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MARIN ARTS & CULTURE 19
s the principle of Marsh &
Associates, a real estate appraising
company for custom homes, taking photos of houses is an everyday part of Keith Marsh’s life.
He grew up in Lewiston, Idaho, sister city to Clarkston, Washington, bonded by the history surrounding their namesake explorers, Meriweather Lewis and William Clark, and home to the Nez Perce Indians who welcomed Lewis and Clark in 1805.
A bronze sculpture of Sacajawea surrounded by four coyotes rests in Pioneer Park.
A river runs through Lewiston and Clarkston, marking the divide between Idaho and Washington. I’m reminded of the movie, A River Runs Through It. One of three boys, Keith, gravitated to the hunting and fishing life, Boy Scouts, Eagle Scouts and being outside as much as possible. These were the days before “play dates” when a child could run free and explore.
He was always interested in photography. “I used to scatter crumbs in the snow as a child and take pictures of birds with my Brownie camera. Later, I would get together with a buddy, and we would scout out places to take photos."
Is this how a powerful creative spirit is born? “I hadn’t thought of it that way, but, yes … very possibly. It was a great environment to grow up in,” Marsh responds.
As Marsh made his way through life, college, grad school, career, marriage and finally forming his company, photography was his constant companion. “After I was transferred to Marin by the bank I was working for, I joined the Marin Photography Club where I learned to really understand the basics; how the camera works, how lighting works. I started to enter competitions. For awhile I was winning in the top categories of
Bristlecone Pine
The Bristlecone Pine forest is located in the White Mountains east of Bishop, California. at an elevation of over 11,000 feet. These are the oldest living organisms on earth at up to 5,000 years old. The light coming from the center of the Milky Way Galaxy seen here is 25,000 light years old. So, when the oldest of these trees was a mere seedling in 3,000 BC, the light we are now seeing from the Milky Way was already traveling for 20,000 years.
“I don’t consider myself an artist. I’m just a guy who likes to take photos.”
—Keith Marsh
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