MtnHam
Senior Member

About MtnHam

Biography:

I'm 74, retired from the commercial photography business in 2003 after a 40+ year career that started in high school. In the late 60's and early 70's I did mainly large format studio work for the food and wine industries in San Francisco. Sold my SF studio in '76 to finance a 2 year sailing odyssey to the South Pacific with my wife (now of 52 years) on our 40' ketch. Upon our return in 1980 settled in the wine country and started a family (2 daughters now in their 30's, 2 grandsons) but eventually went back to SF and re-engaged in food & wine photography. Later ran 3 photo labs/studio and did aerial photography. Retired for the 3rd time in 2003 and moved to our 45 acre ranch in the boonies near the Sonoma Coast where I manage a forest of 35,000 Redwood and Douglas Fir trees which I planted in 1993 following a wild fire that destroyed the old forest. These trees are now 50-60' tall. We (I have 3 workers) thin and groom, and remove the "ladder" fuels, creating what are called "Shaded Fuel Breaks" so as to inprove the survival odds in the next fire. In another 10 years, we will be able to start a sustainable annual timber harvest. I bike, hike and am a daily lap swimmer. San Francisco is once again my primary residence which allows me to enjoy city life and frequently attend performances at the SF Jazz Center, the SF Opera and Symphony, while my wife remains mostly at the ranch where we have a large garden, orchard, chickens and sheep. I am currently overseeing a major remodel of the SF property, which dates back to 1910. Bicycling is my primary form of city transport.

My audio history started in my early teens with a Kenwood receiver, a Thorens TD124 tt (should never have sold it!) and a pair of AKG headphones. Speakers came later. It has progressed ever since to better and better gear. My love of planar speakers led me to Sound Lab electrostatics about 15 years ago, becoming a home based dealer, mainly to support this expensive hobby. I have 2 very fine but different systems, one in the country and another in SF. Music is my passion; I have a huge library that spans many genres, Classical, Opera, Jazz, and a lot more, including Bluegrass, Country (think Willie, Lucinda Williams) and Blues- 4,000 lp's and a large digital library. I now primarily stream Tidal via my 2 Lumins. Roon will be added soon.

Location:

Northern California Coast & San Francisco

Interests:

Music, audio, hiking, bicycling, ranching, ham radio, atv's, tractors, sailing, wine, and my dog.

Occupation:

Retired commercial photographer, rancher, steward of the forest.