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>>> NOTHING SAYS MINNESOTA
QUITE LIKE THE BEAUTY OF THE
NORTH SHORE.
THE TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING THE
WAY WE DOCUMENT THOSE STUNNING
IMAGES.
AND ONE MAN IS IN A RACE
AGAINST TIME TO PRESERVE THE
PAST THE OLD FASHIONED WAY.
HERE IS BOYD HUPPERT.
>> THIS WAS JUST A PLACE THAT I
FOUND EARLY
ON.
IT'S BEEN SPECIAL.
>> Reporter: ED WARCHEN HAS
NEVER FELT THE NEED TO RETURN
TO HIS ROOTS.
HE'S NEVER LEFT THEM.
>> I WAS FORTUNATE TO GET A
CAMERA AT A VERY YOUNG AGE.
>> Reporter: EIGHT YEARS OLD
WHEN HE SHOT HIS FIRST ROLL
OF
FILM.
>> BEEN A LIFE LONG PASSION.
>> Reporter: ED HAS BUILT BOTH
THE REPUTATION AND CAREER OUT
OF LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY.
>> I THINK IT WAS THAT REAL
STRONG IDEA OF BEING A STORY
TELLER.
ONE PHOTOGRAPH AT A TIME.
I'M GOING TO HEAD DOWN THE
WAY.
>> Reporter: THEN, TEN YEARS
AGO, ED LAUNCHED HIS MOST
AMBITIOUS PROJECT YET.
>> CALLED A FRESH COAST
PROJECT.
>> Reporter: CROSSING THOUSANDS
OF MILES DURING A HUNDRED
DIFFERENT TRIPS, ED SET OUT TO
TELL THE STORY OF THE GREAT
LAKES AS A SINGLE NARRATIVE IN
PHOTOGRAPHS.
>> IT'S THE NARRATIVE THAT'S
NEVER BEEN -- BEEN DONE TO THIS
EXTENT BEFORE.
>> Reporter: HE JUST NEVER
IMAGINED HOW MUCH ALONG THE WAY
HIS OWN LANDSCAPE WOULD BE
ALTERED.
>> I THINK IT WOULD HAVE
BEEN
ANOTHER YEARS BEFORE I WOULD
HAVE SEEN THIS CHANGE SO
QUICKLY.
TRICKY SOMETIMES.
>> Reporter: ED STARTED
SHOOTING THE FRESH COAST
PROJECT ON FILM.
HE PLANNED TO FINISH IT THAT
WAY, TOO.
>> IS THAT A HAWK?
>> Reporter: BUT EARLIER THIS
YEAR, KODAK STOPPED PRODUCING
THE PROFESSIONAL SLIDE FILM HE
USES.
AS DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY CONSUMES
THE MARGARET.
>> THAT IS -- THE MARKET.
>> THAT IS JUST BEAUTIFUL.
>> Reporter: ED BELIEVES IT'S
ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL
FUJI STOPS MAKING HIS FILM,
TOO.
>> FOR ME IT'S A LOT OF
PRESSURE BECAUSE THE CLOCK IS
TICKING.
>> Reporter: IMAGINE A SCULPTOR
WHO HAS BEEN TOLD THE WORLD'S
MARBLE SUPPLY IS AT ITS END.
THEN YOU GET A SENSE FOR WHAT
ED IS FEELING.
>> IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN.
THERE'S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT
THE QUALITY OF FILM.
IT'S JUST SO -- SO BEAUTIFUL.
>> Reporter: YOU MAY NOT SEE
THE DIFFERENCE IN THE PHOTOS
THAT WILL COME FROM THIS SHOOT.
BUT ED WILL.
AND MORE THAN 400 MILES AWAY,
CLEAR ACROSS LAKE SUPERIOR,
THERE WILL BE NO ARGUMENT FROM
MIKE LUCIER.
>> THIS IS ED'S FILM.
