The city of Avon Lake has a free Lunch and Learn program at the Old Firehouse
and ESPC was contacted by this group requesting a travel photo presentation. Fred
Bangeman volunteered to show this group his travel photos.
Fred is an interesting guy. He introduced himself by telling the group he
graduated from the US Merchant Marine Academy and has a 3rd Officer license for the
navigation bridge of any size ship worldwide. Impressive! By age 23 he had visited 41
countries as an officer on merchant freighters. In 1988 his empty-nester wife said, “We
are traveling.” As he told the audience, his response to her was that he didn’t want to
because he had been all around the world. She was emphatic, “WE ARE
TRAVELLING!!!” Fred told the audience, “Now you ladies and men in this room
understand how that works…”. And with that comment, and an acknowledgment from
the audience, the photo slideshow began.
Fred should have had the Johnny Cash song “I’ve Been Everywhere” playing as
he showed his photos because he really has been everywhere. Photos from China,
Southeast Asia, North America, South America all the way to Cape Horn, and Europe
and the Mediterranean.
Fred explained that he is not a professional photographer; he just take photos
wherever he is on his travels. He rarely is able to revisit a location at a better time or
when there is better light. All of his photos were well received by the audience and
three of the favorites were from Death Valley, where Fred visited during the daytime.
He got up at 4 AM for a dawn shoot. 30 others photographers were there and busloads
arrived after his shots were taken. When the sunlight hit the far mountains, the lighting
was ethereal with those rock textures. Stonehenge, in England, was an audience
favorite. Fred’s daughter had been to Stonehenge year earlier and told him to get there
early and be on the front of the first bus. It was predawn and he got off the bus and
started walking fast and taking pictures so no people would be in them. When he got to
the west side of Stonehenge the sun had just risen. Placing his camera low Fred
caught the rising sun on the corner of monument. Getting up early was rewarded with a
superb photograph. Red Rock Canyon in Nevada a was taken on a day trip from Las
Vegas. Fred explained that he saw the hole in the rocks and ran ahead of everyone and
climbed to a viewpoint to get the shot of his wife and friends framed by the rock.
All in all a very enjoyable lunch with Fred Bangeman providing the entertainment.
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