Don Busath: Portrait Photographer
This past week Don Busath, a master photographer and someone who I consider one of my mentors passed away. I met Don in 2010 when Becca and I moved to Salt Lake City. Our first Sunday there, I sat down in a pew at church felt a soft tap on my shoulder. When I turned around to see who it was, Don introduced himself and his wife Donna.
During the next few years Don was very gracious to assist me with photographs and interviews for three documentaries (Salt Lake City: A Downtown Story, Brigham Street: Salt Lake City's Grand Boulevard and Temple Square). I enjoyed getting to know Don during this time and was inspired by his images and personal history.
“I was pulled into getting my first camera from my uncle. I’d been admiring his slide shows and photo albums that the family had for years. I went out on my lunch hour and bought a role of film at the Kodak store that was on the corner of Richards Street and South Temple. I walked up to Memory Grove, past the Capitol Building, retraced my steps and came back and dropped that role of film at that Kodak store. And the next day picked up that film and I was hooked for life.”
Don and Donna Busath outside their South Temple photo studio in Salt Lake City.
Don grew up in Salt Lake City and was introduced to photography as a teenager by his uncle. At age 18 he purchased his first camera and was hooked. After getting married and starting a family, Don worked as a ventilation mechanic in a downtown Salt Lake City office building and played trombone in the evening to support his family.
With what spare time he had, Don did freelance portraits for friends and neighbors. From his first roll of film, Don always saw himself as a professional and worked like one. Eventually Don was able to get a job working for Hal Rumel at his photo studio. This relationship lasted fifteen years and gave Don experience doing a variety of work including portraiture, aerials and commercial photography.
Eventually Rumel retired and Don and his wife Donna opened their own studio on State Street in Salt Lake City. Later the studio moved east a few blocks to a historic home on South Temple.
“I collected everything having to do with photography that I could study and learn. In my home I cleared out a dark coal bin and built a darkroom. And I was a photographer. There was no doubt in my mind that that was what I was doing. When I finally had a good resume of photographs I went to this guy named Hal Rumel. He looked a my resume of photographs that I had taken. And I had groups and I had lot of good variety. He says you go out tomorrow and he gave me an assignment list of what he wanted me to photograph. And then he gave me 12 sheets of film, 8x10 film. Most people pick up their point and shoot camera and they take 12 pictures before we even clear our throat! Well anyway, I very carefully followed that assignment and came back the next day with twelve sheets. He looked at the films and I had job.”
Don was well known for his ability to tell a story in a single portrait image. When I interviewed Don in 2012 for my documentary "Brigham Street," I asked if he'd stay an extra hour and let me ask him questions about his photographs. Since that time, I have approached each documentary interview I do like one of Don Busath's portrait sessions. I ask myself where I can I place my interview subject so that the viewer is not only able to hear their comments, but get a glimpse into their personality and life.
Here are several of Don's photographs and a short video I created from Don's comments about his portraiture style and passion for photography.
“I was raised in an era of magazines and newspapers and photographs on walls... and what I’ve rediscovered is when that shutter clicks, that moment in time cannot be repeated. Wow, that blows me away because a photograph with any importance in terms of subject matter and place, cannot be repeated and that’s exciting!”
“It’s incredible what imagery you can get if you interested in beautiful imagery.”
“This is a language that I can use... and I considered it a thing I had to do. I enjoy that capture of that slice of time as much now as I ever did.”