M e CI ac I camas P rìnt
5
Feature
WEÓNEsdAy, NovEMbER 29, 2000
ew photojournalism teacher brings a lifetime of experience
SANDY LUPO
Opinion Editor
Above: Max Gutierrez, professional photographer and Clacka
mas photojournalism instructor, in action at the Washington Park
Zoo.
Below: The Print chose this photo essay of the playful bear with
frisbee, again at the Washington Park Zoo, as one of the series at
which Gutierrez excels- fast shooting and steady aim earned
Gutierrez UPl's "Photographer of the Year" award for his Mt. St
Helens work. Gutierrez free lances and teaches today.
Max Gutierrez, Clackamas pho
tojournalism instructor, has photo
graphed every president of the
United States since John F.
Kennedy, and was named photog
rapher of the year by United Press
International, his employer, for his
work on Mt. St Helens the year it
erupted, 1980.
Gutierrez has taught photography
since 1972, long before his retire
ment from UPI. He uses his own
35mm slides to teach lighting tech
niques for the time of day and the
time of year, the effects oftelephoto,
wide angle or fish-eye lenses; and
the use of such gear as polarizing
filters and infra red color film. Intiiis
class, seeing is learning.
Gutierrez has seen a lot, and got
ten the pictures. He began his pho
tography career with UPI in 1955 in
San Francisco, his hometown,
with him was something special."
UPI sent Gutierrez from Portland to
cover the kidnapping of 45 school chil
dren and their bus driver outside
where he covered the Presidio, the
hippie movement and the Vietnam
War protests.
Portland has been no less excit-
ing for this professional since he
transferred to the Rose City in 1969.
Gutierrez traveled to Alaska when the
pipeline was being built, and again
when it exploded; he “covered” the
Sunshine Mine disaster in Idaho when
only two of 95 trapped miners were
Fresno, CA; to photograph the DC
plane crash at 159* and Bumside; to
follow the Rajneeshees in Central Or-
egon; to snap Magic Johnson and
other great athletes; and to cover the
Mt. St. Helens eruption and its after
math.
“I just shot anything that moved,”
he joked.
Steve Tank, who makes his living as
an aerial photographer, printer and pro
cessor, attends the Thursday evening
class at Clackamas.
“I’ve known Max almost 25 years,”
rescued; he photographed Evil
Knievel’s unsuccessful attempt to leap
the Snake River Canyon; and he spent
an evening with President Kennedy
at Yosemite National Park, CA.
“He offered us coffee and he was a
very nice man. (Just) to be in his room
ft
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAX GUTIERREZ
he said, “ and he is still my inspira
tion.”
Gutierrez inspires not only with his
skill, but also with his ongoing dedi
cation to the work he loves. In addi
tion to the class at Clackamas, he
free-lances photographic assign
ments for magazines and newspa
pers, works two days a week at Citi
zens’ Photo in SE Portland, and
teaches photography at the Metro
politan Learning Center one night a
week.
“I found out long ago that if you
don’t keep active, you will stagnate,”
he remarked.
Gutierrez and his wife Carole live in
Portland, and share Carole’s hobby of
gardening when the photographer is
not on assignment They raised eight
children, who visit, or whom they visit,
whenever possible.
Photo Contest
hosted by
The Clackamas Print
"THEME"
CLACKAMAi COMMUNITY COLLEGE
PEOPLE AND EVENTS
•Entry deadline Friday, Feb. 16th
• Submit one 4x6 photo to Mike
Pollock in room B104 with full name
and a short description
•Winning photo will be published in the
paper
•Photos will not be returned