By Barbara Johnson Ross, Ohr-O’Keefe Museum

Renowned throughout the State of Mississippi for his innovative, artistic photographs, photographer Paul Smith’s work is on display at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion, and in galleries throughout the South.  Smith’s recent book of photography, entitled The Color of Mississippi, was recently published by Nautilus Publishing in Oxford, Mississippi.  It is described as a tribute to the beauty of the state and a stunning portrait of Mississippi’s most colorful scenes of the Coast, the hills, and the Delta region.  The book is available at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum Store.

On January 31, 2013, Smith instructed a group of photography enthusiasts for a four-hour class entitled “Capturing Your Vision,” which began with a discussion of photography techniques, including a demonstration on how to be more aware of textures found in nature and incorporating them into photography.  The photography discussion was followed by a photo walk on the grounds of the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum campus.  The walk continued along the Mississippi Sound that leads to the Gulf of Mexico. The class culminated in a critique and discussion with refreshments.

Class began with a discussion of photographic techniques in the Mississippi Sound Welcome at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art.

A student photographs the interesting texture in a live oak on the Museum campus.

The class photographed the Mississippi Sound bordered by Deer Island, which leads to the Gulf of Mexico.

The many live oak trees provided a favorite subject.