Marty Knapp

Marty Knapp makes his home with his wife, Jean Wason Knapp, in the village of Point Reyes Station on the northern California coast. From there, he has ventured out to photograph the landscape for nearly thirty years. Fascinated by the way light and shadow create compelling scenes in nature,  he works exclusively in classic black and white. Marty's prints are shown at his gallery on Highway One in Point Reyes Station. His works reside in public and private collections world-wide and have been featured in numerous publications including Lenswork and Black & White Magazine. In 2011 he made his last traditional silver gelatin prints and now uses digital equipment and techniques to create his artwork. Marty also teaches photo workshops and coaches other photographers. His photography can be seen online at MartyKnapp.com.

The photograph Storm Approaches the Farallones is featured in Marty Knapp's book Point Reyes 20 Years. It was made in April, 1989 as Marty recorded a storm sweeping from the north, about to engulf the rocky islands. Here's an excerpt from the essay that accompanies the photograph:

"At around 3 P.M., I left home and drove over the Inverness Ridge on Limantour Road. Just after the summit, there's a pull-off to the right where you get a panoramic view of the Point and Drakes Bay. I stopped there and unloaded my camera and tripod. Extreme weather was blowing in from the north from a low front centered in the Gulf of Alaska. The sky was gorgeous and just a little bit scary. On the southern horizon, the Farallon Islands were vividly clear. Normally these ancient mountain peaks are obscured by the prevailing haze. To the north, and moving on a collison course with the islands, was an ominous wall of clouds and rain. I put the longest lens I owned on my camera, and in a few minutes, I recorded the magnificent energy of the storm just before it engulfed the islands."