>> HI EVERYBODY, I AM DAVE
SCHUFFET AND WELCOME TO
KENTUCKY LIFE FROM MA'AM
OATH CAVE PARK, HOME OF THE
LONGEST CAVE IN THE WORLD.
HIGH ABOVE ME, RAINWATER
DRAINS INTO THE SINK-HOLE
PLAIN, CREATING THE CAVE
SYSTEM.
THE WATER COMES DOWN INTO
PLACES LIKE THE RIVER AND
DRAINS INTO THE GREEN RIVER.
THAT IS A VERY CONDENSED
VERSION OF MA'AM OATH CAVE.
TONIGHT WE HAVE OTHER
STORIES TO TELL YOU ABOUT,
GOING ON A CRUISE IN
SOMERSET WHERE YOU WILL SEE
ANTIQUE CARS AND MUSCLE CARS
AND CLASSIC SHOW CARS.
FIRST, A GENTLEMAN NAMED SAM
ABLES, A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
PHOTOGRAPHER FOR 33 YEARS
AND HAS PUBLISHED NINE
BOOKS, A VERY SUCCESSFUL
FELLOW WHOSE RIGHTS ARE
RIGHT HERE IN KENTUCKY.
SAM SPENT THE LAST 33 YEARS
TRAVELING THE WORLD FOR
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
MAGAZINE, WHOLE YEARS OF HIS
LIFE CONSUMED BY ASSIGNMENTS
IN THE OUTERMOST OUTBACK OF
NORTHWEST AUSTRALIA, SOVIET
RUSSIA, THE WATERWAYS OF
VENICE, THE IMPERIAL PALACE
OF JAPAN, FOR THE ICY COAST
OF NEWFOUNDLAND, TO TIERRA
DEL FUEGO, BUT HIS FAMILY
ROOTS GO BACK TO SJLVANIA
OHIO, AND EVEN FARTHER BACK
TO KENTUCKY IN LARUE COUNTY
WHERE HIS FATHER WAS BORN
AND RAISED.
HIS PHOTOGRAPH LIFE WAS
FORGED IN THE 1960S WHERE HE
EDITED ONE OF THE MOST
INNOVATIVE YEAR BOOKS.
HE RETURNED TO LEXINGTON IN
2003 TO VISIT WITH ADVANCED
PHOTO STUDENTS IN THE
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY ART
DEPARTMENT.
>> WHAT IS IN, WHAT IS NOT,
ASKING YOU TO DEFEND AND
JUSTIFY AND TAKE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
EVERYTHING THAT IS IN THE
PICTURE.
>> AND TO BE THE FEATURED
SPEAKER IN THE UNIVERSITY'S
PHOTOGRAPHIC SIS IRRELEVANT,
REFLECTING ON HIS GLOBAL
CAREER.
>> I LEARNED PHOTOGRAPHY
FROM MY FATHER WHO GREW UP
IN LARUE COUNTY, IN SONORA.
AND HE LIVED ON A FARM
CALLED NOBB FARM.
HE WOULD GENTLY AND LIGHTLY
TALK TO ME ABOUT SCENE, THE
POWER OF A BEAUTY OF AN
S-CURVE AND COMPOSITION,
ALSO ABOUT THE LIGHT.
ONE OUTING WE WENT ON WAS TO
A TRAIN STATION.
HE LOVED THAT FROM BOYHOOD.
THE TRAIN REPRESENTED THE
DISTANT WORLD, THE WORLD OF
POST BILLS OUTSIDE OF NOBB
FARM.
WHICH IS THE EARLIEST
EXAMPLE I HAVE OF THE WAY I
WOULD TAKE PICTURES THE NEXT
40 YEARS, COMPOSING AND
WAITING FOR THE MOMENT.
IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN EASY TO
EXPLAIN FATHER'S INFLUENCE.
HE TAUGHT ME PHOTOGRAPHY.
BUT WHAT IS IN MY
PHOTOGRAPHS, I BELIEVE,
COMES MORE FROM MY MOTHER,
THE CON TINT AND THE SPIRIT
OF IT, THE SOUL OF THE
PHOTOGRAPH E.
SHE LOVED BEAUTY, HISTORY,
AND WAS HIGH-MINDED WHEN IT
CAME TO CULTURE.
SHE WAS THE ORGANIZED WHO OF
OUR FAMILY VACATIONS.
BECAUSE WE WERE TEACHERS, WE
TRAVELED IN THE SUMMER.
WE DIDN'T GO ON FISHING
TRIPS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WE WENT TO AMERICA'S
CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL
AREAS, AND HE TOOK PICTURES.
THEY WERE ALSO BIG ON
ACTUALLY GETTING ON THE
BANANA BOAT IN BATON ROUGE
AND MEETING THE INDIAN CHIEF
ON THE RESERVATION.
IT WASN'T JUST DRIVING
THROUGH THESE PLACES.
WE ACTUALLY HAD EXPERIENCES
AND I FIND I FOLLOWED IN HER
FOOTSTEPS WHICH IS A GREAT
SURPRISE TO ME BECAUSE I
DIDN'T WANT TO GO ON THE
VACATION.
BUT THE TRUTH IS I HAVE DONE
A LOT OF THAT IN MY ADULT
LIFE, MOST NOTABLY, A STORY
ON SHAKERS OF ALL THE
STORIES I DID, THAT IS A
STORY MY MOTHER WOULD HAVE
IDENTIFIED WITH.
I WANTED TO SET UP CENTRAL
KENTUCKY AS A PLACE OF
SUBLIME BEAUTY, SOMETHING I
DIDN'T UNDERSTAND OR SEE
WHEN I WAS A STUDENT.
>> ENCOURAGED BY HIS HIGH
SCHOOL JOURNALISM TEACHER,
HE ENTERED UNIVERSITY OF
KENTUCKY IN THE FALL OF 1963
WITH A DREAM OF EDITING THE
CAMPUS YEAR BOOK.
HE WAS THE EDITOR OF HIS
HIGH SCHOOL YEAR BOOK AND
WAS BEGINNING TO SEE THE
WORLD OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND
PUBLICATIONS AS A POSSIBLE
CAREER PATH.
HIS LIFELONG FRIEND, LIZ HAS
FOLLOWED HIS WORK.
>> I HAVE BEEN TRACKING
RIGHT ALONG BEHIND YOU ALL
THESE YEARS.
>> KINDERGARTEN, GRADE
SCHOOL, JUNIOR HIGH, HIGH
SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY OF
KENTUCKY, THE BEGINNING OF
AN ERA OF GIFTED STUDENTRY
AND I FELL AMONG THEIR
SPELL, WALTER GRANT, BILL
GRANT.
IT WAS A COMPETITIVE,
DYNAMIC ERA OF STUDENT
JOURNALISM.
>> HIS 1967 JEER BOOK WAS A
TWO-VOLUME SLIP-CASE AFFAIR
FEATURING HIS EVOLVING EYE.
THE TRADITIONAL FARE WAS IN
THE SECOND BOOK.
>> IT IS A RARE BOOK.
I HAVE SEEN COLLECTIONS OF
YEAR BOOKS ALL THE OTHER
YEARS, BUT IT BROKE NEW
GROUND.
IT WASN'T WIDELY UNDERSTOOD
OR APPRECIATED, I DON'T
THINK.
NONE OF IT TALKED ABOUT
AVANTE GARDE OR AGGRESSIVE
PHOTOGRAPHY, BUT I HAVE TO
SAY IT WAS A BOOK THAT GOT
THEY STARTED ON MY CAREER.
THE WORK I DID HERE REALLY
HELPED ME.
>> I WENT FROM A SLEEPING ON
A COT IN THE YEARBOOK OFFICE
TO LIVING OUT OF HIS CAR IN
A SPARSELY-POPULATED COUNTRY
WHERE NAVIGATING THE ROADS
BROUGHT NEW CHALLENGES AND
THE OCCASIONAL WRONG TURN.
>> I WENT TO WORK THAT
SUMMER ON A STORY WHICH
FORMED THE PHOTOGRAPH I CAN
BASIS, A STORE FOREIGN STORY
TO ME.
IT WAS A MARITIME CULTURE
AND A VERY PHYSICAL REALM.
IT WAS THAT NORTH ATLANTIC
LIGHT, THE ATMOSPHERE, THE
STRENGTH OF THE PEOPLE, THE
CHARACTER OF THE LANDSCRAPE,
THE OCEANS AND THE ICE, ALL
OF IT HAD A POWERFUL APPEAL
TO ME, AND AN EFFECT ON ME.
IT GAVE A SPARE QUALITY AND
A MENTALISM TO THE
PHOTOGRAPHY I WAS GOING TO
DO FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.
IN ADDITION TO NATIONAL
GEOGRAPHIC WORK, I KEPT
ACTIVE AS A BLACK AND WHITE
PHOTOGRAPHER, PHOTOGRAPHING
THE LIFE I WAS LIVING IN
DOMESTIC DETAILS.
