Donald C. Mason

A tribute to Don will be held on May 17th at 7 p.m. at 4700 Easton Dr Suite 30. Bakersfield, Ca

Don Mason passed away April 17th, 2012 in the care of his dear friends Teresa, Gill and Sharon. Don is proceeded in death by his father, Joesph Mason and mother, Betty Jo Carter-Mason.

Don was considered by many to be one of the most talented and versatile photographers to graduate from Brooks Institute of Santa Barbara. In the 80's and throughout the 90's, Don was the most sought after architectural photographer in the San Joaquin Valley. During the housing boom, the demand for Don's talent also sent him south to Los Angeles and east to Las Vegas were he photographed model homes for several builders. During those two decades, Don photographed well over one hundred different model homes. Architectural firms hired Don to photograph many of the commercial buildings in Bakersfield - everything from banking institutions to local high schools. During Don's career, two of his photos were featured in the national publication Architectual Digest.

One year, Don was hired by Superior Farms to photograph every single fruit and vegetable grown by that company. The assignment took 12 months to complete. Many of the photos were used to market Superior Farms produce worldwide. Don's photography was instrumental in introducing produce such as the Thompson Seedless Grapes to Japan and the Clementine Tangerines to the American markets.

Probably Don's favorite thing to photograph were his roses. Many growers around the world would overnight their favorite new variety to Don's studio on Easton drive in Bakersfield. It was not uncommon for Don's studio to house dozen upon dozens of roses at any given time. In the middle of summer, that rose-filled studio was always kept cold, with a couple extra air conditioning units running 24 hours a day. Don would usually wear a sweater and jacket as he meticulously went through every box looking for the perfect rose to photograph. Often, using an exactor knife and super glue, Don would artificially reconstruct the "perfect rose."

For the last few years Don's focus on photography evolved more to photography fine art and teaching others his gift of photography. Along with co-author Ted Padova, Don published a color management book in 2007.



Don was also very involved with The Kern County Photographers Association. He gave his gentle critiques each month to aspiring photographers. He was “The Answer Man” for the group.

Don touched many people. He was known for his gentle spirit and kind heart. If you were missing a father figure in your life or needed a big brother to lean on, Don would be there for you. He really did care about people and never wanted anything in return. We'll miss you, Big Guy.

Don leaves behind his favorites - his three cats Ashley Cat (named after a friend of his), Shadow and Tigger. Nobody loved his cats more than Don. And, if you knew Don, you knew his kitties came first. In lieu of flowers, a donation made to "thecatpeople.org" in Don's name would be the greatest honor for Don.