“Brian Wheeler moved to Salida in 1982 to follow his passion of being a photographer. For 15 years he worked the rivers and ski slopes of Colorado as a photographer and eventual guide then settled in Boulder and worked in the organic farm industry. He married and had two kids before being diagnosed with brain cancer which recently took his life. The photo was from a series of studio shots I took of him, and his son Bergen, a month or so after his first brain surgery to remove the tumor. He wanted to come to Salida with his family to chill a bit, do some rafting and get some change of scenery from all the medical stuff he was going through back home.
We used the photos as a fundraiser for his family as the medical bills were out of control, plus he had to quit his job. His son was two at the time and really had no idea what his Dad was going through. He was a very colorful person with wild red hair and red was his favorite color, and come to think of it, Valentine’s Day was his favorite holiday as it involved the color red, as well as hearts, which he always collected heart shaped rocks from his travels around the world.” – Tim Brown
