Lane Watson, Fine Art Photographer, Mixed Media Artist
As many times is the case, necessity was again the mother of invention. Decades ago, I was a member of a U.S. Army battalion based in southern Germany. The unit mission was public relations throughout western Europe. Our team conducted public military demonstrations and provided tactical demonstrations for allied military groups such as the British War College. The unit needed a photographer but had none. So, with youthful enthusiasm, a PX-purchased 35 mm camera and access to the base darkroom, I quickly started down the road to a lifetime of photography.
Back in civilian life, as an avid outdoorsman, I combined nature photography with my love of hiking, camping, backpacking, canoeing, and fishing. My professional career provided the opportunity to travel nationally and internationally, including Canada, Europe, the UK, Central and South America. My camera gear always followed along. As years passed, I recognized the rural, agricultural landscape of the American South was quickly disappearing. To capture the essence of the region, I refocused my efforts to produce fine art photography I felt would be worthy of a broader audience.
Today the Backroads Studio is a professional working studio in Whitsett, North Carolina. From here I perform post-production, printing, and framing of personal images. Additional work includes commissions through a small number of local commercial interior design firms. I've supported the local arts community as:
- a founding member of the Winston-Salem - Forsyth County Public Art Commission
- a previous board member and President of Alamance Artisans Guild
- previous member of The Town of Elon Art Advisory Board
- current board member with Alamance Arts Council.
My work is included in a number of permanent collections, including:
- Caswell County Collection, Yanceyville NC
- Comprehensive Cancer Center of Alamance Regional Medical Center, Burlington, NC
- Emergency Medicine Department of Alamance Regional Medical Center, Burlington, NC
- Guilford Technical Community College, Greensboro, NC, and
- the North Carolina State Veterinary School, Raleigh, NC.
Other works reside in private collections across the United States and in Europe. A number of my images have been published in North Carolina's Our State Magazine.