
Self Portrait —Murray in the doorway to his studio
Photos featured courtesy of Murray Rockowitz
Portrait photographer Murray Rockowitz has captured the image of and made photos of at least a couple of thousand of people over a period just shy of a quarter of a century in or around his second story studio overlooking historic downtown Petaluma.
It is the end of an era in that the master portrait maker is moving out of his fabled digs for a new free-wheeling chapter of field work, camera in hand, inspiration renewed.
In Murray's own words: "I had the notion the studio chose me. People came to the studio rather than me going to them, more often than not." Why? "Because I followed my passion as a photographer to master the art of the hardest of all portraiture, the studio portrait," he said. "There is nothing to lean on beyond the subject, the camera and the photographer, no help from the environment."
The studio that chose Murray is now visibly sagging with age, poised for some new chapter of its own, located upstairs in The Steiger Building, the site of Petaluma's first general store, a lilac and green trimmed iron front Victorian storefront built in the mid 1800s. The building, like its neighboring structures was constructed with a lack of forethought for future generations in so far as it turns its back to the river that ferried boatloads of produce, poultry and dairy products to San Francisco and Oakland during the Gold Rush era. Back in those days, the river was a freeway or sorts and a new downtown had no time for river walks and water front cafes.
The Steiger Building and most other early Victorian buildings in its vicinity were fortunate to survive the 1906 earthquake that more severely rattled San Francisco to the south and Santa Rosa to the north. The city's first Independence Day celebration is believed to have been held on this same site on July 4th, 1852, assumedly attended by the proprietors, staff and family of neighboring businesses, a flour mill, an early hotel, butcher shop and bakery that catered to an influx of new arrivals in a growing community in the heart of a most fertile valley.
It's hard to picture, today, the fleets of schooners, sloops and paddle wheelers that once transported such volume of people and goods along this narrow waterway earning Petaluma the title of third busiest inland port in the state.
Time stops for no one and The Steiger Building has recently changed hands. The portrait photographer's long time lease has come to an end.
The medium of photography and the appreciation of fine art photography have also changed. During our wintery afternoon catch-up, Murray talked of how photography has become more "democratic," and how his career as a portrait photographer is taking on an evolution of its own. It was a suitably atmospheric early March afternoon, sitting across from one another in the low light, comfortably nestled on a pair of vintage velvet sofas, me with my notebook in hand, Murray with portfolios of his work opened on a low table between us. Cardboard packing boxes cluttered the studio's original hardwood floor as rain pelted on single pane glass in long windows with a view across the boulevard downtown to Putnam Plaza and the visible iron front rooftops of Kentucky Street, running parallel to what was originally known as Main Street.
I wanted to know what was next for the man who has made so many striking portraits in this space for such a large part of his career. Murray is 65 years old. He first opened shop in 1989, establishing a portraiture business in his home in Petaluma before moving to a first studio down the street in 1992. "The roof leaked to such an extent I was only able to put stuff in the right place," he said. Three years later he set up a larger studio upstairs in the Steiger Building, a space that had been occupied prior to his era as a hair and beauty salon.
Murray talked of his dad, a printer for 50 years in Rochester, New York. With printing in the blood as well as longevity of business, I was not surprised to hear of the dedication of the elder Mr Rockowitz to his trade.
"My dad gave me his old Kodak 35 mm rangefinder camera (the first of its kind in the U.S.) when I graduated from Syracuse University," Murray said. The fresh-faced young marketing graduate's plan was to head west to California and take time to make travel photographs with color slides, not knowing much about photography, but having seen Ansel Adams photos of Yosemite and thinking it couldn't be that good. "There it was — incredible," he laughed.

Sam Rockowitz - Murray's Dad (Murray Rockowitz)
After settling first in Mill Valley, Murray purchased his first modern camera, a Nikon, his camera of choice. He was still shooting in color for the most part when his landlords, a sound editor and amateur photographers, suggested he try working in black and white.
"They loaned me an enlarger," he said. "And I bought materials and taught myself by working an entire couple of years exposing two to five rolls of film a day, developing film and printing late into the night."
Murray studied the greats by bringing home a stack of photography books from the Mill Valley Public Library. "I photographed everything," he said. "In the summer of 1980 I first used a Rolleiflex — I was smitten, I still use a Rollei it is my favorite camera and format," he said of the classic, German, high end TLR camera noted for its state of the art build quality, size, weight, durability, simplicity and superior optics.

Laurie Cahoon - Summer 1980 - Made with Murray's first Rollei and first roll of film run through it, his bride of almost 40 years (Murray Rockowtiz)
During this time, Murray managed a cafe in the old Mill Valley Train Depot and drove a cab. "I was not using my degree," he said. Instead, he enrolled in a class in educational technology at SF State and then, another, in photography at City College, San Francisco. "After half a semester I knew what I wanted to do," he said.
Murray took a class from world renowned Petaluman, the late Morrie Camhi a prolific photographer who documented Jewish communities both on the wane and in full bloom. According to an article in the Jewish News of Northern California, the work of the renowned photographer, who passed away in 1999 was: "Thoughtful, intense and probing, Camhi's work enjoyed a wide audience all over the word, and has been exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and at museums and galleries in Chicago and New York, as well as Europe, Japan and New Zealand."
"Morrie became my mentor," said Murray. "He was so generous with everything, his teachings, his self and sharing supplies. I was making photos of nature etc."
It was Morrie who gave his appreciative student his first full critique, encouraging Murray to start cropping his work.
"I was working in the genre of the greats and he encouraged me to work hard at finding my own voice," he said. "I took Morrie's portrait class which started me on this path."
Murray then found making landscapes: "Were not exciting to me, unless there was a person in there."
After establishing himself by calling friends and neighbors and anyone he knew to ask if they'd sit for him for his first few portraits, he soon was successful in selling them the prints.
"Morrie taught me the "making" of a portrait, not the "taking" of a portrait," a principle that Murray has stood by steadfastly to this day. "I teach this to all of my workshop students," he said.

