.jpg)
Photographers from the Live Oak Camera Club explored, discussed and celebrated their newest exhibit “Photographers 8” at the Live Oak Art Center at an artist reception, Friday, Feb. 20.
“Photographers 8” highlights 50 works of photographers Michael McKann of Columbus, Vicki Wiste of Weimar, Donnie Divin of Columbus, Beckey Zajicek of Columbus, Carol Lyon of Bastrop, Don McCarthy of Alleyton, Jeanette Brown of Columbus, Lou Nackos of Columbus and Jerry Brown of Columbus. The splay of prints primarily featured landscapes and close-up details in color and black-and-white.
Michael McKann’s bright photographs include a woman walking on a beach, a towering renaissance-style painted ceiling and more. McKann, a Nikon digital photographer, took up photography full-time years ago as a third career change and began selling greeting cards with his photos.
“For me, there’s always a story with a picture,” McKann said. McKann is a new member of the Live Oak Camera Club and discovered the club through a previous exhibit at Nesbitt Memorial Library. He moved to Columbus from Houston in 2024 and said his last exhibit was around a decade ago.
“I haven’t had time to really take time and do justice to taking pictures around Columbus, and that’s really what I need to do,” McKann said.
In contrast, Vickie Wiste’s black-and-white, close-up shots showcase the grainy texture of traditional film photography. Wiste, a mother of three, developed her film in her children’s bathroom before moving to Weimar and setting up a real dark room.
“It’s just totally different than digital because it’s very slow,” Wiste said. “…Dark room is very tactile. You’re alone in there; I put on my music.”
Wiste said she doesn’t like digital photography because she doesn’t like to sit in front of a computer to edit photos. However, she occasionally takes photos with her iPhone 15Pro due to always having it on hand. Wiste said the Live Oak Camera Club challenges her style and expands her coverage with monthly themes.
“It just kind of pushes you because you know you have this subject for this coming up month, and so it makes you [shoot] things you wouldn’t normal ly take photos of,” Wiste said.
McCarthy, a Sony digital photographer, said the photographers each have their own style and specialization but help each with the monthly themes. McCarthy is a long-standing member of the club.
“We help each other with camera settings and so on and so forth, so that we can all get better at doing what we like to do,” McCarthy said.
The Live Oak Camera Club meets the first Thursday of each month at Colorado County EMS Station One in the Colorado County Services Facility on Radio Lane from 7–9 p.m. The club is open to new members.
