The voice of the Warren County Pioneers has become the lens through which the beauty of Tennessee can be appreciated. The work of Jay Walker is now on display for all to see at Magness Library.
“About four years ago, I started hiking as a stress reliever, just to stay active and try to lose some weight,” said Walker of his beginnings in nature photography. “One day, I took my phone with me and took some pictures, posted them on Facebook, and people were making nice comments, telling me I should make prints.”
Walker, a radio personality by day, said he later graduated to a better camera and took their advice. “To me this is just fun. This is how I have fun every weekend.”
Walker said the hiking lifestyle has made him a healthier person while he searches for his next photo shoot.
“It gets in your blood,” Walker said. “That’s the best part is getting out and seeing these places. The pictures are just dessert.”
Walker admits he isn’t a photography nerd. He uses a Nikon D3100. “I just get out and see what I like and shoot and hope I can get a good shot and sometimes it happens.”
Walker admitted the “Llama Train” he captured in the Great Smoky Mountains recently is his favorite shot. He caught the unusual shot while climbing Mount Le Conte and following the llama line down the mountain. Llamas are used to carry supplies to the lodge at the top of the mountain. The unusual contrast of llamas in the Smoky Mountains made for what Walker says is his favorite shot.
Along with the Smoky Mountains and waterways of the Midstate, Walker admits he likes shooting in areas like Reelfoot Lake, near where he was born and raised.
Walker’s works will be on display on the second floor of Magness Library through July 31. Prints are available for sale. A video of his reception on opening day can be seen at www.southernstandard.com in the multimedia section.