Have you seen the latest brochure for White Horse Hill? It is the one with the elk charging towards the photographer. That beautiful photo was taken by longtime local photographer Bob Christie. On Saturday, April 6, a reception was held at the Lake Region Arts Center where Christie talked about a number of his photographs that are on display and for sale.
Christie became interested in photography at 14 with a simple point-and-shoot camera. In college, his mom gave him a Canon EOS film camera. “It was a really nice film camera at the time.” He learned his first major lesson as a photographer with that camera: always make sure the camera is loaded with film. He took several pictures and when he went to develop them… he got nothing! No film was in them! “That was my first mistake as a photographer.”
The first recognition he got as a photographer was when he won the North Dakota Governor’s Photo Contest in 1982. “It was a picture that nobody could take here again because it was on Devils Lake. The water has risen over time and enveloped an old wagon and I took a picture of the whole wagon and one of the wheels. It was in the fall and it had pretty red leaves. Now it’s completely submerged.”
He currently uses a Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Camera. He has taken pictures of the Webster School, birds, wild horses, buffalo, and much more. He also shoots pictures in raw format. “You can manipulate in post-processing,” he said. “I’ve taken pictures I wouldn’t have been able to do with anything with them if they hadn’t been shot in raw.”
Christie along with other photographers also started the photography group “Focus on White Horse Hill.” It is a group that meets monthly at White Horse Hill. Whether you’ve taken photos for National Geographic or just starting out, all are welcome. “Everybody is invited. Everybody has their own skill levels. And we’re just trying to make it fun for everybody.” You can find out more about the photography club by checking out their Facebook page.
