Along The Way
Lou Swenson
Mar 21 - Apr 16

Lou Swenson's eyes were opened when he enlisted as a young Marine and was
quickly sent off to the mountain highlands of Korea. Little did he know
how much his mother's advice, "Take some pictures along the way," would
become prophetic in his future. His first Kodak Pony camera is where it all
started and later with a Leica he honed his talent to "see" all the way to
the jungles of Vietnam. Unfortunately, most of his negatives of the period
were lost in an oversea shipment.

Lou received a Batchelor's in Sociology at Kansas' Benedictine University, a
degree that helped him understand the human experience, eliciting
compassion, fomenting soul, and alerting us to history. His attention to
detail earned him a Masters of Photography degree from the Professional
Photographers of America followed by other numerous awards.

After serving careers in the military and as a commercial photographer, Lou
retired to his native Southwest, with roots spanning five generations in
Colorado and Utah. He settled in Dolores, Colorado and has devoted himself
to fine-art black and white photography. As a fine artist he believes in
doing his own lab work incorporating the finest archival presentations of
his images. In the digital era, Lou still prides himself in getting his
fingers wet.

For several years, Lou specialized in large format landscape work, but has
recently returned to his beginnings in documentary photojournalism. This
show represents Lou's work from 34-years ago to present. His photographs
range from social, religious, and economic commentaries in Kansas City to
pictorial ironies of modern-Indian culture. They can be described as funny,
tough, cynical, and poignant.