YOU MIGHT CALL IT
ANTI-NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
PHOTOGRAPHY, MOTEL ROOMS,
THE GASH BOARD OF THE CAR,
THE BLANK CHARACTER OF THE
ACTUAL LIFE I WAS LIVING,
WHICH IS THE OPPOSITE OF THE
LIFE THAT PEOPLE THINK A
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
PHOTOGRAPHER LIVES.
>> THE LESS THAN LAVISH
LIFESTYLE CONTINUED AS HE
SPENT A GOOD BIT OF THE
1970S ON GEOGRAPHIC
ASSIGNMENTS IN THE
WILDERNESS.
>> BROADLY, MY LIFE CAN BE
DIVIDED INTO TWO SCENES,
WILDERNESS TRAVEL BY FOOT
AND BY BOAT, AND IT IS ABOUT
BEAUTY.
TWO YEARS OF MY LIFE WERE
SPENT ON THE PACIFIC CREST
HIKING TRAIL THAT GOES FROM
MEXICO TO CANADA, 2,600
MILES LONG.
I SPENT 14 MONTHS ON A BOOK
ABOUT CONOING, AND I ALSO
DID THE APPALACHAIN TRAVEL
AND DID REMOTE TRAVELING IN
TIERRA DEL FUEGO AND THE
OUTERMOST PART OF THE
AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK.
I WANTED TO TRAVEL.
MY PARENT HAD PREPARED ME
FOR THAT.
BUILDING A LIFE AROUND
TRAVEL WAS SOMETHING I
WANTED TO DO.
IT WAS FAR MORE LONELY AND
DANGEROUS THAN I THOUGHT.
DOCUMENTING PHOTOGRAPHY
REQUIRES YOU TO BE PRESENT
WITH YOUR SUBJECT.
YOU ARE NOT IN THE STUDIO OR
ANY KIND OF CONTROLED
ENVIRONMENT.
I HAVE BEEN PROFOUNDLY
SEASICK IN THE NORTH
ATLANTIC, I HAVE HAD MY BACK
BADLY BROKEN IN A
HANGGLIDING ACCIDENT.
I HAVE HAD MALARIA, I HAVE
BEEN MUGGED AND ROBBED.
TWICE I THOUGHT I WOULD DIE
IN AUSTRALIA IN A SMALL
PLANE FLIGHT I HAD ORGANIZED
WE WERE DIRECTLY IN PERIL,
AND TWICE I SURVIVED.
THE FIRST TIME I
PHOTOGRAPHED IT TO SETTLE
MYSELF, AND ALSO BECAUSE IT
WAS BEAUTIFUL.
I TOOK ALL OF THOSE TO BE
TESTS.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO LIVE THE
PHOTOGRAPHIC LIVE, THINGS
WILL HAPPEN AND YOU HAVE TO
TAKE IT ON, TRY TO AVOID IT
AND TRY TO SURVIVE IT.
AND WHILE YOU ARE DOING ALL
OF THAT, PHOTOGRAPH IT ALL.
I WAS MARRIED IN 1978.
I HAD MET MY WIFE IN 1976.
SHE WAS THE FIRST PERSON I
MET ON THE TRAIL FROM AND
FROM 1978 TO 1998 WE
TRAVELED TOGETHER.
>> BETWEEN ASSIGNMENTS, HE
DID WHAT HE ALWAYS WANTED TO
DO, ORGANIZE HIS WORK INTO A
SERIES OF BOOKS, INCLUDING
"STAY THIS MOMENT" AND
"SEEING GARDENS" AND "SAM
ABLES: THE PHOTOGRAPHIC
LIFE"
>> IN 1998 MY LIFE AND OUR
FAMILY'S LIFE CHANGED.
MY FATHER CAME DOWN WITH
ALZHEIMER'S.
THAT SAME FALL, MY WIFE WAS
DIAGNOSED WITH OVARIAN
CANCER AND IT MARKED THE
BEGINNING OF THE END OF THE
LIFE WE HAD KNOWN TRAVELING
TOGETHER AND DOING
ASSIGNMENTS.
>> ABLES FATHER SUCCUMBED,
BUT HIS WIFE SURVIVED.
IT WAS THEN HE DECIDED TO
WIND UP HIS LONG CAREER WITH
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC.
>> I DID A DIFFICULT
ASSIGNMENT ON THE LIFE
WITHIN THE JAPANESE IMPERIAL
PALACE.
THE AESTHETIC OF JAPAN IS
SOMETHING I HAVE LONG-LOVED.
BUT IT TURNED OUT WE HAD NO
ACCESS AND IT WAS ONE OF THE
MOST DIFFICULT ASSIGNMENT OF
MY LIFE.
