Photo Contest 2003 | Palo Alto Online |

12th Annual Palo Alto Weekly Photo Contest
First Place, Peninsula Images

"A Touch of Class"
By J. Lawrence Naiman

About J. Lawrence Naiman

To J. Lawrence Naiman, photography is more than just a passing interest.

"My early cameras were hand-me-downs from my older brother. I built a small darkroom in our basement," he recalled.
Naiman had darkrooms in most of his homes until he switched to digital a few years ago. In high school he had a part-time job assisting a commercial photographer at weddings and in his dark room, and was given his first new camera as a graduation gift.

Click on photo for larger image.

A retired pediatric hematologist, he often used his photography expertise to photograph patients or even to take photos of blood cells under the microscope for use in teaching and publication. Not long before he retired, he was introduced to the concept of artistic expression in photography through the Palo Alto Camera Club.

"Seeing and discussing the work of talented individuals, and visiting art and photography exhibits at museums and galleries in the Bay Area has helped me to better see subjects that might make interesting photographs."

After many trips to Death Valley, he has taken a particular interest in photographing the California desert.

"A Touch of Class" was taken at last year's Palo Alto Councours D'Elegance at Stanford. Naiman was struck by an ornamental white hat on a car.

"Its fine texture, color and shape enclosed by the chrome window trim fit in beautifully with the shades of red -- to me capituring the essence of the show," he said. See also his biography for having won first place in the Views Beyond the Peninsula category.

-- Miriam Boon

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