Today’s post comes from Larry Shockley, an archives specialist at the National Archives at College Park, MD.
In 1972 David Hiser was one of several photographers chosen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to document locations in the United States as part of the DOCUMERICA Project. Over 460 of Hiser’s photos can now be found in the National Archives Catalog.
When I contacted Hiser to see what he is doing now, he agreed to an interview but told me that his preferred way of responding to my questions was to record his answers into his iPhone and then email me the file. This unorthodox approach allowed me to obtain both a treasure trove of information and a valuable oral history. It is pleasing to note that he is just as passionate about photography today as he was in 1972.
Today Hiser spends his time as a photojournalist and digital photo instructor working from his home studio in Aspen, Colorado.
Hiser’s journey as a photographer began when he moved to Aspen at age 25. After his photographs of skiers got him some local attention, he was hired first by local newspapers and then, after about three years, by National Geographic.
During his tenure as a photographer for National Geographic, Hiser had about 66 assignments, 20 stories, and at least one cover. When Hiser was working for National Geographic, a public information officer for the Environmental Protection Agency by the name of Giff Hampshire created a project that endeavored to document areas of environmental concern.
Project DOCUMERICA began with approximately 120 photographers, many of whom were freelancers suggested by National Geographic’s Director of Photography Robert Gilka. Gilka gave Hampshire advice on how to structure the logistics of handling multiple photographers and also gave him his list of freelancers, one of whom was David Hiser.
During his tenure with the EPA, Hiser didn’t meet any of the other photographers. It was a solo effort, and he used the same caption book to record DOCUMERICA photo descriptions that he was using for his National Geographic photos.
He also filed the images in the same way as he had filed his National Geographic photos, and although he did get occasional reports back on how DOCUMERICA was doing, he had very little input in the selection and editing of the images. Despite his frustration with these logistical issues, Hiser found there to be a lot less pressure to work for the EPA because with National Geographic’s higher pay came much higher expectations.
Hiser did five assignments for DOCUMERICA, with three being his idea:
1. Earthships and Beer Can Houses in New Mexico
Hiser came up with the idea to document “beer can houses” and what later became known as “Earthships” while he was hiking. He worked with Michael Reynolds, the inventor of the Earthship, who built structures with beer cans, abandoned tires, etc. The buildings were meant to exist off the grid and were part of the “New Age Scene” in Taos, New Mexico.
Empty steel beer and soft drink cans were accumulated from a variety of sources near Taos, New Mexico, to be used in building experimental houses. Because 70,000 cans are needed to build one structure, the can manufacturing industry is watching with interest. Builder Michael Reynolds bought the cans from bars at 15 cents a case and advertised. He considers the houses functional and attractive, and as much as 20% cheaper than ones built by conventional methods, 5/1974. (National Archives Catalog 556613) 
Basic building block of experimental housing being built of empty steel beer and soft drink cans near Taos, New Mexico, 5/1974. (National Archives Identifier 556616) 
Another experimental house made of empty steel beer and soft drink can construction near Taos, New Mexico. This house will be plastered with adobe like the other homes in the area, but will have cost up to 20% less, according to architect Michael Reynolds the rounded walls are load bearing and are made with building blocks of eight cans. The flat walls are not load bearing and are built with single cans laid horizontally, end out, in the mortar, 6/1974. (National Archives Identifier 556628)
2. Canyonlands National Park
The 337,598 acres of Canyonland National Park was another area where Hiser enjoyed hiking and exploring.
Climbing up from Water Canyon, so named for a spring that supplies abundant fresh water, a rarity in this region. There are no trails here, and the hiker must navigate by map and compass experience is necessary; the terrain is harsh, water scarce, and help sometimes days away. But the rewards are great, and many people say that this is the only way the Canyonlands can be truly appreciated, 5/1972. (National Archives Identifier 545785) 
Descending into the Maze from near Chimney Rock, using mountaineers’ “rappeling” technique. In this remote region of the Canyonlands there are no trails and no means of access except by rope and, sometimes, by steps cut in the rock, 5/1972. (National Archives Identifier 545769) 
Hikers Terry McGaw and Glen Denny enjoy a view of the Maze from the top of a ridge separating two canyons. The Maze, a wild and rugged region in the heart of the Canyonlands, has no footpaths, and hikers enter by means of ropes or steps cut in the rocks, 5/1972. (National Archives Identifier 545767) 
Camping in the Maze, a remote and rugged region in the heart of the Canyonlands. Because it seldom rains, tents are not necessary. Firewood is dry and plentiful. Ekker Butte rises in the background, 5/1972. (National Archives Catalog 545774) 
Rock formations in “The Doll House,” a very remote section of the Canyonlands. Only six miles to the east, across the Colorado River, is the famous Needles section of the park. But one must drive 250 miles by Jeep to get from one of these places to the other, 5/1972. (National Archives Identifier 545805)
3. Rifle, Colorado
Hiser lived just 50 miles from Rifle, Colorado, and was inspired to do a documentary on the life of the people there. It was an old-fashioned ranching town he really enjoyed.
