GREENSBORO — At a gallery show opening at ShoreToBeFun Photography on Aug 22, Steve Atkinson laid out cheese, crackers and tea next to his array of prints, which adorned a variety of canvases. From coffee mugs, to cotton bags to coasters, to greeting cards, to big framed prints, he has found many ways of presenting his work.
Atkinson, a photographer, can be seen at nearly every Caroline County Chamber of Commerce Event with his Pentax camera, his signature gray beard, and his gentle demeanor. It’s these moments he loves to capture.
“The heart of Caroline County is the community. There is a good sense of community in, especially in Denton. People are trying to help each other,” Atkinson said.
He got his start because he wanted people to know about what was going on in the area.
“In 2006, I started an online calendar of events. It was called Shoretobefun. It was the only calendar I knew of that had events from every county on the Delmarva peninsula. I started going to events, sometimes I was reporting. And I figured, ‘Why don’t I start taking photos of the event,’” he said.
Atkinson lives in Kent County and gives the same dedicated coverage to that county too.
“I enjoy taking photos at events and sharing them with the people there,” he said.
But his work captures more than just the happenings on the Eastern Shore. Atkinson is also interested in pursuing his own unique vision. Clouds really grab his attention.
“I enjoy shooting clouds and anything to do with the history and heritage of the area. I am reestablishing a site called Explore Chesapeake Country through my photos. Once a week, I was doing a photo of those highway historical signs that you zoom by at 100 miles an hour. The big white metal ones,” he said.
He loves the marker across from the Caroline County Courthouse, which commemorates a 1938 speech by then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt at that site.
His fine artwork takes in sunsets, blue herons, tall ships with fireworks and watermen, which he shares with others through his shop.
“Mostly I am retired. I get retirement income. This store has been open two years. I have been calling it an eclectic gift shop. Tracey Snyder was looking at this building as a great incubator site. So she brought me and the landlord together. That is how this store happened,” he said.
“I don’t think I am good at photography. People tell me I am good and I say, ‘OK if you say so.’ I think I have an eye for some uniqueness. I want the pictures that I produce to be something that if you happen to go by that location, it looks like that. The camera sees things differently than we do,” he said.
Although he uses a camera in his work, he thinks he offers more than that.
“I am a creator. I can create unique gifts through a process called sublimation,” he said. “I can put photos on slate, cutting boards, mugs. Those are created in house. I made them.”
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