Badlands Close Up
File — Box: 30, Folder: 57
Scope and Contents
From the Collection:
The photography collection of Leo Kim provides a history of his work from 1967 to 2010. It gives viewers a look at the various types of photography he would use professionally showing the growth of his specific photographic vision in areas of photojournalism, editorial, sports, architecture, portraits, and product photography. From his time in Europe how he lived and what he saw to the contrast he saw and experienced in the U.S. that greatly influenced his overall vision. It also shows the type of photography he would use in his personal work producing fine art, landscape, minimalism photography with emphasis in design elements. The collection includes personal images of Leo as a young boy, family pictures of his mother, sister, and two brothers with the remainder of the collection displaying his work as a photographer through those years just before his death providing a well rounded view of his life and career.
The collection starts with the early years of Leo Kim and his family followed by his time at NDSU, his short time at Standing Rock Indian Reservation, his work with The Fargo Forum Newspaper, and working at Lutheran Hospital and Homes then on to creating his own photography business that he started in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In this collection you will see examples of Leo Kim intentionally using light and shadow, composition, movement, lines and patterns to create his images. Darkroom techniques such as dodging and burning that would make an area of a print darker or lighter. He would use all of these elements when creating photographic images as well as his meticulous attention to detail in all aspects of the photographic process. Ranging from camera equipment, film, composition, to the final printed image. Leo would print the majority of his images on Moab Entrada Fine Art paper but also used resin coated papers as well. Leo had great patients in letting a scene mature and develop before taking the picture as evident in his two published books North Dakota Prairie Landscape and St. Paul Serenity. Highlights from the collection would be his North Dakota Prairie Landscape prints, St. Paul Serenity prints, Still Life and Abstract prints, Commercial work such as the Zubaz Sport Pants photo shoot, the Allen Brady Manufacturing images and his Portrait work.
The collection has been arranged into three major categories. Prints, Negatives, Slides and Transparencies.
The Print Series contains black and white and color prints of various sizes and starts with the early years of Leo and his family which include pictures of the family in Hong Kong, Macao, Austria and Germany. The series continues with his arrival to the United States starting with the Fargo Years 1969-1985, Minneapolis and St. Paul Years 1985-2019, Commercial Photography, HealthCare, Portraits, Unidentified People, Minneapolis and St. Paul Winter, St. Paul Buildings, Black and White Abstract Prints, Color Abstract Prints, Germany, Friends of Leo Kim, Oversized Prints, Oversized North Dakota Prairie Landscape Prints, Oversized St. Paul Serenity Prints, Oversized Still Life and Abstract Prints, North Dakota Prairie Landscape Signed Prints. There are other signed prints as well as prints he displayed for different photography exhibits. Where possible the prints have been cross referenced with the negatives or slides and transparencies.
The Negative Series contains various negative sizes from 35mm, 120mm, to 4x5 inches. This would be the type of films Leo would use from 1969 to approximately (2009) when Leo switched to digital photography using a digital DSLR camera. In the collection are negatives of Leo Kim’s Early Years, The Fargo Forum 1972-1973, North Dakota, NDSU, Fargo, HealthCare, Portraits, Unidentified People, Commercial Photography, Still Life and Abstracts, Travel, Friends of Leo Kim, North Dakota Prairie Landscape Original Negatives. Where possible the negatives have been cross referenced with the prints.
The Slide and Transparency Series contains various film sizes from 35mm, 120mm, to 4x5 inch films. It starts with Motor Cross Racing and Formula 1 Auto Racing taken in Germany in late 1960’s. Then to Farming, Minneapolis Cityscape and Architecture, St. Paul Cityscape and Architecture, HealthCare, Portraits, Commercial Photography, Still Life and Abstract Images, Various Countries, Friends of Leo Kim, North Dakota, Other States, and Alaska. Where possible the slides and transparencies have been cross referenced with the prints.
Note: due to a numbering error, boxes 2 to 13 do not have a folder 1.
The collection starts with the early years of Leo Kim and his family followed by his time at NDSU, his short time at Standing Rock Indian Reservation, his work with The Fargo Forum Newspaper, and working at Lutheran Hospital and Homes then on to creating his own photography business that he started in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In this collection you will see examples of Leo Kim intentionally using light and shadow, composition, movement, lines and patterns to create his images. Darkroom techniques such as dodging and burning that would make an area of a print darker or lighter. He would use all of these elements when creating photographic images as well as his meticulous attention to detail in all aspects of the photographic process. Ranging from camera equipment, film, composition, to the final printed image. Leo would print the majority of his images on Moab Entrada Fine Art paper but also used resin coated papers as well. Leo had great patients in letting a scene mature and develop before taking the picture as evident in his two published books North Dakota Prairie Landscape and St. Paul Serenity. Highlights from the collection would be his North Dakota Prairie Landscape prints, St. Paul Serenity prints, Still Life and Abstract prints, Commercial work such as the Zubaz Sport Pants photo shoot, the Allen Brady Manufacturing images and his Portrait work.
The collection has been arranged into three major categories. Prints, Negatives, Slides and Transparencies.
The Print Series contains black and white and color prints of various sizes and starts with the early years of Leo and his family which include pictures of the family in Hong Kong, Macao, Austria and Germany. The series continues with his arrival to the United States starting with the Fargo Years 1969-1985, Minneapolis and St. Paul Years 1985-2019, Commercial Photography, HealthCare, Portraits, Unidentified People, Minneapolis and St. Paul Winter, St. Paul Buildings, Black and White Abstract Prints, Color Abstract Prints, Germany, Friends of Leo Kim, Oversized Prints, Oversized North Dakota Prairie Landscape Prints, Oversized St. Paul Serenity Prints, Oversized Still Life and Abstract Prints, North Dakota Prairie Landscape Signed Prints. There are other signed prints as well as prints he displayed for different photography exhibits. Where possible the prints have been cross referenced with the negatives or slides and transparencies.
The Negative Series contains various negative sizes from 35mm, 120mm, to 4x5 inches. This would be the type of films Leo would use from 1969 to approximately (2009) when Leo switched to digital photography using a digital DSLR camera. In the collection are negatives of Leo Kim’s Early Years, The Fargo Forum 1972-1973, North Dakota, NDSU, Fargo, HealthCare, Portraits, Unidentified People, Commercial Photography, Still Life and Abstracts, Travel, Friends of Leo Kim, North Dakota Prairie Landscape Original Negatives. Where possible the negatives have been cross referenced with the prints.
The Slide and Transparency Series contains various film sizes from 35mm, 120mm, to 4x5 inch films. It starts with Motor Cross Racing and Formula 1 Auto Racing taken in Germany in late 1960’s. Then to Farming, Minneapolis Cityscape and Architecture, St. Paul Cityscape and Architecture, HealthCare, Portraits, Commercial Photography, Still Life and Abstract Images, Various Countries, Friends of Leo Kim, North Dakota, Other States, and Alaska. Where possible the slides and transparencies have been cross referenced with the prints.
Note: due to a numbering error, boxes 2 to 13 do not have a folder 1.
Dates
- 1945 - 2018
Access
The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the NDSU Archives.
Extent
From the Collection: 3607 Photographic Prints (3617 photographic prints)
From the Collection: 29966 Photographic Negatives (29,966 negatives)
From the Collection: 11400 Photographic Slides (11,400 slides )
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Creator
- From the Collection: Kim, Leo, 1946- (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Institute for Regional Studies Repository
Contact:
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu