Roger Kirchen
Nature Too Far, Too Small, Too Fast:
​Seen Through the Lens
Written by Heather Kuchma
 
Roger’s interest in photography started during childhood; his “Free Range” childhood as he phrased it — being outdoors, being able to observe wildlife, going on frog catching expeditions, chasing butterflies, and finding mischievous antics involving strategic placements of garter snakes.
 
Roger received his first camera at age 8, a Bilora Bella 3c with fully manual controls. This allowed the combination of two interests, nature and photography. The butterflies no longer got away; however, the minimum focusing distance way too large, so the butterflies were too small on the negatives. He was still able to capture landscapes while on family vacations, and architectural details, with a noted fondness for gargoyles. Also, there were family photos with a strong preference to be in front of the camera rather than behind.
 
As a teenager, Roger was gifted a 35mm film camera from his godmother, later moving to the purchase of the first SLR while at University, and eventually a DSLR in 2010. The DSLR was accompanied by a telephoto lens, soon followed by macro gear. This hardware allowed Roger to explore and enjoy photography of subjects that were:

• too far to see with the eye
• too small to see with the eye
• too fast to see with the eye.

These elements encompassed the themes of Roger’s showcase.
 
In addition to a very informative and humorous presentation, Roger displayed a collection of printed images. The print display acted as a wonderful icebreaker, allowed for new and different conversations with fellow members, and provided the bonus of sharing additional images (as there are only so many digital works that can be displayed in 10 to 15 minutes).

© Roger Kirchen

© Roger Kirchen

© Roger Kirchen