't be neat to do this as a living?"
said Nagler. "If I didn't try it I wouldn't know."
What sets Nagler apart from other photographers is his humble approach
to his craft. He admires and collects the works of other photographers
and is not afraid to show his admiration for them. Since he became a photographer,
Nagler has made it a point to study and collect the work of others in
the field.
His house in Farmington Hills is a showcase for a large collection of
black and white photographs, mostly originals, taken by well known national
and international photographers, including some of Ansel Adams'. He is
not too proud to admire and share the works of others with visitors and
with his students.
He even strips down his walls every time he is teaching a class in order
to share his collection with his students, something he says helps to
motivate them.
"Everything I know I share with others," said Nagler. To that end, he
teaches various classes around town, especially at the Longacre House
and Schoolcraft College. He also teaches a darkroom class in his house
and offers various workshops for corporations.
Also, once a year, Nagler organizes a trip to an international destination
with about 15 students to study photography. His love for travel has allowed
Nagler to bring the far corners of the world closer to home in a unique
and creative way.
Unlike Adams, who Nagler says did not have much of a chance to travel
outside the United States, he spends almost six months a year going to
various destinations around the world looking for the unique and original.
His photography collection, includes shots from Spain, England, France,
Canada, New Zealand, Australia, China and Korea and many more. His next
trip will take him to Thailand.
He also spends time traveling nationally to places such as California,
Arizona, New Mexico, Louisiana and of course to various places in his
home state of Michigan.
While he has concentrated on landscape photography throughout his career,
Nagler has also dabbled in nude photography. Nagler's photography technique
is simple. He doesn't believe in taking hundreds of shots at a time. He
believes in spending time in the area that he wants to shoot and becoming
familiar with it before starting to take photos.
"I just look for subjects that moves me that turns me on," said Nagler.
Nagler's photographs can be found in many collections including the Detroit
Institute of Art, the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, The Brooklyn
Museum and Ford Motor Company. He has written two books: How to Improve
Your Photographic Vision and Statements of Light.
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