In memory of Erick Karlsson, photographer

Karlsson (Aug. 12, 1932 - March 1, 2009) enjoyed documenting his surroundings. His black and white photography reveals his love of the outdoors and community. The fashion photographs of his wife Eleanore's clothing designs are a testament to their mutual support of each other's talents.

Karlsson fell in love with the mountains of Washington as a teenager growing up in Seattle. In the early 1950s he joined the Mountaineers Club of Seattle and started photographically documenting numerous mountaineering expeditions with his friends.

In 1953 he documented (along with his friend Tom Miller) the second successful attempt at the challenging Ptarmigan Traverse in the Northern Cascades. He also photographed an expedition through the dramatic Bugaboo Mountains in British Columbia, as well as other first ascents in the Northern Cascades.

Receiving a degree in forestry at the University of Washington, he worked for the Broughton Lumber Company for 41 years. While living in White Salmon, he also received a degree from the Famous Photographers School, and continued photographing life and events around him, including Broughton Lumber Company forestry projects, company picnics, community events (such as the Huckleberry Festival), and fashion and portraits (both candid and posed) of friends and family.

Karlsson also worked with a 16mm Aeroflex movie camera making short films of his friends, family and experiences.

His most recent photographic accomplishment was a Klickitat County photography award.

Given his passion for photography, his family feels that his passing would be best honored by an exhibit of his photographic works.