Lynn and Morrie Camhi (Murray Rockowitz)
"After talking to people to find out what is important and significant to them, I choose what goes into the frame and when to make the exposure," he explained.
Over nearly 25 years of making portraits mostly in this same space, Murray is proud of having given all those who have sat (or stood) for him the same dignity, listened to their stories. He has made portraits for homeless people in transition through the Committee for the Shelterless program as well as several generations of numerous families who come back to see him when new life chapters emerge.
Portraits have been made of people traveling through Petaluma who stumbled upon Murray's studio. Others have made the trip from Southern California and beyond for a sitting with one of the most celebrated portrait photographers in Northern California.
"It's been poignant, photographing this way," said Murray and though moving out of this studio is bittersweet, he is finding himself energized at the prospects of making portraits by going out to the people.
"No, I am not retiring," he said, adamantly, in answer to the number one question people ask him with regards to his studio move. "I am taking it on the road."
Now, this is something he is thoroughly looking forward to. In liberating himself from the physical space of a studio, Murray sees the possibilities as many of places he will make a portrait of you: on your porch, in your kitchen, on a motorcycle or bike, making art in your own studio perhaps.
"I'm not a lifestyle photographer," he maintained. There are plenty around. "I don't follow trends, I am sticking with my vision, my sensibilities and style as I always have as a portrait photographer."

Grandma Lu & Nan (Murray Rockowitz)
When Murray started out very few portrait photographers were working in black and white, though plenty followed suit.
"I love traditional black and white silver gelatin prints," he said, "though I do give and enjoy giving the option of film or digital in black and white or color."
Over the years, Murray has enjoyed making a series of portraits of neighboring merchants outside of their downtown storefronts as well as local characters. This project took on a fresh emphasis after teaching a photography class in Italy in which he was captivated by the cast of characters he'd stumble across on any given day.
"When you work in black and white, you have to wait until the light is just right or it ain't happening," he said. "I think every serious student of photography should experience film photography, take a class, spend time in the dark room. When you realize how hard it is to make a great photograph with traditional photography you become more careful."

Jackson (Murray Rockowitz)

Psyche and Lucy (Murray Rockowitz)
Murray encourages emerging and hopeful photographers looking to make a living from their craft in a seemingly saturated world to: "Learn your craft, study what came before you, find your voice, do something that you love." He never discourages anyone from the desire to make photographs for a career. Though: "Yes, there are certainly easier ways to make a living," he said, "I feel so grateful and honored to have pulled it off for this long."
"I am excited for this next phase, the different challenges of going out into the world," said Murray. "To work with the environment and situations which present themselves and make that work. What fun."

Eulalia and Manuel (Murray Rockowitz)

Lydia in Grandma's Prom Dress (Murray Rockowitz)

Juliet and Remy (Murray Rockowitz)

Tom Williams _Originator of The Apple Box - Artist (Murray Rockowitz)

Jay and Bill of Bill & Jays (Murray Rockowitz)

Mayor Curley Boston, MA (Murray Rockowitz)

Murray during our chat in his studio, March 2018 (Frank Simpson)
Seated on a stool adjacent to the sofas where Murray and I sat across from each other, our mutual friend, Frank Simpson*, a retired lawyer and prolific photo blogger joined the conversation —"Murray in many of his photo seminars would always say that we are "capturing light" and that should be our guide to making a photo in the camera and post processing in a dark room. He regularly pointed out that the same principles also apply to digital photography. Murray is a master at showing how digital photography should be managed in the camera and in digital post processing. Same rules, different tools."
*Frank is an ardent citizen journalist of the internet-age, sharing his work on his own well-trafficked site, The Petaluma Spectator. He photographs for several community non-profit organizations. It was Frank who reached out to me and asked if I would like to write a piece on Murray's new chapter as a local icon as portrait photographer. Frank and I have collaborated on several stories over the years since we met as fellow online contributors to Petaluma360.com in its early infancy in 2006. That in itself is a little slice of local history! We met outside of a blogger's meet-up hosted by the Argus Courier in McNear's Saloon and became fast friends as curious transplants to the region.
Frank and Murray share a passion for large format prints. "Images that capture your eye and attention for more than a second," said Frank. "That is a hard sell these days with most people watching images fly by on the cell phones."

The man behind the lens, March 2018 (Frances Rivetti's iphone)
As Murray packs the last of his framed prints into boxes, hauls them home and into storage, you may bet that he's keeping his eye on the folk he passes along the way, waiting for the light to fall — just right. Soon enough, we'll be seeing him out and about a lot more, doing what he does best, making photos of people.
A quote by Ansel Adams springs to mind: "“You don't make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.”

Self Portrait, Murray, in his early studio 1995
And one more that could have been penned for Murray: “When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in Black and white, you photograph their souls!” — photojournalist Ted Grant.
Murray Rockowitz PHOTOGRAPHER
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