Interview with Tom Wilkinson
Gallery on 10th has a wide variety of local and regional artists from all backgrounds. In an effort to get to know some of our artists we have conducted interviews to better understand their backgrounds, passions and love of art. Below is an interview with Tom Wilkinson who has been a member of the gallery since 2019 and has a passion for the outdoors, wildlife, and photography. He is a geologist by education and is a Master Birder with the Georgia Audubon Society.
GOT: Hello and thanks for spending time with us today, How and when did you get started as an artist?
THW: I was very young, probably around 10 or 11 when I got my first camera. Back in those days it was a 35mm Minolta X-370. I took pictures of all kinds of things in the back yard and in local parks. I have always been interested in the outdoors and eventually went to college to study geology. When studying geology, I took lots of pictures of rocks and natural rock formations.
GOT: What does art mean to you?
THW: Art means to me the ability to capture and present wildlife and natural landscapes to people who wouldn’t normally be able to view them. Art means to me the ability to present an image from a different side of wildlife or nature that people don’t normally see. I like to create a reaction and inspire others to seek out similar experiences.
GOT: What type of artwork best defines you?
THW: My art medium is photography.
GOT: Who are your biggest influences, In art or your life?
THW: Two people really inspired me with photography from a young age. First was my father, he was a traveling salesperson and traveled around the world for his job. He would bring home slides and at every family reunion he would pull out the slide projector and show slides from Germany, South America and the American southwest. Also, my grandmother Frieda was always into photography, and she enjoyed more an artistic and picturesque type of work. She also had boxes and boxes of slides and when visiting we would go through the slides. She would also make large prints and have them displayed in her house. I have been able to keep both my father’s Minolta and my grandmothers Kodak Pony 135 camera as a part of my continually growing collection.
GOT: What piece of artwork would you consider your favorite?
THW: Wow, that’s hard. I started with taking still life photographs as a you kid and advanced to more nature-based photography. I would say these days my piece of work is titled “Humming Bird Lunch”. It is a photograph of a female Ruby Thoughted Hummingbird taking a sip of nectar from an Buddeja Orange plant. I was able to capture this photograph by setting up my tripod and camera adjacent to the Buddeja Orange plant and focus on the one stem that was flowering. I knew that the plant was in direct light for a few hours in the morning with the background in shade. This allowed me to use a relatively high shutter speed and low F-Stop so that the flower and the hummingbird where in focus leaving the dark background obscure.
GOT: Best piece of advice you’ve been given?
THW: I received a lot of great advice over the years, I have read a lot of books and magazines and I have taken a lot of classes on photography. I will put in a plug for the Columbus State University Continuing Education Department for their Digital Photography certificate program. I was able to receive my certificate in Digital Photography from CSU over a few years and they have some really great instructors who are not only knowledgeable in the technical part of photography but more importantly they explain and illustrate how to look at photography with an artistic eye in order to create art. One of the best pieces of advice I received while taking classes was “it doesn’t really matter about the type of equipment you use or how expensive it is, a truly great photograph is dependent on the quality of the light and how the photographer uses the light”.
GOT: What equipment or tools do you find are invaluable to you?
THW: I currently use Nikon DSLR and mirrorless camera bodies along with Nikon and Tamron lenses. My collection of lenses has grown over the years, but I primarily use a Nikon 70-200mm or my Tamron 150-600mm. The bulk of my wildlife work is done with my camera mounted on a tripod to help with stabilization. Also, because I will spend long hours in a certain location and holding the camera that long waiting for the specific target, I normally mount my camera and lenses onto a tripod to help stabilize the shot and save my shoulder.
GOT: What subject matter do you most enjoy doing?
THW: I am truly a landscape and wildlife photographer. I enjoy the outdoors and my career has afforded me the opportunity to travel this great country of ours and capture photographs from all types of terrain and different wildlife.
GOT: How has being a member of GALLERY ON 10th been beneficial?
THW: Being a member of the Gallery on 10th has been a great experience. Prior to joining GOT, I really had not publicly displayed my artwork. I have presented my piece to friends and family and occasionally to other interested outdoor enthusiasts but never to the public. It is rewarding to be able to talk with our patrons and listen to their stories and thoughts and inspirations about art. GOT has also afforded me the opportunity to meet and to get to know many of great local Columbus artists.
Thanks for your time, Tom.
You can reach Tom via Facebook or email.
Facebook: (20+) Wilknorman Photography | Facebook
Email: wilknormanphotography@yahoo.com.