Photography, Bill Hurter, Tony Corbell and a 2003 Throwback

The other night at WPPI several good friends met for dinner and a memorial toast to our good friend Bill Hurter. We chose Red Square at Mandalay Bay because it was the traditional location to celebrate each year after the convention was over.

Bill was past editor of Rangefinder and AfterCapture magazines and is still considered one of the very best editors to ever come through the photographic industry. Like the Wizard of Oz, he was the guy literally behind the curtain for every WPPI print competition from start to finish, as well as the speaker platform and the phenomenal growth of the magazines for so many years.

The truth is, even though WPPI discontinued the memorial award named after Bill two years ago, his influence on the process is undeniable. Without his guidance, the current competition would never have become the powerhouse that it was for so many years.

Please note: My apologies to the WPPI team. I had been told the award in Bill's name had been dropped. However, better resources have informed me there was an award given this year.

Looking through an old remote drive, I ran across this page from Rangefinder going back fifteen years ago, and it's perfect for Throwback Thursday.

Bill was always focused on helping photographers expand their skill set and came up with the idea one day to create a series of images together with their "recipes." The Rf Cookbook series was born! There was a new one in the magazine every month, most often tied to each issue's theme.

Tony Corbell and Bill shared many of the same goals, including helping photographers raise the bar on the quality of their images. He and Bill were the very best of friends. So, it's incredibly timely I'd find this at almost the same time as an evening of celebrating Bill's life and great stories, of which Tony shared a few of my favorites.

While it's true, we can never go back, that doesn't mean we can't appreciate the past and cherish those special moments and people who have been an influence in our lives.

Happy Throwback Thursday! 

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