A Tribute to Budd Watson (1929-1988)One of Canada's Finest Landscape Photographers
Budd Watson with his photo "Split Rock Sunset" - Staff Photographer Midland Free Press It's a shame how some talented people in Canada get forgotten and just disappear. One of these was photographer Budd Watson. Budd owned a photography store and gallery on King street in Midland, Ontario and his passion was photographing the landscape around Georgian Bay. I first met Budd when I walked into his photography store in the 1970's. I was just a teenager at the time, but keen to learn everything I could about photography. As I strolled through his gallery of photos, many of them several feet high, I was impressed at both their beauty and impact. One photo in particular captured my imagination "The Golden Wye River". It had a sullen mood and a sense of depth that drew me in and I would stare at the image for a long time. I often returned to his store to look at his photographs for ideas and inspiration and when Budd was present I fired questions at him and occasionally he would smile and answer and then sometimes he wouldn't. I am sure he didn't think a young teenager was really that interested in photography and I certainly did not have money to purchase one of his fine prints or take one of his workshops. Many years later my father purchased "The Golden Wye" for me as a present and it hangs prominently over my desk and it still inspires me today.
The Golden Wye River by Budd Watson Budd used primarily a large format camera (8x10 Linhoff) for making his large prints and he told me he photographed primarily using Kodak colour negative film as it was easier to control during printing. His prints were lavishly framed and coated with lacquer to preserve their colour and protect the print surface. The lacquer also added a texture that resembles the surface of a painting. The most striking aspect of his photos was how he captured the essence of light. His sunsets were not cliches, but carefully composed shots including silhouettes of white pine on granite islands near monument channel. I remember a photo of a barn with storm clouds taken in Lafontaine and wondered how he could get his camera set up quickly enough to capture such a fleeting moment. I also remember a photo of the suns rays peaking through the clouds on a winter day near Indian Harbour - called Winter Freeze Up . I wish I had known Budd better, his photos still linger in my mind, and although I have encountered the works of many of the best photographers from around the world somehow Budd's photos still stand out. It is regrettable that Bud did not publish a book of his photos, though my father mentioned that Bud had wanted to. The only photos that I could find are a few printed on small postcards which I have scanned for you to view below.
According to my father Budd set up a gallery in the old YMCA in Midland, but after several years had to sell for financial reasons. The town of Midland would not allow him to sell the gallery at first because it did not offer enough parking spots. It's a tragedy that the town did not provide more support for Budd's gallery which featured an important part of Canadian history. I believe Budd's photos are a valuable treasure and part of Canada's history like those of the paintings by the group of seven. In 1973 and 1979, Budd Watson had exhibits at the McMichael Gallery in Kleinburg, Ontario. Budd is one of the few photographers to have his work shown there. In 1967 Budd Watson toured the country with a photography presentation and slide show which gave him national and international acclaim. In 1976 he held his first photographic seminar in Toronto and it attracted more then 1,200 photographers. In 1985, one of Budd's photos was also selected for the cover of Bell Canada's phone book.
In spite of Budd's great talent, his work is not well known or recognized. In fact when I searched the Internet I could not find examples of his pictures or even a short biography (except see links below). I only found a few blogs where other photographers that knew or met Budd mentioned how significant his work was and how it inspired them as photographers. I have contacted galleries, museums and I am trying to contact some of his relatives to find out where his images might be and to officially get permission to show his images.
Mural in Midland Ontario honoring photographers Budd Watson and John W. Bald - photo by Karl Berdan
Budd Watson photographs on the wall from Kodak Publication Photo Decor 1982
Photograph of Barn in Lafontaine by Budd Watson taken from Kodak Publication Photo Decor 1982
Two Trees by Budd Watson - a gift of appreciation to my father Karl Berdan (see Letter PDF)
Budd Watson Gallery on Hugel Avenue West was built out of the old YMCA and operated until 1988 - photograph View Brochure for Budd Watson's My Canada Page 1 and Page 2 (JPG files) Download more information about Budd Watson from Midland Free Press (PDF May 25, 1988).
Budd Watson carrying his camera gear on top of the Hog Bay Trestle, Port McNicoll, Ontario ca 1970 photo by Karl Berdan.
Hog Bay Trestle photo by Budd Watson - courtesy of Bob Black Links:
If you have any information about Budd Watson or his photos and would be willing to share - I would appreciate hearing from you. If you own the rights to any image used on this page and do not wish for me to show it I will remove it immediately upon notice. I thank those that have provided images and permission to use them for this tribute. I only hope his negatives are being cared for and that one day more Canadians will have a chance to see his work. Sincerely DISCUSSION & COMMON QUESTIONS Q. What are Budd's old prints worth today? A. I have received a number of emails and phone calls of people that own a Bud Watson photograph and would like to sell it and find out what the photograph is worth. First let me say I am not an expert in evaluating the worth of Budd's photographs. His photographs did sell for several hundred to several thousand dollars in my days. The value of the photograph today will likely depend on the condition of the photograph (i.e. is there any evidence of fading etc), the size of the print and the buyers interest. I have seen some of Bud Watson's photographs for sale on E-bay for a few hundred dollars. My guess is that if you plan on selling one of his photographs you would be looking at a price of aproximately 50-100% of the original price. If Bud's work becomes better known in the future the prints could fetch a higher price then the original cost if the prints are still in excellent condition. Q. Does Budd have a book of his work published? A. No this is something he wanted to do, but to my knowledge his work was never published in a book other then samples of his work in Kodak publications shown above. I have been told there are grants available for publishing the work of past artists and I may look into this in the future if it is possible to get access to Bud's negatives or digital scanned files. Any such work would have to involve his surviving family. If you would like to fund such a project and have the money - Please let me know. Q. Is it possible to still buy some of Budd Watson's prints and who has his negatives? A. Budd's wife Lylie Watson still lives on Young Street in Midland Ontario and has Budd's negatives. If you are interested in purchasing a print from Budd you may wish to contact her - for privacy reasons I do not want to provide her phone number or street address, but you may be able to look that up in the Midland Phone book. I do not know whether or not she is receptive to being contacted so please use discretion if you do contact her.
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