A lifetime of adventure, capturing moments along the way, and sharing the experience with someone special is one way to describe Jim Renfrow’s photography hobby.
“I like to go out and be there, capturing the moment. A bird in flight, the sunset, or a ripple on the water,” he shared. He has attended several photography workshops that take attendees to various landscapes for tips and tricks on taking photos in those locations. “With outdoor photography, you can be there at the right time, but not the right moment,” he said. Renfrow recalled a workshop trip to Death Valley for some night sky shots; there were clear skies all day until sunset when clouds rolled in. “You need to have persistence, patience, and the expectation of disappointment, since it doesn’t always work out.”
Over the past 10 years that Renfrow has been in the Artist Gallery, he has discovered that photos of local sights are his bestsellers, specifically photographs of the Flume and El Capitan in the Guadalupe Mountains. There are only a few souvenir shops in town, and tourists like to pick up something while they are visiting.
Some suggestions from Renfrow for aspiring photographers are to buy the right equipment, learn to shoot manually, and learn the technical aspects of photography like composition, lighting, etc.
“Digital photography provides an ample supply of photographs, years of them so it’s important to have a system for the photos,” he advises.
He also shared the importance of having something unique in your photographs. Take the Eiffel Tower for example, there are countless photos of it and if you take another one, what makes it special? The people in your photos make them special. Having your children, your spouse, and any of the people you care about within the photo gives it meaning. He shared that out of around 1,000 slides of photographs, he only kept about 50 of them. The ones he kept were special to him because they included him and his wife of 55 years, Paula.
Take some time to stroll into the Artist Gallery and view their selection of art by local artists. Inside, not only will you find framed and matted photos by Jim Renfrow, but you will also find an eclectic variety of art. From photos to paintings, jewelry, pottery, glass work, and more, the Artist Gallery can help you find the perfect gift or souvenir.
