In Memory Of Gene (Generoso Carandang) Nocon

Gene (Generoso Carandang) Nocon passed away peacefully on November 20, 2011. He is survived by his mother (Porfiria Nocon), his former wife (Elizabeth (Liz) de la Fontaine), his two daughters and sons-in-law (Summer and Tercel Moore, and Olivia and Nathan Nouskajian), his grandchildren (Caden Nouskajian, and Finn and Willow Moore), and his brothers and sisters (Ed Nocon, Andy Nocon, Catalina Nocon, Rose Hermanson, Rick Nocon, Rey Nocon, and Robert Nocon).

Gene was born on December 26, 1945 in Cuenca, Batangas, Philippines. With his father serving in the US Navy, the family moved often, from the Philippines to many US cities. From these moves, Gene learned to assimilate to new environments and social changes. As the oldest child in the family, he taught his siblings how to adapt and make friends quickly.

Gene went to high school in San Diego, California. He was a standout and was awarded a 4-year Navy ROTC scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley in 1963. He transferred to the University of the Philippines one year later, then continued his studies at San Diego State University.

In 1968, the US Army drafted Gene, assigning him to a staff position in Frankfurt, Germany. Having experimented with black-and-white (B&W) development in high school and college, Gene volunteered as a photographic printer for the US Military Stars and Stripes newspaper working for the legendary photographer/editor Red Grandy. This marked the beginning of his incredible photography career. His unique skills and artistic talent in B&W development resulted in close associations with acclaimed names in the photography industry.

In 1980 Gene entered a photograph in an annual contest that would earn him the “ILFORD Printer of the Year” award. This accolade highlighted the role and importance of the photographer’s printer, and the photograph was showcased at an exhibition in England called the “The Photographic Print.” Gene’s achievements in the photography industry were brought to the attention of HRH Prince Andrew, who had an interest in photography. As Gene would tell it, Prince Andrew walked into Gene’s The Photographers Workshop, asked for Gene, then their photography relationship began. Gene would later take the photo of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson used as the royal wedding commemorative stamp.

Highlighted among many of his other accomplishments in and contributions to photography are his television series NOCON ON PHOTOGRAPHY for Thames Television London, his NOCON TIMER (electronic exposure aid for photographic development), and his books, Photographic Printing and Nocon On Photography. Gene was also honored as Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) for his contributions to photography. He helped found RPS’s Distinction Panel for Photographic Printers and served as its first chairman.

His appreciation for new technology led him to explore new concepts and ideas in digital media and photographic art rendering, a technique that bears the hallmarks of a painting. Gene’s collection of these “paintings” are displayed in his on-line collection FAUXTOGRAPHS. Gene was an expert at photo editing and gave seminars in digital enhancement techniques to photographers at all skill levels.

As accomplished and acclaimed as Gene was as a photographer, he was proudest of his daughters, Summer and Olivia, their marriages to wonderful men, and his grandchildren. To see Gene with Caden, Finn and Willow was a photograph of love, happiness and satisfaction of life that Gene would have left unedited.

The memorial service will be held on Friday, December 2nd at the Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala, San Diego, California, at 10:30am.

Tribute from Amateur Photographer: Link