>> HE WASN'T ALLOWED
ANYWHERE NEAR THE SELL
DONE-SEEN EMPEROR AND WAS
TOLD A GIANT PROJECTED TV
IMAGE WAS THE BEST HE COULD
DO.
>> ON THE LAST DAY OF THE
ASSIGNMENT I PHOTOGRAPHED
THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN,
SOMETHING I HAD BEEN TRYING
TO DO FOR A YEAR, JUST HE
AND HIS WIFE AND THEIR
DAUGHTER.
THEY WERE BIRD-WATCHING.
AND THAT WAS THE LAST
ASSIGNMENT I DID FOR
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC.
>> THOUGH HE HAS CUT BACK ON
HIS TRAVELS, HE IS STILL AN
ACTIVE PHOTOGRAPHER WITH
SEVERAL PROJECTS IN THE
WORKS.
>> I AM DOING A BOOK,
JAPANESE PHILOSOPHY OF
BEAUTY CALLED WABI SABI,
THINGS UNFINISHED, UNDONE.
IT IS ANTI--GORGEISM, TO
SOME EXTENT, COAXING BEAUTY
AND SEEING IT WHERE NO ONE
ELSE DOES.
I NEVER STOP TAKING A
PARTICULAR KIND OF PHOTO NO
ONE ELSE TOOK.
AND IT IS ABOUT BEAUTY.
>> CAN YOU IMAGINE ALL THE
BEAUTIFUL PLACES HE HAS SEEN
OVER THE YEARS?
BUT WE HAVEN'T GOT IT SO BAD
AROUND HERE.
WE HAVE MORE THAN 50,000
SURFACE TANKERS HERE AT
MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK
AND THE WORLD'S LONGEST CAVE
DOWN BELONG.
IT IS A PHOTOGRAPHER'S
PARADISE.
UP NEXT, TIME TO REV UP THE
ENGINES AND LOOK AT THE
ANTIQUE CARS, MUSCLE CARS,
STREET RODS, CLASSIC SHOW
CARS, ALL GATHERED IN
SOMERSET KENTUCKY ONCE A
MONTH FROM APRIL THROUGH
OCTOBER.
>> THE EVENT STARTED IN
2004.
A FEW CARS HAD BEEN TO
SOMERSET, WE LIKE OLD CARS
AND GO TO CAR SHOWS.
WE WERE LOOKING FOR A PLACE
TO DO IT IN OUR OWN
COMMUNITY.
WE KNEW WE COULD BUILD A
SUCCESS IN THIS AREA AND FOR
SEVERAL STATES AROUND US.
WE HAVE THE DOWNTOWN
DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND
TOGETHER WITH THEM AND THE
TOURISM COMMISSION WE SET TO
BUILD A SUCCESSFUL CAR
CRUISE.
PEOPLE WANT SOMETHING GOOD
TO DO.
IN THE WORLD WE LIVE IN,
PEOPLE LOOK FOR A GOOD,
CLEAN FAMILY-ORIENTED EVENT
TO ATTEND AND THEY WILL
DRIVE FOR MILES TO DO IT.
WE KNEW WE COULD GET LOCAL
PARTICIPATION OUT OF OUR
BUSINESSES TO RESPOND
SUPPORT US MONETARY-WISE AND
WE WOULDN'T NEED TO CHARGE
FAMILIES TO COME HERE.
IT IS INCREDIBLE TO SEE
FAMILIES COMING FROM 19 OR
20 DIFFERENT STATES ON THE
EAST COAST, THEY KNOW IT
WON'T COST THEM ANYTHING TO
HAVE A GOOD TIME HERE.
WE WANTED TO BUILD A GOOD
PLACE FOR A FAMILY EVENT
THAT CAN BE ENJOYED, WHICH
IS SUMMER NIGHT'S CUISE IS
ALL ABOUT.
LAST MONTH WAS A RECORD
BREAKER OF 1311 CARS.
WE HAD TREMENDOUS SUCCESS IN
CAR QUALITY AND CAR COUNT.
WE HAVE MANY PEOPLE THAT
VISIT SUMMER NIGHT'S CRUISE
AT LEAST ONE TIME.
WE PROBABLY HAVE IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD OF 5,000 CARS
THAT HAVE BEEN AT LEAST ONE
TIME IN THE FOUR YEARS IT
HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE, WHICH
IS AN INCREDIBLE STATISTIC
FOR AN EVENT THAT IS ONLY
FOUR YEARS OLD.
EVERY TIME THE PEOPLE SEE
OUR PEOPLE IN THE YELLOW
SHIRTS, OUR TEAM MEMBERS,
THEY SAY THAT THE
ORGANIZATION IS INCREDIBLE,
HOW DO YOU HANDLE THIS MANY
CARS, THEY JUST SAY IT IS AN
INCREDIBLE ORGANIZATION,
WHICH IS A PLUS FOR US.
