For William “Bill” Jaynes, photography wasn’t a hobby. It was a passion, a joy and a vision.

“Bill was really into the history,” his wife, Kathy Ross Jaynes, said. “He thought of photography as a way to express yourself and tell a story.”

Bill died on March 1, 2014. Now Kathy and friends and family have taken up the task of sharing his photographs with the community.

“Art in a box isn’t really art,” she said. “It’s meant to be seen and shared.”

A memorial showing, “The Photographic Vision of Bill Jaynes: A Distinct Perspective,” will be this weekend. 

The event will be at the Swan River Hall, 115 Swan River Road in Bigfork, on Friday, April 17, from 4 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Bill moved from Seattle to Great Falls and then Bigfork in the late 1970s. He owned and operated Bill’s Body and Paint in Bigfork for 37 years as well as running a software business. He was a longtime volunteer for the Swan Hill TV District.

In the early 1980s, Bill took his first photography class at Flathead Valley Community College. His instructor was Steve Lehmer. According to an Inter Lake article published in the mid-’80s, Bill said Lehmer taught photography as a sort of documentary art form.

“Seeing his work inspired me,” Bill is quoted as saying. “I realized you could use it as a vehicle for other forms of thought.”

The impact of that class on his life was significant. Within the year he had set up a darkroom and studio in his home.

After Lehmer left Flathead Valley Community College in 1983, Bill took over the photography classes. He would go on to teach a variety of courses over the next 10 years at the college.

“[Photography is] a concise language that people can use to speak about things that they couldn’t necessarily verbalize,” Bill said in the previous article.

According to Kathy, Bill’s work is unique.

“He was fascinated by the urban landscape,” Kathy said. “Even in his [natural] landscape photos, there was always a human element.”

Kathy said that the memorial showing this weekend will feature hundreds of Bill’s photographs, many of which are matted or framed already. But she estimated that the total number of images taken over his lifetime easily would reach into the thousands. She admitted that even she was surprised at the breadth of his work.

“He was a very humble person — very humble about his photos,” Kathy said. “Many friends had never seen much of his work. He had photographs I had never seen.”

For all of the unseen work, Bill also had quite a bit of exposure through the years. 

According to Kathy, his photographs have been displayed at the Seastar Gallery, ARTFusion Gallery, Hockaday Museum of Art events and Flathead Valley Community College, among countless others. He had pieces published in the Seattle Weekly magazine in 1982-83 and donated a number of photos to art museums around the region over the years. 

One of his photographs of Fort Benton was chosen in 1993 by the Montana Historical Society as its poster picture of the year.

Much of his work focuses on the east side of the state and Hi-Line area.

“He wanted to share the east side of the mountains,” Kathy said. “That is his legacy.” 

She said it would be impossible to choose one photograph as her favorite, but that she tended to gravitate toward the east-side natural landscapes.

“Traveling, camping and exploring the mountains ... That was our great joy together,” Kathy said. “The east-side landscapes are my favorites because that was our experiences. I can just walk right into the landscapes.”

Kathy said the couple, who met and lived in Bigfork, were together for 23 years.

“Our trips are what I miss most,” she said. “He would photograph while I would watch birds.”

Kathy said she is looking forward to this weekend’s show and having the chance to share her husband’s work.

“This show is a way to share with the community the history he recorded and was part of,” Kathy said. “It’s really important to share it. It was his passion. This is the best way to honor his memory.”

The show will have many of Bill’s photographs displayed “gallery-style” as well as prints for sale.

“And there will be chocolate!” Kathy said. “That was his favorite.”

“I’m so grateful to all the people who have helped and participated in getting the event together,” she added. “I couldn’t have put this together on my own. The entire community has been incredibly supportive.”

“If I had any wish, it would be that he was here. He showed me a different perspective on the world. That’s a beautiful thing.”

Entertainment editor Stefanie Thompson can be reached at 758-4439 or ThisWeek@dailyinterlake.com.