Skip Hill has been named the July 2012 Photographer of the Month by the Friends of Hagerman. A display of dozen photos he’s taken at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge can be seen at www.friendsofhagerman.com.

An area resident, Hill’s interest in photography began while serving in the Air Force when he was sent to an airbase in Thailand in 1973 while the Vietnam War was winding down. Years later, after photographing his niece’s wedding, Hill found himself itching to get into the digital age. He and his wife decided then, since he loved photography so much, to open a home based photography studio; they bought studio equipment and an Olympus C-2100 Ultra Zoom 2.1M digital camera. He is currently shooting with the Sony A700 and the newer A77 SLT which has the capability to take 12 frames per second. 

Hill says, “Landscape and nature has always been my biggest photography passion and Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge has been a great place to fulfill that. Even on slow days, when we think that nothing is going on, something will pop up when you least expect it. My wife, Melinda, and I joined the Friends of Hagerman Nature Photography Club last year and have really enjoyed that. I have upgraded my lens collection with the addition of a Sony 70-400 G lens to bring that wildlife a little closer. We visit the Refuge many times each month and always find something to make it worth our trip.”

The photo club meets semi-monthly at the refuge, which is located on the Big Mineral Arm of Lake Texoma, at 6465 Refuge Road. 

For more information on the club and photo programs, send an email to fohphotoclub@gmail.com