Leonard Lee Rue III
Contributors to this thread:General Topic
From: tobywon
30-Nov-22
tobywon's Link
I don't recall seeing a topic about him on here, but looking over BB's thread made me think of Leonard Lee Rue III, a guy I always looked up to as a child. I loved his photography and I would always look at the credits in a magazine and it always seemed to be his name there. He inspired me to pick up a camera at an early age and dabble in some photography. I've gotten away from it a bit with being busy with work and family, but would like to return to it someday.
I didn't realize that he just passed away earlier this month at the age of 96. Thank you Mr. Rue, rest in peace!!
From: BwanaND
30-Nov-22
I recall seeing his name EVERYWHERE back when I was a kid and hoped to someday be able to take similar pictures...I never got to that point. ;)
From: Pat Lefemine
30-Nov-22
Had the honor of meeting him in person back in the 80's. He and a couple others were the goto guys for photo credits. I even had one of his posters from back in the day! Nice man, loved whitetails.
From: Olink
30-Nov-22
Thanks for posting that. I wasn't aware that he passed away. He was definitely one of the great ones.
From: JohnMC
30-Nov-22
Those guys that could do it with film were something. With digital you can take a picture look at it on camera, know if you got it right or correct on the spot. The camera also can do some of the getting the exposure correct for you. Also edit/developing picture these days vs in a dark room back in the day.
From: DanaC
30-Nov-22
Yup, and now you can strap a camera to a tree and catch all kinds of deer behavior easily. Back then it was hours in a blind for a picture.
From: 12yards
30-Nov-22
Yes, probably Kodachrome. That was skilled art for sure.
From: sticksender
30-Nov-22
His book "The Deer of North America" was the first good book covering whitetails that I ever read, back 30+ years ago. He was a great resource back in those earlier days when whitetail deer populations were coming back from the brink, and the interest in hunting them was starting to boom.
From: Shug
30-Nov-22
I was honored to induct him into The NJ Bowhunters Hall of Fame several years ago…
Pat were you the guest speaker at that one?
From: SaddleReaper
30-Nov-22
I convinced my mom to let me buy his hard cover book "Way of the Whitetail" when I was 9 years old. At the time it was over $30 - a big spend for 9yr old me. I'm glad she let me buy it.... and its safe to say it helped fuel my addiction. I also have a signed reproduction print of his in my office that I'll probably always hang on to, even though its not one of his best pictures.
His work will be appreciated for generations to come.
From: Dale06
30-Nov-22
I recall looking at his photographs and writing years ago. He was very talented.
From: Kurt
30-Nov-22
Met him once...P&Y convention or in CO at a CBA banquet forget which. He critiqued a photo of a mountain lion bayed on a cliff, hanging out over mid-air I had taken in 1985 and entered in a photo contest he judged. The face to face pointers he gave me were great...tips directly from the best!
I had wondered if he was still alive. He lived a long life, bringing a lot of pleasure to others through his photography skills.
From: scentman
30-Nov-22
Yes, back then he was to hunting and photography as Phil Esposito was to Hockey! I read or watched anything that gentleman put forth... he did it with such class and dignity. Leonard could relate to hunters and non hunters, he was a great diplomat for the outdoor way of life.
From: Slate
30-Nov-22
He was my neighbor. Great guy.
From: scentman
30-Nov-22
Slate, you being from Jousy.. he was the "boss" of Wildlife photography!
From: TonyBear
30-Nov-22
Great photographer and author..
From: Zbone
30-Nov-22
Luved his writings and photographs, my condolences to his family and friends...
From: Jethro
30-Nov-22
He was the reason I started carrying a camera with me in the tree stand. I was a teenager. I still have the board game that used his photos. Circa 1985
