Childhood Photography Passion Leads To Varied Work At Local Studio I
By Jamie Bergsten
t is fascinating to think that children may have received gifts this past Christmas that could impact them for decades to come. Such is the case with Vernon “V.A.” Hatley and some of the presents he received years ago. They have led him not only to work that he loves but also on journeys around the world. Born and raised in Shawnee, Hatley got his first camera at age 10, but that was just the beginning. “For my 13th birthday I got a 35mm camera and several lenses for Christmas,” he said. “A year later, my parents enrolled me in photography classes. At 15, I had a black and white darkroom in our house, and by 16, I was developing and printing my own color prints at home – something few people did back in the ‘70s and ‘80s.” Fast-forward to 2015 when Hatley, his sister Mary Ruth Hatley Sadler and his wife Beth opened the Arts @ 317 in at 317 E. Main Street in downtown Shawnee. What began as an art gallery displaying and selling the work of local artists has now grown into much more. “We’ve added a fine arts printing service, which has expanded greatly, doing art duplication and printing for artists across the country,” Hatley said. “We also have a 3D print service; art, woodworking, and pottery classes; and CAD design engineering services.” The studio is also adding a different feature in 2021 with a SCUBA tank fill station. “There are a lot of divers in the Shawnee/ Pott county area,” Hatley said. “We’re installing a compressor and will be filling tanks here by the spring.” While the studio isn’t Hatley’s primary employer, it’s been taking up more and more of his time. “There are nights I don’t leave until 9 p.m., and I’m down there working most Sundays,” he said. “I’m counting down the months until I retire from my ‘real’ work, and then the studio will be my full time job.” Photo restoration is a growing part of Hatley’s repertoire at the studio. Customers have brought in old or damaged photos – some dating back to the 1800s – and he’s been able to perform miracles of sorts. “My job is to copy and then restore the images back to as close to new as possible,” Hatley said. “I feel very honored that people entrust
Vernon “V.A.” Hatley has turned a childhood passion for photography into a journey into a wide variety of artistic pursuits he offers at the Arts @ 317 on Main Street. Photos submitted www.shawneeoutlook.com
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