Rifle, the major community of the Piceance Basin, is a small town with a one-street business district, 7/1973. (National Archives Identifier 552604) 
The painted bus is home, 10/1972. (National Archives Catalog 552615) 
Fairview church and school are abandoned now. In the 1950’s fifty-six students attended Fairview school (to the right of the church) and Fairview was the community center for the farm people in the area. When small ranches could no longer support their owners, many had to leave, 10/1972. (National Archives Identifier 552674) 
Labor day weekend brings the annual Garfield county fair parade, 9/1973. (National Archive Identifier 552658) 
Labor day weekend brings the annual Garfield county fair parade, 9/1973. (National Archive Identifier 552661)
4. Oil Spill and Helicopter Crash on San Juan River
Hiser was assigned to cover on oil spill in the San Juan river and narrowly missed getting on a helicopter that crashed and disintegrated.
A burst pipeline at Shiprock, New Mexico spilled some 285,000 gallons of crude oil into the river. Under EPA supervision personnel from several government agencies and crews of the Texas-New Mexico Pipeline Company worked round the clock to contain the spill with a log boom. The helicopter had been removing workers from the boom site on a rainy night. Aboard when it crashed were two EPA men and a Coast Guard member. None were killed, 10/1972. (National Archives Identifier 545685) 
Wreckage of an army helicopter assigned to clean-up of the San Juan river oil spill, 10/1972. (National Archives Identifier 545670) 
Dr. George Rice (in yellow jacket) was EPA’s on-scene coordinator for the clean-up of the San Juan river oil spill. 285,000 gallons of crude oil spilled from a burst pipeline and flowed 200 miles downstream before it was contained by a log boom. Here Dr. Rice is checking progress at the boom site, 10/1972. (National Archives Identifier 545668)
5. Arches National Park
Hiser really enjoyed covering Arches National Park as it required him to rappel into canyons and backpack into remote areas. Being able to do this kind of work is one of the reasons he moved to Aspen.
Backpackers Terry McGaw and Glen Denny rest in the setting sun at the end of the trail to Delicate Arch, 5/1972. (National Archives Identifier 545770) 
North Window Arch, 5/1972. (National Archives Identifier 545576) 
Double Arch in Windows section of the park, 5/1972. (National Archives Identifier 545577) 
Delicate Arch, the most famous arch in the park. La Sal Mountains are behind to the east, ca. 1972. (National Archives Identifier 545573) 
Looking down on Island in the Sky and the famous Schaefer trail, which winds its way steeply from the mesa top to the Colorado river below, 5/1972. (National Archives Identifier 545764)
When asked what the greatest challenge to this type of work was, Hiser replied that there were frustrations with the process. “You would shoot the film, then mail it off and not get to edit it yourself. Because of this you might not hear for weeks, if at all, what kind of results you have. Now of course a photographer can edit the film themselves digitally.”
After Hiser worked with DOCUMERICA, the EPA used one of his photos as an “environmental consciousness thing,” but not much happened with them afterwards. Hiser states that he is unaware of the photos being used much outside of the National Archives; he was therefore pleased to find them on Flickr and the National Archives Catalog. His main frustration with his collection on Flickr is that you will find his images “bunched in with other people, and you cannot see the images via assignment because they are not organized that way.”
In 2013, Hiser’s work, along with other DOCUMERICA photographers, was featured in the National Archives exhibit Searching for the Seventies: The DOCUMERICA Photography Project.
If you would like to learn more about David Hiser’s work, you can find his images in the National Archives Catalog, Flickr, Getty Images, and the Annenberg Space for Photography. Those who are interested in his photographs of his good friend Hunter S. Thompson may contact the Fat City Gallery.
DOCUMERICA documentary https://youtu.be/LHaJmlS7ksI