Havre photographer featured at Clack Museum

Cecil Durbin bought his first 35mm camera while stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army. He immediately fell in love with photography, not realizing at the time that he would develop a real passion for it later.

When his youngest son, Paul, was 10, he wanted and received a camera for his birthday. He loved taking pictures of anything and everything. They were soon taking field trips together and reading anything that would help them become better photographers.

After moving to Havre in 1986, Durbin became very serious about photography as a hobby and took correspondence courses to improve his understanding of the art.

Durbin's work will be featured at the Clack Museum in the Heritage Center Tuesday through July 14. A reception will be held Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Clack Museum. Admission is free and everyone is welcome.

Durbin especially enjoys nature and wildlife photography. Whether it is the delicacy of an apple blossom, the intricacy of an iris, the charm of a young fox, the drama of a coiled rattler, early morning frost, an awesome sunrise or sunset, or gargantuan rock formations, God's creations offer a potpourri of never-ending photo opportunities.

More often than not, the best photos are those taken after setting the alarm for an absolutely ghastly time of day, when the inclination is just to roll over. The lighting early in the day or late in the afternoon makes for much better scenic photos and the best opportunity to see wildlife. Another favorite subject of Durbin's is abandoned homesteads around the Havre area. If only some of those walls and rafters could speak.

Nearly all of his photos are shot with Fuji Velvia 50 slide film with a Canon EOS camera system and lenses.

Matted and framed photos are available at Ben Franklin Crafts in Havre. Shane Lundin and Jim Nesslar performed all matting and framing at Ben Franklin Crafts.