The Growth of Gregory Rademacher

All of this could easily add up to an outstanding portrait photographer whose work be recognized far beyond a small studio in Prior Lake. "Rademacher" became a signature for style and uniqueness, but still something was missing. By 1987, Greg Rademacher knew he had gone as far as he could on his own and remembered the strength of his impression of the Phillip Charis work just 12 years earlier. Now it was time to seek the "master." It took months to summon the courage to make the first phone call, but finally by September 1988, he phoned the Pasadena studio. He was asked to call back "after the first of the year." He did just that... on January 2nd! He also sent information about himself and a month later, the invitation came. "Mr. Charis will see you for two hours." Greg took the "red eye" to Los Angeles and at 3:30 the next morning, he was standing in front of the Charis studio. "Two hours" stretched into an entire day and began a mentoring relationship which would go on for years. With mentoring, also came mutual respect and affection. The technocrat encountered the ultimate artist and came away learning that excellence cannot be measured like teaspoon in a recipe. From the other side, obviously came an appreciation for the vibrance of the Rademacher work and recognition of that characteristic Rademacher determination. Perhaps Phillip Charis also loved his craft so well that he knew the time was right to share his special skill and technique. "I'm very flattered that he chose to share his knowledge with me," Greg says. "He hasn't done that for anyone else."

The Charis touch was too full of intangibles and intuitive technique to be stuffed into a briefcase and taken away. For once, Greg Rademacher had encountered something that could not be achieved with a light meter or lens. It needed to be absorbed a piece at a time, and every year since the first meeting, Rademacher has gone West again. Every year, the work is better and the relationship deeper. For the last two years, the bonds between two men at different ends of their careers have expanded to include two women who care deeply about their work as well. Sally Rademacher and Mrs. Charis are now part of the annual visits and have built a special relationship of their own.

And what is so special about the image on a piece of emulsified paper that could cause a man to travel thousands of miles and spend countless hours to produce "the right look"? At the simplest level, Phillip Charis and Greg Rademacher have created a method of enhancing photographic images with hand applied artistic touches and canvas stretching techniques resulting in timeless portraits nearly indistinguishable from oil paintings costing thousands. With brushes, pencils, lacquer, canvas, and an unerring flair for lights and lenses, their work brings art to every family who, perhaps unknowingly, seeks their own contribution to the future. Perhaps they freeze today for tomorrow and accomplish the impossible -- they make time stand still. Perhaps they capture the shades and texture of every man's soul. The irony is that their technique so long being perfected may not even be the most important accomplishment. As Greg Rademacher works for the endless hours it may take to create a final portrait, he brings to canvas a very human story of his subjects, the woman who cared enough to give her life to his dreams, Phillip Charis, and himself. From the Minnesota River Valley to Pasadena, California, the real story is about people and relationships.

It is a portrait in contrast but always signed simply

...Rademacher

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