Published: October 31, 2008 08:31 am      

A lifetime capturing life through a lens

By Lacie Morrison
lmorrison@mineralwellsindex.com

Ron Wickson admits he’s not an artist with a paintbrush or pen but with a camera in his hands, he enjoys creating a masterpiece.

“I think that photographs, they create an emotion, help us to remember a particular time. They bring forth some kind of emotion,” Wickson said. “You can’t look at a photograph that’s done right without feeling an emotion.”

Photography, he said, “is an art medium anyone can learn.”

The Possum Kingdom Lake resident began learning photography as a young teenager in Seminole, Texas. When he was 13, Wickson said he asked his mother for a camera for Christmas. A childhood friend had a camera he was able to share and he wanted one of his own.

“It’s been a lifelong thing,” he said of his love of photography. His first camera, Wickson recalled, “was a Kodak Tourister. They all used rolled film back then.”

When he was 16, he became interested in underwater photography. It was an odd choice for a West Texas town native, he admitted, but he and his family have been coming to Possum Kingdom Lake “since I was a kid. There weren’t any houses at Hell’s Gate.”

“A friend and I got interested in it in 1954 when scuba diving became popular,” he recalled. “I had a passion for it.”

Wickson worked in Seminole as a general contractor, married his wife, Susie, in 1963 and took photos on family trips and vacations. From the 1970s to the 1990s, he used a Hasselblad camera.

“It’s been an ongoing [hobby],” Wickson, 71, said. “It’s been a part of our lives forever. We just don’t think of going anywhere without the cameras.”

It wasn’t until later in life that photography transitioned from an enjoyable hobby to a second vocation from his lakeside home.

“We’ve always had a place on the lake since 1977. When we retired, we knew we were going to stay here,” he said. “We became permanent residents in 2000.”

From the windows of his house, a pair of cardinals were observed eating seed off his porch while a wind whipped tiny whitecaps on the lake’s surface. Inside, nature is present through the underwater photos and images of local wildlife dominating the walls. Most of his photos are of nature.

“I’m interested in the natural,” he explained, though he still shoots weddings and in-home family portraits on occasion. “My background is underwater photography. I think my love of wildlife grew out of that.”

When asked what he’s learned about shooting photos in nature, Wickson smiled.

“Shooting wildlife will grow patience,” he said, gesturing to a framed photo of a bird in flight. He described in detail how he would maneuver himself and his boat close enough to a heron or flock of birds to capture a detail-rich photo.

“Because I’m here, I focus on the lake wildlife. I’m intrigued by the birds,” he said.

In Wickson’s office, a large landscape photo of the Morris Sheppard Dam depicts the Brazos River below the dam and a broad expanse of the lake in the foreground. Shooting a panoramic photograph of landscapes is something Wickson enjoys but it takes some forethought.

“It’s all about the lighting,” he said. “You look for layers, good composition. I don’t care what you’re shooting. Good composition is very important. If you’re going to involve the viewer, you have to have lighting, composition and emotion.”

Right in line with his love of nature is his preference to shooting flora in detail. One photo he considers a favorite depicts a hummingbird hovering before the yellow blossoms on a cactus.

But according to Wickson, “I have several favorites. They keep changing.”

As with many photographers – amateurs and professionals – Wickson made the transition from film to digital format. His current camera of choice is a Nikon D-300, what he calls “Nikon’s best D300 format SLR. The equipment is always evolving but right now, it’s good enough.”

“The digital has been absolutely amazing. The biggest thing in photography is the digital photography and the learning curve,” he remarked. “It increases our ability to learn. I can go to Castillo Island and shoot birds, go home, critique it and go back the next day to re-shoot it. The digital format allows us a latitude we didn’t have before.”

Wickson estimated he takes roughly 5,000 images each year but “very seldom will I have anything printed.”

“I had a dark room my whole life. You can spend three hours processing color pictures for one photo,” he recalled. With digital imaging, “you can do it all so quickly” from downloading the image, touching it up with a computer program and printing it. Wickson estimated that he spends probably four hours on the editing process from unloading his photographs to printing.

“You have to like that part, too,” he observed. “There’s so much about Photoshop, you learn something new every time you open it.

Although the photographer hasn’t earned a degree in photography, he attends classes from time to time to learn about the latest techniques and equipment.

“I’ve been to two Nikon seminars [and] gone to several Professional Photography Association seminars,” he said. “I went to be an open sponge [to soak in everything offered].”

“I’m never going to get bored with [photography],” he said. “There’s always something to learn, to see, to shoot. You’re always striving to do better. My grandson’s just as excited about it as I am.”

Wickson’s grandson, Daniel Chappell, was bitten by the shutterbug fever after his grandfather gave him a camera for his trip to Europe a couple of years ago. Since then, Wickson and his grandson have shared their love of photography. They have traveled to different locations, most recently, the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas, to capture nature through their lenses.

“I also have a 13-year-old granddaughter who’s interested in photography,” Wickson added with obvious pleasure.

“We shoot a lot of photos at the Fort Worth Zoo with my granddaughter. I love the zoo,” he said. “We did portraits of the animals. That was fun [but] you have to be really patient waiting for the right shot.”

Underwater photography is also a family affair, according to Wickson. As a certified scuba diver, he has taught his older grandchildren how to dive. Several photographs show Daniel diving with his grandfather while they snap clear images of the colorful saltwater fish.

Fortunately for Wickson, Possum Kingdom Lake is not only his home but also his favorite place to capture images.

“It’s because I live here and every morning there’s something different. There’s always something changing,” he said, pointing out the appearances of herons and pelicans as well as the changing colors of surrounding foliage.

“There’s enough here to keep you busy,” he added. “Something changes all the time.”