Ingrid Lundahl has been a Telluride photographer since Christmas Eve 1977. Read her story below:

I was the only guest of the new Sheridan Hotel. Once I walked into the historic Sheridan Bar, I knew I had found my people. I chronicled the next 40 years or so of this wild little mountain town: festivals big and small, Rep and Opera House productions, outdoor weddings and portraits, spontaneous and larkish occurrences, such as Unruh in Diapers and Bad Boys on Bike.

What is your chosen artistic medium?

Photography.

I was paid to be a Nashville/Dallas copywriter for seven years before I discovered Telluride. I didn’t seriously revive my writing skill until I created my Telluride Outlaw book, photos and writing both by me.

Who are your muses?

I have always loved the joy and movement within a Lartigue or Cartier-Bresson image. Delightful. Modern day, Annie Leibovitz, though I never wanted to mess with studio lights. And why?…with Telluride as your subject...

I devoured the black-&-white photos in my parents’ LIFE and LOOK magazines.

And my Nashville-era compadre, Dana Thomas, who taught me the magic of the darkroom and the beauty and precision of a manual film camera.

What are your prep or practice rituals to get you into the artistic headspace?

Well, before shooting a seven-hour wedding, I would slam the Ignatia.

Other than that, for candid photography, there is little prep. Grab it while it’s happening.

Though actually, positioning yourself, learning to slither quickly through a festival crowd, avoiding busy backgrounds, even anticipating the shot with the proper lens... that is all part of being a candid photographer.

What is your favorite awkward growth moment or barrier-breaking time?

1986 was a good year for me. I shot many classics then, including Jimmy Stewart, Robin Williams, Madonna.

I got the job of shooting the Film Fest for the LA Times. Upon visiting an ex-Tellurider out there who was a PA for a Madonna video shoot, I got some killer shots and took them into the LA Times. They bought them immediately and said yes, you can shoot the Film Fest for us.

I learned from that score.

During the period of social distancing and quarantine, what inspired you and kept you engaged and moving forward?

I didn’t shoot much. Culling through the archives has been my focus. Editing and identifying all the darkroom proof prints and exposure strips from 1978-2004, that took time. Now you can see the results as the featured installation at Telluride Arts HQ Gallery in December…

I also edited, reprinted, identified, and readied photos of all sizes, both darkroom and digital. These prints are available also at the Telluride Arts HQ Gallery.

I had shot but never printed my image of the Budweiser horses jangling down Main Street.

Clydesdale Christmas • 2002 Telluride is the featured photo of the Telluride Arts exhibit.

What is your favorite quote or saying?

"In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond."

( I was an English Lit major)

Here’s one of mine:

"Photography is a curious combo of logic and magic."

Tell us about your upcoming events, new releases, or anticipated projects:

I am creating a second book. The best of all I have shot. That’s Telluride, yes, but also New Orleans and Ireland and Dallas dazzle, and Santa Fe and many musicians shot elsewhere: Chuck Berry and my all-time best seller: Stevie Ray’s Encore.

Any other details you would like to share?

I am wishing Telluride Arts a Happy 50th Anniversary. The non-profit has burgeoned into a vital and progressive force in the Telluride Arts community. Telluride Arts is a true friend and supporter of the artist. Thank you, Telluride Arts, for this December slot, and for the wonderful 2014 Opening that introduced my photo book:

Telluride | The Outlaw Spirit of a Colorado Town. This book, too, is available thru December at the venerable and lively Telluride Arts HQ Gallery, across from the Library.