Jamison Larry Photography

Information may not be reliable

My interest in photography goes back to my early teens when I did table top photography of my model car collection and read photo books I got at Santis Camera and Coin in Watsonville, California. My very first camera was a Sears Tower Box Camera which you flipped over to a different viewfinder to do horizontal photos. My first professional photos were the photographs I did for my Senior High School in Ada, Minnesota, when I rented a 35mm Camera from a local camera store to capture the fun of Senior Skip Day in exchange for a free year book. I was able to save money from an early job I had setting pins at a bowling alley to buy my first adjustable setting camera, a Kodak Pony 828 which used roll film that was the same width as 35mm film but without the sprocket holes. I was not mature enough for college at 17 so I had my parents sign a waiver so I could join the Army in 1960. Photography remained a hobby during those Army years of 1960 to 1963 when I was in Ft. Hood, Texas, Ft. Monmouth, N.J and Ft. Dix, N.J. I photographed Army buddies and parades with the Pony 828. Upon my discharge from the Army, I worked in the lettuce fields around Santa Cruz and Monterey County to supplement my college fund money provided by my father. I saved some of this money to purchase two SLR cameras, the Nikkorex 35mm by Nikon, a cousin to the famous Nikon F that used a loud Copal Square metal shutter and the same lenses as the big Brother Nikon. It was with this camera that I did some more professional photography. I used an eye piece from a pair of binoculars which allowed me to take photos through a microscope for a Geology professor who needed them for publication to get a Masters Degree. I dont recall what I was paid for that job but the satisfaction of having photographs published was worth more than the money.

At San Jose State College where I graduated from in 1969 I started out as a business major but I changed to photojournalism because I kept passing by a display of 16 x 20 black and white photojournalism prints to get to a English novel class in the same building. My grades began to improve after switching majors. Even my presentations in Speech class improved because I was talking about something I was interested in. Following graduation in January 1969, my first photography job was with the Kent News Journal in Kent, Washington as a photojournalist. After one year there I got an opportunity to come back to California as I was laid off. (long story!) My next job was on the Telegram-Tribune in San Luis Obispo as a staff photographer for 5 years where I once got listed in the top ten photographers of California Press Photographers Region 10 because of points I scored in a clip contest. My career there lasted until 1975 when I decided to establish Larry Jamison Photography while I still lived in the Old Warden Building built in 1897. I remodeled portions of my apartment to create a photography studio including Camera Room, darkroom and sales area. After 29 years there, my downtown existence ended in December 2004 because Rob Rossi had bought the building and needed apartment tenants evicted in 60 days because of the need to retro-fit and restore the building. I used 40 of those 60 days to find a nice apartment in the Felton Manor, built in 1989 where I write this today.

My plans for now are to continue to offer fine photography to the public in the areas of family, children and glamour photography. I will continue to use film cameras because of the fine resolution it offers. Of course this means that there will be a 4 to 5 day time passage before clients can see my proofs but quality cannot be rushed. I can only do location photography so I will bring my cameras and lights to you. This will include outdoor portraits and photos at any other location such as your home. I look forward to serving the public once again.