SPOTLIGHT: STEVEN TADDEI—PORTFOLIO CONTEST WINNER

Steven Taddei’s portraits of his father were made as Jack Taddei’s health was declining. Steven, a San Jose-based photographer and educator, shot 44 frames of his father—all using black-and-white film with a Holga camera—and has printed 14 of them in his analog darkroom.

All the images in the series were shot in Northern California’s Napa Valley, a location holding special meaning for father and son. “My father and I both loved Napa,” said Taddei by phone last summer. “His roots ran deep in the valley where he was born and raised, worked the land, tended his vineyard, and nurtured his family. It was the place he truly called home. I hold his love of the valley and spend two weekends per month on the property that my dad cultivated.

“My father was a proud man, always engaged in activity. His last eight years were marked by the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease. These images were shot—only when the moment seemed right for both of us—between 2010 and 2013. My hope was that these occasions would help us both remember, for just a little longer.

“My dad worked on a farm vineyard, drove a truck, operated heavy equipment, and worked in road construction for the Operating Engineers Union,” says Taddei. “He didn’t waste words, and never played favorites when I worked for him on summer breaks.”

The Visit, Napa was the first shot of Taddei’s printed series. “We walked across the street to explore a longtime neighbor’s property. While standing in front of the house, my dad turned and looked directly at me. I knew the timing was right to take this photo. It was the beginning of many outings to places that were significant to my dad’s life.”

In The Gift, Napa, Jack appears more relaxed, with his left hand in his pocket and the right holding a home-grown orange. Taddei remarked, “This is the only image in the series where you can see a smile on my dad’s face. Whether the smile was happiness or pride, it stirs emotions for me.”

In Dad, Remember Me, Remember You, Napa, Jack appears tired and worn. “It is the last image I took of my father. I moved as close as I allowed myself to get . . . and saw his face in mine. The disease took him from us in October 2014,” recalls Steven.

Taddei’s current work varies and is focused primarily on urban and natural landscapes. He concentrates on “smaller scale, intimate scenes rather than grand vistas,” he says, “returning time and time again to his favorite places—always finding something new or different, because change is constant.”

Taddei studied art at San Francisco State University, and taught ceramics, art and crafts to high schoolers for ten years before he had an opportunity to teach what became his true passion, photography. He taught high school photography until retiring in 2007, and continues to teach Adult Education in Black & White Photography.

Steven remains in contact with many of his former high school students. It is obvious that he imparted his love of photography to them, because, along with keeping many of their assignments and personal photo journals, his former students often contact him for input on their current projects, or just to reconnect with a loved and respected teacher and mentor.

Whether he teaches high schoolers or adults, Taddei always reminds his students that “the act of taking a picture and completing a finished print should show your craft, as well as your personal vision. Your pictures tell a story you want told.”

Taddei shares this wisdom from Kurt Vonnegut: “The arts are not a way of making a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well, is a way to make your soul grow…Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend…Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.”