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STORY BY DAVE LINK PHOTOS COURTESY OF RICK ANDERSON GALLERY
RICK ANDERSON GALLERY ick Anderson has all the makings of the quintessential American success story; starting with a passion for photography that first showed itself as a young child, a continued love and development of that passion through trial and error, and now the break out talent and results that have him poised on the start of a regionally and nationally recognizable career.
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“As a kid I grew up near Candlewood Lake, and at the time that was pretty much the end of the city,” Anderson said with a chuckle. “Well, they used to launch hot air balloons from around there. So, I’d always jump on my bike, grab my camera and cruise up to where they were launching from to take pictures.” From there, Anderson’s love of photography slowly developed over the years. Aside from the usual course in black and white photography that is available in numerous high schools throughout the Metro area, Anderson has simply fine tuned his natural abilities. As he grew older, he began shooting photos of his son through the first few years of his life and eventually moved his photographic interests along to sporting events and city skylines. Whether most sports enthusiasts know it or not – especially Husker fans – they most likely already own one or two of Anderson’s photos taken during game days in cities like Lincoln. Since 1991, more than 150 posters have been printed featuring his work surrounding collegiate sporting events. Buckeyes, Huskers, Blue Jays, Long Horns and Vols all have had the privilege of being immortalized through Anderson’s aperture.
Every major American city and a few nearby countries have also been captured through the lens of Anderson’s camera. New York, Chicago, Omaha, and Havana show their true colors and personalities when seen through Anderson’s eagle eye. Having firmly established himself in the world of sports and panoramic city skylines, in the last year or two Anderson has been able to turn his attention to his true passion when it comes to the art of clicking the shutter: scenery in America.“This country is one of the greatest places to live, so why not show it off,” Anderson said. Opening his own gallery in September of 2009 in Regency Court next to Kobe Steakhouse, Anderson now has a chance to display high-end, limited and signed editions of his work.“When you’re photographing things like college and professional football or baseball games, there’s a lot of paperwork and red tape you have to go through with licensing and approvals,” Anderson said, “But with nature, it’s like the landscape or animal is in front of you for the expressed purpose of being captured on film.”
production format and location, location, location. Once Anderson had the right subjects and process locked down it become a matter of choosing the mounting material and any artistic filters before the photo is put into print. Though Anderson does not alter any of his images from the time they are taken to the time they are produced, he does make creative choices as to which photos would be appropriate to treat with a process that results with the photo looking more like a hand-crafted painting than a scene captured on film. “It’s something that I’ve only done with the select few photos that I’ve put on display here. The process just wouldn’t be appropriate for most images, but the ones that it works for turn out amazingly well,” Anderson said. Once all is said and done, owners of Anderson’s work have a unique piece of art that stands the test of time. His careful selection in subject matter and attention to quality yields final pieces that have a lifespan of more than 100 years. Over the last 19 years, Anderson’s passion for photography has taken him to widespread destinations – from the cramped city life of New York to crystal clear nights camped in Denali National Park. But one thing is for sure, he feels that his best days are yet to come.
With results on par with other well-known nature photographers like Thomas D. Mangelsen, Anderson’s limited edition prints and canvas works are true pieces of art that immediately capture the attention of anyone that “I’m here to stay,” Anderson said with a smile. “Photography happens by his gallery’s floor-to-ceiling windows. is kind of like fishing. If you’re good, you’ll consistently But before opening his gallery, Anderson searched high catch the average sized fish that most people will like. But and low to find the processes and subjects that would every once and while you’ll catch that huge one that create breathtaking images. Part of that search included catches the attention of everyone. That’s the stuff that keeps selecting the proper framing materials, glass clarity, you coming back.” m
RICK ANDERSON OF RICK ANDERSON GALLERY