>> Reporter:
ED'S FILM PROSSER
FOR 20 YEARS.
>> I WOULD SAY 2009 IS WHEN
DIGITAL REALLY STARTED TO
AFFECT MY BUSINESS.
>> Reporter: OPERATING OUT OF
AN ALL AIRPORT TERMINAL IN
MICHIGAN, MIKE AND THREE
EMPLOYEES ONCE DEVELOPED 300
ROLLS OF FILM A DAY.
HIS WORKERS ALL LAID OFF.
AS MIKE NOW HANDLES JUST 200
ROLLS OF FILM A WEEK.
>> THEY'RE GOING INTO A WASH
WATER RIGHT NOW.
>> Reporter: TOP FASHION AND
WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHERS ONCE RAN
THEIR FILM THROUGH THE CHEMICAL
BATH IN MIKE'S
140,000
DEVELOPER.
TODAY.
HE COULDN'T GIVE THE MACHINE
AWAY.
>> I THOUGHT I'D RETIRE WITH
IT.
THAT'S HOW OPTIMISTIC I WAS, I
GUESS, HUH?
OR STUPID.
>> Reporter: BY MIKE'S COUNT
HE'S ONE OF JUST THREE HIGH-END
FILM PROSSERS LEFT IN THE
COUNTRY.
>> THIS IS ED'S FILM.
>> Reporter: YOU'VE BEEN TO
LIVING HISTORY MUSEUMS WHERE A
BLACK SMITH POUNDS OUT
HORSESHOES?
MIKE IS NOW ON THE GREAT PATH.
>> I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALIZE
WHAT THEY'RE LOSING.
>> A LITTLE BIT LIKE CHRISTMAS.
>> Reporter: ED KNOWS WHAT HE
IS LOSING.
THIS MOMENT.
>> I LOVE THIS ONE.
>> Reporter: THAT DELAYED
GRATIFICATION.
>> IT'S PRETTY.
>> Reporter: UNKNOWN TO EIGHT-
YEAR-OLD BOYS AND GIRLS BORN IN
THE DIGITAL AGE.
>> A LITTLE BIT OF A SURPRISE,
AND THAT'S THE REALLY SPECIAL
PART.
>> Reporter: BUT THAT'S NOT THE
BIGGEST REASON ED IS RACING TO
FINISH HIS FLESH COAST PROJECT
ON FILM.
>> RIDICULOUSLY BEAUTIFUL
LIGHT.
>> Reporter: WHILE DIGITAL
IMAGES ARE EASILY AND OFTEN
MANIPULATED, TO ED, FILM IS
TRUTH.
>> THIS IS WHAT IS IT, LIKE A
PAINTING.
IT'S DONE, IT'S FINISHED.
THERE'S REALLY NOTHING MORE I
CAN DO
TO IT.
IT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING
SPECIAL HERE IN A LITTLE BIT.
>> Reporter: YET EVEN AS ED
CHASES ONE MORE LIKE SUPERIOR
SUNRISE.
>> LOOKING BEAUTIFUL.
>> Reporter: HE'S ACCEPTED HIS
FATE.
WHEN THE PROJECT IS FINISHED,
HE'LL PUT AWAY HIS FILM CAMERA,
AND COMPLETE HIS OWN CONVERSION
TO DIGITAL.
>> EACH PICTURE YOU TAKE IS --
SEEMS TO BECOME A LITTLE BIT
MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE LAST
>> Reporter: IN ED'S WORLD, THE
PACE OF PROGRESS HAS BECOME A
FORCE OF NATURE.
>> I'M JUST BLOCKING FILM OUT.
IT'S ALL
I'M DOING.
>> Reporter: BOYD HUPPERT, KARE
11 NEWS, LAKE SUPERIOR.
>> IF YOU'D LIKE TO READ MORE
ABOUT THE FRESH COAST PROJECT,
YOU'LL FIND A LINK TO THE
PROJECT AT KARE11.COM.