James Ray Spahn

Captures the Tipple House
 
A gentle, wet snow fell on Mt. Crested Butte the morning of June 11 as James Ray Spahn set up his camera to capture the essence of The Tipple House. A unique early summer morning set the stage for a meeting between a small special corner of the world and a man who lives to capture such places.
 
James’ passion and skill for architectural photography places him at the top of his game. He travels the globe setting up his tripod in fine homes and unique projects.  A master’s eye distills the essence of a place and translates it into an image with four sides. 
 
The Tipple House is one of those unique places--a palpable expression of the past and future of Crested Butte, brought into the present. Simple local materials, a hard-earned mining past and the latest in home-building technology mix with design and craftsmanship on a parcel of land that sits both at the end of the road and the top of a ski trail.
 
As James begins to set up to photograph the Tipple House, it seems there are some similarities between the photographer and his subject.  To start with, the Tipple House and James take their time.  While unzipping one of his “You can invest hours in one shot that may or may not be used, but it’s always worth taking your time,” Corbin Marr, the builder of the Tipple House, nodded his head in agreement quietly saying, “Creating a truly exceptional home is the same way.  Time and diligence go into every element, most of which may never be seen by the owner of the home.”  With both James and Tipple House, the end result is inexorably tied to the process by which it is reached.  Then with a click, James snapped this picture in the Master Cabin showing the details in the corner of the room:

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After removing tiny amounts of construction dust from some small divots in the hand-crafted metal surrounding the fireplace, it was becoming clear that obsessive attention to detail was another similarity between James and the Tipple House.  “A great picture has to be about all elements interacting.  If one is out of context, it can confuse the meaning.” With a click and a flash of lighting another photo is captured:

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Rhythmically moving from room to room in the home, with the white buds of his iPod® helping him stay on beat, you notice a quiet intensity about James that you don’t see everyday.  It was fitting for a home that you don’t see everyday either.

Hours after starting his work, the clouds finally let the sun shine through.  Adjusting the bright light in the Tipple’s observatory, for which the home is named, James said, “One of the great things about my work is that beautiful homes are in beautiful places.”  Looking into the camera and then at the Elk Mountain Range and back into the camera, he clicked and came up with the next shot:
 

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The day drew on and the high mountain sun melted the snow. James put his equipment away only to go to his car and come back out with a new suitcase full of tools to take exterior shots. Circling the home a few times, with the music from the iPod® still keeping him on pace, he finally disappeared into a grove of aspens. Out of those trees came this photo:

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With two more hours of work and four fantastic exterior photos to show for it, James was finished for the day.  Waving to Corbin he said, “Call me when you get the furniture in a few weeks, and we’ll do it again.  I’ve seen some pretty special places, and this one will go on my short list.  See you soon.”

To explore more examples of James’ photography, please visit www.jamesrayspahn.com  
 

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