Scenic Photographer Duane ‘Cap’ Davis Dies He Sold His Work Nationally, Produced Book On Washington

Duane “Cap” Davis, a well-known photographer who captured the scenic beauty and life in the Northwest for more than 50 years, died at his Sandpoint home this weekend.

Davis was 69. He died from heart complications.

Davis had trekked thousands of miles to remote locations in North Idaho and Washington to snap scenic and wildlife photos. His worked has appeared on the covers of national and regional publications, including Sunset magazine.

“He was in rarified air amongst scenic photographers. His work has sold all over the country,” said professional photographer Dann Hall. Hall who lives in Sandpoint, is the son of another famous scenic photographer, the now deceased Ross Hall.

Davis learned his craft from Ross Hall. He helped lug cameras to mountaintops for scenic shots and to capture the log drives down the rivers of North Idaho.

Davis later struck out on his own. He was commissioned by Old National Bank in the 1980s to produce a full-color coffee table book entitled “Washington.” He contributed numerous photos to a similar book on Idaho.

“Not many people reach that status where a company is willing to invest a quarter-million dollars on a coffee table book,” Dan Hall said. “Cap (Davis) had a close kinship to nature and developed an eye most of us weren’t privileged to. I don’t know if people in the area knew what a great talent he was.”

One of Davis’ shots ended up as a poster for the Festival At Sandpoint. It depicted fireworks shooting over the top of the distinctively peaked festival tent, pitched for the outdoor summer concerts.

Davis was a familiar face at community events, capturing them on film, and combed North Idaho’s backwoods for pictures of loggers and wildlife.

He made several trips to Montana to hunt bears and river otters with his camera.

Davis had his own portrait studio, was a wood craftsman and an avid outdoorsman. He hunted and fished, rarely without his camera, and for many years ran a farm with his wife of 49 years, Verna Mae Davis.

“Photography was always his love besides his family and grandchildren,” Verna Mae Davis said. “He did like his camera and he lived to go take a picture.”

Besides being one of the Northwest’s foremost scenic photographers, friends said above all else Davis was honest, respectable and always willing to help a neighbor.

“He didn’t care who you were, he was always helping people. That is one of the things I adored about him,” Verna Mae Davis said.

When Davis collapsed at home Saturday, he was on the telephone to friends in Spokane, offering to help them cut up downed trees from the ice storm.

“He was the most pleasant person to be with and a special friend,” said former Idaho governor Don Samuelson. Samuelson lives in Sandpoint and knew Davis for 50 years.

“I went out with him to take pictures a lot of times. When he needed someone in the picture with a fishing pole, I was the guy,” Samuelson said. “I have many fond memories of him and he will be missed.”

There will be a memorial service for Davis Saturday at 11 a.m. at First Lutheran Church in Sandpoint.

He is survived by his wife, three daughters, a son and six grandchildren. Memorials can be made to the youth memorial fund at First Lutheran Church.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: BYLINE = Kevin Keating Staff writer Correspondent Marianne Love contributed to this report.