Meeting aerial photographer Fred C. Frey, Jr.

Above Baton Rouge: A Pilot's View Then and Now

The above binder holds the prints made by longtime aerial photographer, Fred C. Frey, Jr.  I was very fortunate to visit him in his home with a neighbor of mine who is friends with him.  She thought it would be a great idea for me to meet him to learn about his childhood days playing in the farm fields where I like to walk and photograph.  It was wonderful spending time with him and his sweet wife, and we discussed everything from his Korean War days, the development of Baton Rouge, to the space of the Ford Property.  I learned many interesting historical facts and really enjoyed listening to his stories. He mixed humor into his words which had me attentive and laughing throughout.

I became most excited when after lunch he opened the binder to show me more aerial images.  There were many sharp and detailed black and white photos documenting the before and after of regions throughout Baton Rouge over a forty year period.  The pair you see above made me stop because of their visual impact.  The scene in the bottom image shows the city from above the Mississippi River looking North towards our capitol building.  The top image shows the city from the same view after the development of Exxon.  It's a strong image of shadows and light, and I fell in love with it.  When I asked if I could take a picture to post in my blog, he paused, looked over the binder, then handed it to me saying, "Here.  Take it home with you so you can look at them."  What?!  These are the man's prints, his work, made in his darkroom using precious and gorgeous Hasselblad negatives.  I looked at him in disbelief, and he convinced me that he really wanted me to take them to view.  "Show them to whoever you'd like," he continued with a smile on his face.  Wow.

Looking at it right now sitting carefully above me on a high shelf, I'm still so surprised to have them in my hands for safe keeping and enjoyment.  I think that I most appreciate that he entrusted me, and that we'll meet again so I can return it to him.  When I do see him, we may just be discussing the history of the Ford Property in more detail.  During our many conversations, I had expressed the wish to collect stories, photos and documents about the the space. I felt like he understood and saw some value in the possibility.  Before I left he looked right at me and said that he'd like to work with me on that.  Another moment that stopped me in my tracks yet propels me forward more motivated and open to learn.  I am so very grateful.