Herb Ringer facts for kids

Herb Ringer (born July 15, 1913 – died December 11, 1998) was an amazing amateur photographer. He loved to explore and capture the beauty of the American West and Canada. He took thousands of pictures of the countryside and wild places.

Early Life and Moving West

Herb Ringer was born in Brooklyn, New York. When he was young, his family moved to the Mt. Auburn area of Cincinnati.

In 1939, Herb made a big move to Reno, Nevada. This was the start of his lifelong adventure exploring the western parts of North America. He didn't just take photos; he also wrote down his thoughts and experiences in journals.

A Passion for Photography

Herb Ringer took an incredible number of photos – almost 10,000! He started with smaller 35 mm cameras. Later, he got a camera that used 120 film, which was a bit bigger.

He was also one of the first people to regularly use Kodachrome color film. This was special because it meant his photos captured the vibrant colors of the landscapes he visited.

Sharing His Work

In 1989, a newspaper called the Canyon Country Zephyr started in Moab, Utah. The publisher, Jim Stiles, loved Herb's work. He began featuring Herb's photos and his memories of the West from earlier times.

Even after Herb Ringer passed away in 1998, his incredible photos and stories continued to appear regularly in the Zephyr newspaper and on its website. This means his legacy lives on!

A Unique View of the West

Herb Ringer's photography was truly special. A documentary film called Brave New West even includes clips of him from the late 1980s and early 1990s.

In the film, Jim Stiles explains what made Herb's photos so unique. He said that while a regular tourist might take a picture of a famous landmark like Grand Arch, Herb would take a photo of the tourist taking the picture of Grand Arch! This shows that Herb was interested in how the West was changing and how people interacted with it. He was like a historian, capturing moments that showed the West transforming over time.