Darryl Norenberg
Darryl Norenberg’s photographic career began when he joined the yearbook staff at his high school in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. His passion for photography grew, leading him to pursue an education at the prestigious New York Institute of Photography. Shortly after graduating, Darryl was drafted by the U.S. Marine Corps. With assignments in Korea, Camp LeJeune and Cherry Point, he proudly served the country from 1954 to 1957, culminating his military career as a Sergeant at the Washington, D.C. headquarters.
In the fall of 1957, Norenberg’s family moved to Pomona, CA, where he attended Chaffey College in nearby Ontario, CA. Returning to his photographic roots, he continued his studies in Liberal Arts/Photography while working part-time in the summer months for a newspaper in Pomona. From 1959 to 1962, Darryl covered news assignments and sports as chief photographer for the Progress Bulletin newspaper. It was during these years that he developed the experience and contacts of a professional photographer—he began to photograph the Los Angeles Rams; his sports editor, Fred Claire, eventually became the General Manager of the LA Dodgers; and he also worked freelance for yearbooks out of the New York City area.
Combining his military experience with his photography education, Darryl went on to work as an Industrial Photographer for General Dynamics in the Naval Weapons Division in Pomona, where he photographed classified military projects, studio work and high speed camera work. Expanding his portfolio, he went to Petersen Publishing Company in Hollywood, CA, becoming a staff photographer for leading national automotive, special interest and marketing projects in publications such as Hot Rod, Motor trend, Car Craft, Rod & Custom, Sports Car Graphic, R&C Models, Teen Guns & Ammo, Skin Diver and numerous book projects. He continued to work freelance projects for east coast publications, including Conde Nast, Sam André, Street & Smith’s, McFadden Bartell Publishing and Sport Magazine. During this time, Darryl was contacted by David Boss at NFL Properties, which led to his photographing assignments for PRO Magazine, the official magazine of the NFL at the time. Darryl photographed five of the first ten Super Bowls, including the very first game in Los Angeles in 1967. He also covered the Los Angeles Lakers from 1962 to 1971, adding the city’s top team to his already extensive résumé
In 1966, Darryl joined Interstate Electronics in Anaheim as an industrial photographer where he was responsible for photographing electronic equipment related to naval weapons. It was after his tenure at Interstate Electronics that Darryl decided to start his own business and in 1968, he launched Norenberg Photography. He eventually added a partner and operated as Norenberg/Wilson Photography in Pomona, specializing in Industrial, Sports, Commercial, Advertising and Public Relations photography. Clients included GE Aircraft, Lockheed, FMC Corp. U.S. Bank, Allstate Savings and Loan, Sunkist, Dodge New Bureau, Petersen Publishing, Toyota, Volvo, Saab and BMW, as well as a host of other commercial clients. Though busy photographing industrial equipment, Darryl maintained his connection to sports as he became the official team photographer for the Los Angeles Dodgers and California Angels.
In 1979, Darryl sold his business and moved to Crescent City, CA. Once there, he joined Pelican Bay Travel with offices in Crescent City and Brookings, OR. Though relocated, Darryl continued photographing NFL games in Seattle, as well as continuing commercial and automotive magazine work. In 2005, Darryl retired after closing both businesses. In addition to all these experiences, Darryl served as a photography instructor at the College of Redwoods for two years; was a photo organizer for the inaugural Indy car race at Ontario Motor Speedway where he staffed the event with 25 photographers; served four years on the Crescent City Planning Commission, six years on the board of Economic Development Commission, six years as an officer on Del Norte Chamber of Commerce and four years as officer on the Redwoods National Parks System.