Tom Cummings is a native Oklahoman. He a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a B.S. in Education and is also a graduate of the New York Institute of Photography. 
Tom has been involved in photography for over 40 years starting as a photographer for the high school newspaper and yearbook and continuing that role in college. Since his retirement as a corporate trainer, Tom has devoted full-time to his love for photography. He has experience in all types of photography from individual and family portraits to commercial advertising but his passion is landscapes and depictions of America. Tom has traveled to 48 states and 37 countries to capture these images of inspiration.
His award winning photographs have appeared in many newspapers and commercial publications. He is on the board of directors for Rocky Mountain Outdoor Writers and Photographers as well as the coordinator for the RMOWP photo workshop which is held yearly in Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, Colorado.
He is a member of the Professional Photographers Association, Photographic Society of America, Rocky Mountain Outdoor Writers and Photographers, and the Oklahoma Camera Club.
A note from Tom...
I am hooked!
I am obsessed, driven, fixated and maybe even possessed by photography. Why is that? What is it about photography that has so many of us so consumed? What is it about looking through that black box as we twist knobs and turn small wheels, trying to coordinate those settings with the ever elusive "right" light? What is it that makes us endure all forms of biting insects, wet feet, cold numb fingers and toes, and aching legs as we wait for the perfect instant to freeze that moment in time? Why is it that, after enduring all of these discomforts only to not achieve that perfect moment, we will be there the next day to start the chase all over again? I can't speak for others but I suspect it's pretty close to the same as my reasons and feelings. Let me share with you what drives me to be a photographer.
 The Chase. My wife, Lynda, and I love to drive America. We will pick a couple of states we want to work. In addition to areas we have researched before hand, we drive the back roads always on the lookout for that shot, the "keeper". It may be a wonderful scenic or perhaps something unusual, funny or just strange. And we love the diversity of geography this country has to offer. America definitely has something for everybody and that's what I like to shoot. All of it!
The Capture. But even after finding the subject, then we look for that ideal spot within the ideal location. Sometimes moving a few inches one way or the other can make an unbelievable difference in a photograph. And then we are faced with the challenge of twisting and turning those knobs and dials to that just right setting that will allow us to try to capture an image of what we are seeing. We are driven to make that perfect image. We are driven to capture that image that will make the viewer go "Wow!" We want to capture an image that will make the viewer wish they had been there right beside you when you snapped the shutter.
The Experience. The experience is standing before Niagara Falls or one of the thousands of other waterfalls in this country. The experience is standing before the Grand Canyon or one of our many other valleys and canyons. The experience is watching the sun sink into the ocean as the golden yellows and ruby reds paint the clouds and breaking waves. The experience is focusing on a bald eagle or a bear or even a squirrel in their natural environment. The experience is absorbing all that is around you with all of your senses as you capture your image.
The Challenge. The challenge is taking the chase and the capture and creating an image that you hope will become an experience for someone else as they enjoy your photograph. I believe we can never capture an image equal to what we see because we can only use one of our senses, sight, when we share the image with others. And no matter how much of a 'wow' we get from the viewer, we know it still doesn't match up to what we saw and experienced. But that's our challenge. And that's why we love photography. |
