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About
Marty Colburn
I have
been seriously involved in photography since 1973 when I
bought my first camera, a Mamiya 330 2¼ X 2¼, twin lens
reflex. Between 1973 and 1977 I shot with various
formats from 35 mm to 4 X 5. I worked part time for a
local photographer, processing film and prints, as a
freelance photographer making outdoor portraits,
postcards, and brochures, and selling a few wildlife
prints. I worked as a photographer for the State of KY
for awhile doing mostly travel photography. I also
worked as an ‘assembly line’ family photographer for
Olan Mills photographing kids, families and reluctant
fathers. Every photographer needs to experience the joy
of shooting 60 to 80 family groups in a day! While
working for a commercial lab, I learned how to process
black and white and color film and prints and whenever
possible I processed and printed my own work.
In 1977 I decided to begin a new business selling
sailboats. Starting a new business required money which
meant selling most of my photographic equipment and
putting photography on hold for awhile.
Brenda and I were married in 1980, on a little knoll
overlooking Hematite Lake in the Land Between the Lakes,
NRA and since then have worked side by side growing our
sailboat business. In 1982 we purchased a run down boat
dock and over the years, changed it into the beautiful
resort that Lighthouse Landing is today. We have enjoyed
growing the business while at the same time enjoying
life by sailing, backpacking, diving, hiking, kayaking,
skiing, cruising waterways and highways and of course
taking photographs and video whenever possible. We are
avid environmentalists and try to incorporate our
environmental beliefs into our business and daily lives.
Our enthusiasm for wildlife and wild places has led us
to join and promote several environmental organizations.
We are both directors on the board for the Land Between
the Lakes Association. Also known as the “Friends of the
LBL”, this association partners with the USFS to
preserve and protect this rare jewel located in Western
KY.
Although I am extremely involved in growing Lighthouse
Landing, I have never lost interest for photography. I
experimented with analog video and editing and large
format photography. My first digital camera was a .6
mega-pixel point and shoot (which may be suitable for
making a thumbnail for a webpage today). I soon moved up
to a 1.6 MP Kodak camera, then to a 3.2 MP Sony. After
buying and using a Sony 707 5 MP, I decided that digital
cameras had potential. But, since I had gotten so
involved in shooting and editing digital video, still
photography became secondary. I enjoy using video in
telling a story whether it is shooting wildlife,
scenic’s or flowers.
In July of 2004, I purchased a Canon 10D which sparked a
new interest in still photography for me. The quality
and flexibility of the new digital SLR’s and the
advancements in Adobe’s Photoshop made the transition
from video easy. I didn’t want to give up video totally
so I encouraged Brenda to become more involved in
shooting. Brenda says her first love is still spotting
and informing me of what’s going on around us as I have
my eye in the viewfinder. But she loves video and knows
I can’t do both at the same time. So she has taken on
the task of documenting our subject’s movements,
capturing the sounds as well as the sights. Brenda will
on occasion shoot still photography, but plans to become
more adept at shooting and editing video.
I currently uses the Canon 1Ds2 (16 mp) as my primary
camera, a Canon 20D (8 mp) as a backup and various Canon
lens up to 600 mm. I know equipment, and how to use it,
is only part of the equation. Image quality, subject
matter, composition, and lighting are equally important
components of a good photograph. A little luck and
cooperation from Mother Nature doesn’t hurt either.
The wildlife captured in our photographs and video is
just that, wild, with very few exceptions. Captive
wildlife will be noted with a (C). We find it
interesting and helpful reading about our subjects,
whether botanical or animal. We do not bait wildlife and
try not to disrupt the animal’s natural behavior. We
understand how crucial habitat is and try to minimize
our impact.
Our goal is to enjoy life. One way we do this is by
experiencing the beauty of nature. We are grateful to
have the opportunity to capture this beauty with
cameras, and we feel compelled to share our experiences
with others. With our photographs and video we hope to
help others see and understand the importance of
protecting the flora and fauna and the habitat they call
home while at the same time helping others gain a better
perspective as to why we need to protect the planet we
all call home.
My photographs have been used in several state and local
publications including magazines, state and local
tourist guides, postcards, brochures, web pages and
various advertisements and ad campaigns.
I hope you enjoy viewing our photographs, and if you are
in Grand Rivers, KY, be sure to visit our gallery at
Lighthouse Landing (opening June 24th).
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