Worth A Thousand Words
By Catherine Fischer
Photos by Carol Wyatt
“Art is emotional,” she said as we looked at her work. “It tells a story. It captures feelings and memories in a way words cannot express.” And she was right.
If “a picture is worth a thousand words,” then trying to describe Carol’s exquisite photography of people and events against the landscapes of Lake Anna would take thousands and thousands of words. Even then, words could not do justice to the beauty she captures with her camera. It begs the next saying: “Seeing is believing.” What you see on these pages barely scratches the surface of her gallery of work.
Carol Wyatt is the founder and owner of Lake Anna Photography, formerly known as Lens Hens. She has lived at the lake (part time) for nearly two decades and has explored the many creeks and rocks and shorelines of the place she now calls home. When asked which side she lives on – the hot side or the cold side – Carol likes to tell people she lives on “the beautiful side.”
“I love Lake Anna,” she remarks with a smile. “I absolutely love this place for its beauty and excitement and for the amazing memories people build here. The lake provides endless locations for beautiful backdrops.”
Water and reflections, landscapes and lighting, sunsets and moonlight – she captures them all with the eye of an artist who has studied “fine art” for twenty-five years, working in oils and acrylics, always paying attention to the way the background supports the subject. You see the colorful results in her photography as every shot considers the landscape in the background from season to season. Even the action shots must have the right backdrop for Carol to see them as good.
“I’ve always been around water,” she explains. “I’ve been a water safety instructor and a lifeguard. I’m just at home in a boat or on a dock. I enjoy jumping on the boat with the wake boarders and tubers and wake surfers to catch their peak trick performance or to capture that tuber in mid air just before he hits the water. I love these kids. They have so much fun. Even my portrait sessions often involve my clients on floating docks, in a rowboat, or just being on the shoreline with the water in the background.”
Carol’s camera is an extension of herself. “I lose all my inhibitions when I’m behind the camera,” she admits with a laugh. “It’s a drive. I have to do it. I have to catch the pictures of people in the right place at the right time. It doesn’t matter where I am. I’m probably sprawled on the ground with a wide angle lens – even in the middle of the road! (I’ve really done that.) Whatever it takes!”
In the midst of her already busy life, Carol tells me she is getting involved with starting a Lake Anna Photography Club. She gets frequent requests from people who want to learn how to use their digital cameras. If you are interested, email Carol at lakeannaphotog@gmail.com.
It’s easy to say that Carol Wyatt is a photographer. She certainly is available to shoot weddings and family events, and high school senior portraits, as well as other portrait sittings. But until you see her Oil on Canvas Effect, you cannot grasp the creativity she brings to her art. Perhaps it is better to say that Carol is a “fine art photographer.” In her own words, here is how she describes it:
“My Oil on Canvas Effect developed from my desire to combine photography with fine art. I love the look of portraits painted in oil, so I set out to achieve that rich oil effect with my photography. It took several years of testing and trying various methods to finally develop a digital painting process that gave me the oil on canvas look. It takes three different photography programs using pixels like puddles of paint. With special programmed brushes I can achieve the strokes to accomplish the desired effect. Each portrait takes nearly two days to paint. My goal is for the viewer to see fifty percent photography and fifty percent oil painting. I print these creations on a textured linen paper to further resemble the Oil on Canvas Effect. I can achieve this effect on anything, but so far my favorite subjects are children and brides.”
Carol’s Lake Anna Fine Art prints have drawn orders from folks across the country. She shares the thrill that “Through my art I am letting the world know how beautiful the Lake Anna area truly is.”
No matter what you are looking for – whether it’s scenic Lake Anna or action photography or fine art portraits – Carol Wyatt is eager to capture your moments with her camera. She wants to catch you “at the right time in the right place” to make you feel comfortable and give you visual memories that last forever.
You can reach Carol at:
540-446-9481 and lakeannaphotog@gmail.com
Fine Art Prints: http://fineartamerica.com/artists/carol+wyatt
Birds-Eye-View
Just as Carol Wyatt is usually on the ground with her camera angled up, so our next Lake Anna photographer is normally leaning out of a fixed wing aircraft with his camera poised for a bird’s-eye-view of the lake area.
Larry Simpkins has been an aerial photographer and flight instructor out of Louisa County Airport since 1991. It was here that he started a flight school which quickly grew to 20 students. One of those new pilots was Lynn Hamilton who would later become his bride. Larry and Lynn hold the distinct honor of being the first (and only) couple to be married at Freeman Field, Louisa County Airport.
Sitting across the table from me at the county airport, Larry sketched out his career journey as he talked about moving from his home in England to complete his commercial pilot training in Tennessee. From there he took a job in Baltimore and became a qualified flight instructor. Then an acquaintance in Fredericksburg told him to check out the Louisa County Airport. It was here that Larry met Ken Carlson of Jet Express. Carlson employed him to transport parts and mechanics to other airports in order to maintain his fleet of regional airliners. It wasn’t long before Simpkins became FFA certified in aviation mechanics.
But aerial photography is such a great challenge, and Larry loves to go flying and zoom in on Lake Anna. He can fly as high as 10,000 feet or as low as 500 feet above the ground. Whatever it takes to get that perfect shot. If you want an aerial picture of your home or some special part of the lake you really love, Larry’s your man. I was amazed to learn that he normally does both the flying and the photography. He showed me his high quality digital camera which gives him the oblique shots he is looking for with just the right effect. Like all good artists, he talks about the effects of light and shade, wind and motion, weather and location – all impacting the perfect overview.
“There’s a sense of infinity from the aerial position,” says Larry, smiling as he quotes the artist’s mantra: “It’s still all about composition – composition – composition.”
While he prefers to stay in the Central VA lake region, Larry has carried out aerial photography as far away as West Virginia and has even taken aerial photos of the annual Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. He has worked for private companies and civil engineering groups. With over 6,000 hours in the air and twenty-six years in aerial photography, this man has seen and photographed some amazing stretches of land and properties.
“It’s interesting how one thing leads to another,” he mused. “My background as a marine technician in England led me to the Middle East where I maintained the powerboat fleet of the Sultan of Oman and kept his Royal Guard fast attack craft in top condition.” That was in the 1980s before he became a pilot in the 1990s.
The mechanical work on water craft seemed like a natural precursor to doing the same for aircraft. So, as he says, one thing did lead to another and continues to evolve. Today, Larry Simpkins has married the two technologies into one business: Sterling Aero Marine Services. With more letters behind his name than most of us can count (A&P/IA, ATP, CFI, MEI) and recent qualifications as an ABYC certified marine technician, Larry offers “maintenance-to-go” for both aircraft and boats. The best part of all this is that his skills will come to you. Yes, he makes “house calls.” Maintenance and repair on your boats and Jet Skis can be carried out where you live.
Larry Simpkins – entrepreneur and lover of life – has a passion for water skiing. He is also a jazz musician, playing regularly with a group in Charlottesville. His interests are far reaching and he enjoys good conversation. When you meet him, be sure to ask for both his business cards: one for “Sky High Pix” and the other for “Sterling Aero Marine Services.” But don’t stop there. Ask him what’s next in his fascinating life. He just might share the bird’s-eye-view of his next endeavor.
Larry’s websites are sterlingaeromarine.com & skyhighpix.com
You can contact him by phone at 804-928-1786 or email at:
sterlingaeromarine@yahoo.com
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