History Of Skip Holbert - Drag Racing Pt. 2
                    Photography   

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After being transferred to San Diego, CA in late 1969, I was sent to Japan to catch the
USS Snook (SSN-592). I was away from home for over 7 months. During that time I was
pressed into service as a Periscope Photography while on submarine patrol off the
coast of Vietnam. We took photos of everything that came within range. It was a very
exciting part of being a submarine sailor that I had never experienced. We have all
seen movies of submarines in combat and someone (normally the Captain) spinning
around the periscope and directing the action as he looks out of the scope. All of that
is true, but when it comes to taking photos, the Captain rarely takes the photos.

After returning from that patrol, I was sent to a one-on-one periscope photography class
where I was instructed to take the ship's cameras and "Just shoot anything" and come
back and develop the photos. I had the best photo equipment that money could purchase
and all the ASA 400 Tri-X film that I could shoot and I was suppose to just go out and shoot!
I headed for the local drag strip and the old Carlsbad Drag Strip in Carlsbad, CA., which
use to be just North of San Diego, CA. Not only would I go there, but I went to the old
Orange County Raceway just South of Los Angeles and up to Fontana Drag Strip,
outside of Oakland, CA. All of these tracks are long gone now.

When I would go to the track I would take photos just as I do now, but instead of posting
them on the internet, I would print them and take them back to the strip the next week and
give them to the drivers. At first the drivers would think I was trying to sell them the photos,
but I just gave them their shots and would walk away. Many of them has never seen a
photo of their car with the wheels up in the air, or of them lined up out of the groove before
making a bad pass. Some would spot problems with the way the car was set up, but they
were all happy to get the photos. Back in the early 70's, not many photographers were
at the local tracks.

I had been interested in photography since I was nine years old and my cousin Edward
talked me into putting my allowance with his and purchasing a Kodak 620 box camera.
He was older than me and he got to take most of the shots. Of course he make me split
the cost of developing the photos!

I have never won any awards for any of my drag racing photos, but I have a wall full
of Navy Commendations from photos that I shot through the lens of a submarine
periscope, many of them were Top Secret and I am not allowed to talk about. I served
as Periscope Photography Officer on three submarines. One submarine on the West
coast and two more on the East coast. I had to learn all the tricks of the darkroom,
using safe-lights, mixing chemicals, working with photo paper and doing all the tricks
to improve a sometimes awful shot. Today, with improving digital cameras, Photoshop
and other excellent photo enhancement software, anyone can take a good photo, or
at least take enough photos to at least have one good shot. Just as in the old days,
when we were told to take at least three shots of everything, bracketing what you
thought was your best shot, today we can shot a lot of digital photos and hope we
catch "Just the right one".

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