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Linda Tabler is exhibiting some of her prints at El Rancho Robles. John Hernandez | Miner
San Manuel Miner
Linda Tabler is an award winning photographer and artist. She started out as a painter until her studio in Santa Barbara, Calif. burned down and destroyed all of her paintings. A friend gave her a 35 mm camera and suggested she start photography. She taught herself how to use the camera and with her artistic eye a new career was born. Photography has been her main medium since 1985.
Linda grew up near Omaha, Nebraska. When she was nine years old she began taking private art lessons. She studied under Fran Day at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha until she was 18. She has a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Nebraska. She has had her paintings and photographs in shows in Cincinnati, Santa Barbara, Nebraska, Kentucky and Arizona. Some of the awards she has won include the Kodak Kinsa Award, photojournalism 1985; Merit Award, Carnegie Art Center, “Vision On Tap II”, Covington Kentucky; Merit Award, Fitton Center for the Arts, “GHAE’02”, Hamilton, Ohio 2002; and Best of Show, Period Gallery, “Faces”, Omaha, Nebraska 2003.
One of her favorite subjects to photograph is vintage automobiles. She has been doing it over 20 years and was one of the first women photographers to do so. She calls it a labor of love. She said she loves the lines of vintage automobiles and prints her car photos on metallic paper for that chrome and metal glimmer of those wonderful old cars. Many of her pictures are taken at vintage car shows and she understands the love, work and care people put into the cars they display.
Linda was part of the recent Oracle Artist Studio Tour. She displayed her cibachrome (direct color prints), black and white prints plus hand colored prints of classic and vintage automobiles at the Carriage House at El Rancho Robles. Her photographs will continue to be on display through the end of the month at El Rancho Robles. You may see pictures of full classic automobiles, a shiny grille of a Coupe de Ville, a hood ornament from a vintage auto, or perhaps a bright red tail light of a ’63 Comet sticking out of the snow. Her show pays homage to her husband Jeff who passed away a few years ago. She started her journey of car photography with Jeff on a back road in Kentucky during a snow storm. He was instrumental in her development as a photographer. Jeff knew all about vintage cars from their history to their makes, models and engines.
If you are a car buff, you will greatly enjoy the show and will probably walk away with a framed piece of art or ask Linda to photograph your classic car. Art fans will enjoy the beauty and creativity of Linda’s works. Who knows, you might have seen Linda taking pictures at the Oracle Car Show this past Saturday, April 26. Linda Tabler Photography does art photographs, weddings and portraits. You can contact her at 859-250-5160 or lindatablerphotography5@earthlink.net.
John Hernandez lives in Oracle. He is retired and enjoys writing and traveling. He is active in the Oracle Historical Society. He covers numerous public events, researches historical features and writes business/artist profiles.
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