When asked how his wife felt about his dangerous position: “The worst part is not me being out in the storms but her at home when the bad ones hit,” adding if they are too bad, he will head home. If there is a storm brewing, I will usually be out there trying to capture what mother nature throws at me,” he said. “As a storm spotter for KNWA, I find the weather a really fascinating subject to shoot, especially lightning and storms. Exploring just about every lakeside in Bella Vista, he finds amazing water shots that often include plant and animal life. So, Keck tries to catch it for them when they get time to stop and relax. In the evening we’re getting them all back home, fed and ready for bed. We hustle to get the family up, dressed, fed and off to school or work. “Sometimes it’s not easy to focus (the camera) when she can’t drive slow enough in traffic,” he said, adding most people tend to miss the good ones because everyone is too busy at those times of day. On such occasions, his wife did the driving so he could try to capture it out the window of the vehicle on a drive home. In the evening he was cloud watching at sunset. He found himself pulling to the side of the road to capture a spectacular sunrise that he knew most people wouldn’t see. Nature photography seemed to be more Keck’s style. “Eventually,” he says, “I realized that this type of photography was removing the fun from the hobby and became more like work.” It wasn’t until after he purchased his first pro-am camera that Keck ventured into portrait and wedding photography, thinking it would help support what had become his expensive passion. It seemed that was going to be the least expensive way to take multiple photos then edit for best shots and angles later. From there, the industry offered more progressive floppy discs and digital cameras. In the beginning, the hobby was costly because of developing film. It all seemed to evolve from there as the mediums continue to change.”Īs a self-taught photographer, Keck continued improving his skills and expertise by reading books and magazines. Still, I was glad I could record some kind of memory of it, but it made me want to find a better way to do that. It was a bit disappointing to see that those photos did not come out as good as I remembered seeing that forest with my own eyes. “I was trying to capture the famous Colorado aspens as they were turning in fall. “I was using one of those little disposable cameras where you only get one use and one chance to get it right,” he said.
When asked what it was that originally triggered his interest in photography, he said it was a three-day backpacking trip to Colorado on the Continental Divide. What started out as fun took on a more serious approach professionally about 15 years ago.
Keck has been snapping pictures for the better part of 30 years. After college, his three siblings moved on, but he stayed close to his parents, Larry and Sandra. Joseph, Mo., when his family started a business in housing construction. He and Teresa are originally from Kansas and share a blended family of six grown children. They are both employed right here in their hometown.Īs a boy in 1972, Keck moved with his family to Arkansas from St. Photographer Douglas Keck resides in Bella Vista with his wife Teresa of 26 years. The below information on Keck’s life and art is courtesy of Bella Vista writer BJ Tassin, who interviewed Keck. 15 in the Club Room at the Bella Vista Country Club, 98 Clubhouse Dr. Keck will be honored at a public reception from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The Bella Vista Arts Council is pleased to honor photographer Douglas Keck as the December 2021 featured artist.