Shooting from the Heart by Madeline C. Lanshe
Randy Dunn’s journey as a photographer
started in 1975 when he came across an old 35mm Rangefinder camera in a closet when he was fifteen years old. His dad had bought it years before while serving in the army. He fiddled around until it worked, then took it on vacation that summer. His newfound interest did not go unnoticed, and the following Christmas, his father bought him a “real” camera: a Canon FTb single lens reflex with a 50mm lens. He’s been in and out of photography ever since. Randy worked in construction management and as a technical representative for a manufacturer of construction products and tools later in his career. At the end of 2019, he was able to start enjoying an early retirement. This has allowed him to pursue his passion of photography. He doesn’t worry about selling his photos, which relieves the stress other photographers experience while trying to market their images. He does it just for the pure joy, which is when he believes most artists produce their best work. 17
Randy’s favorite thing to photograph is nature. “Most landscape photographers got into it because they just enjoy being out in nature. The picture is secondary to being in the environment.” For Randy, it’s a way to document and relive once-in-a-lifetime trips. You can forever look back on those memories. “It’s the gift that keeps on giving.” Another aspect of photography that he loves is how you can pick up or put down the camera whenever, even if it’s been a while. Your vision changes, just as your life changes and your experiences grow. There are things that make you who you are and influence how you see the world, which in turn influence the shots you capture. This, Randy explains, is demonstrated when you do workshops with a group of people, all taking photos at the same location. Very few participants come back with images that are even similar. Randy considers himself self-taught, as he never studied photography formally. He does come from an artistic family, however. His mother was an artist, and his father was