IT MEANS WE ARE DOING OUR
JOB RIGHT, KEEPING THE CARS
IN SHAPE.
WE ARE PRETTY STIFF AT THE
GATES AND WE DO IT FOR A
REASON, TO BE A CUT ABOVE
THE REST.
WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF FOLKS
FROM MANY DIFFERENT STATES.
ONE GUY GOES HOME TO ALABAMA
AFTER HAVING A GREAT TIME
AND HE BRINGS TWO OR THREE
GUYS BACK.
TODAY WE HAVE 15 PEOPLE IN
OUR GROUP FROM ALABAMA
TODAY, FROM WEST VIRGINIA,
FROM CANADA LAST MONTH,
SOUTH DAKOTA, YOU NAME IT.
>> I WOULD COME EVERY MONTH
IF I COULD.
IT IS A BEAUTIFUL TOWN BE,
UNBELIEVABLE CARS, GREAT
PEOPLE.
WE DECIDED TO DRIVE IT IN
INSTEAD OF TRAILER IT.
IT IS A 1965 MUSS TAPE
CONVERTIBLE, ALL ORIGINAL.
WE CAME ON A 515-MILE DRIVE.
>> WE HAVE AN EHAVEN'T ON
FRIDAY NIGHT, SOME OF THE
LOCAL BUSINESSES
,.
ON SATURDAY MORNING WE HAVE
A SEAT MORNING FUN-RUN.
WE MEET AND THE LOCAL
BUSINESSES PROVIDE BREAKFAST.
THEN WE LEAVE FROM THERE TO
CRUISE AREAS OF INTEREST.
ONE MIGHT BE TO A DRAG
STRIP.
AFTER THE SATURDAY MORNING
FUN-RUN, THE SHOW AND SHINE
PORTION WHEN THE CARS COME
TO DOWNTOWN AND ARE
DISPLAYED FOR VIEWING BY THE
PUBLIC.
WE USUALLY HAVE IN EXCESS OF
A THOUSAND CARS.
THEY WILL COME IN AND RAISE
YOUR HOODS AND BASICALLY IT
IS AN ALL-DAY CAR SHOW FROM
2:00 O'CLOCK UNTIL 8:00
O'CLOCK.
WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF SPEC
STAY FORCE THAT COME TO VIEW
THE CARS.
YOU WILL SEE ALL KINDS OF
CARS, HEAR ALL KINDS OF
STORIES.
THE STORY WE HEAR MOST
OFTEN, THEY LOVE THE
LOCATION OF THE CRUISE.
IT IS NOT IN A BIG PARKING
LOT OR IN A FIELD, IT IS
AROUND HISTORIC BUILDINGS.
WE GET MORE COMMENTS ABOUT
THAT, WHICH SETS THIS CRUISE
APART FROM JUST ABOUT EVERY
OTHER CRUISE IN THE COUNTRY.
SPEC STAY FORCE ARE FREE TO
WANDER ABOUT WITHOUT
WORRYING ABOUT TRAFFIC, CARS
ARE PARKED UP AND DOWN THE
STREETS, EVERYTHING IS
REALLY NICE.
YOU WILL SEE EVERYTHING,
FROM THE ANTIQUE TO THE
CLASSICS TO THE CUSTOMS.
YOU WILL SEE
PICK-INSTRUCTION,
LOW-RIDERS, YOU NAME IT, IT
IS HERE.
IF HE AT THE END OF THAT
TIME WE GO BACK TO THE
CRUISE PORTION WHERE THE
CARS ARE LINED UP AND LED
DOWNTOWN AND BACK TO THE
STRIP, HIGHWAY 27.
THAT IS A SIX-LANE HIGHWAY.
THERE ARE A THOUSAND PEOPLE
LINED UP TO WATCH THEM
CRUISE AROUND.
THEY MAY CRUISE FROM 8:00
O'CLOCK UNTIL MIDNIGHT.
IT HAS REALLY BECOME A
FAVORITE PART OF THE CRUISE
FOR EVERYBODY.
WE HAVE BEEN TOLD IT IS IT
NOT ONE OF THE LARGEST CAR
CRUISES IN THE NATION.
>> IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE RUN
OUT OF TIME FOR THIS EDITION
OF "KENTUCKY LIFE" I SAY
THANK YOU FOR WATCHING.
WE LEAVE YOU WITH SOME
SCENES FROM MAMMOTH CAVE,
NATIONAL PARK.
WE WILL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.