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Benton photographer captures small towns, landscapes<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
It\u2019s no surprise that Larry Braun was drawn to photography. He got it from his dad, who purchased his camera in Japan just after World War II. Likewise, Larry picked up his first camera \u2014 a Canon F-1 \u2014 in Hong Kong during the Vietnam War. \u201cI had been on the ship long enough to have enough saved up to buy one,\u201d the Navy veteran says. \u201cIt was around $100. I bought it and just started taking photos \u2014 mostly slides back then \u2014 of whatever I saw.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nearly five decades later, Larry still has his love of photography. The Benton photographer has published a pair of books on small towns and churches, and prints of his can be found in offices, banks and hospitals throughout southeast Missouri. Later this year one of Larry\u2019s photos will be featured in a stamp commissioned by the U.S. Postal Service.<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess it\u2019s just kind of natural. I never really decided to take pictures, it just came to me,\u201d he says. \u201cI did that all through my time in the Navy, then I did freelance work for a newspaper in Cape Girardeau while I was in school at SEMO.\u201d<\/p>\n
Larry eventually graduated with a science degree and was hired as a chemist for Associated Electric at their New Madrid Power Plant. \u201cI gave up my photography and focused on my chemistry and raising a family,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
As his children grew older, Larry took an interest in hiking. \u201cIt was around 2000 when I was doing a lot of hiking with groups,\u201d he says. \u201cThat is when a lot of the point-and-shoot digital cameras were coming out, so I got one and started taking pictures of my hikes. I got to liking taking photos more so than hiking.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
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\u200bLarry ditched his hiking groups \u2014 they weren\u2019t as thrilled as he was by stopping at the perfect spot and waiting for the right time to take photos \u2014 and focused on his <\/span>photography. He eventually purchased a DSLR camera and enrolled in online photography courses to round out his skills, both behind the viewfinder and in front of a computer screen.<\/p>\n \u201cI learned the three rules of photography that I still use today: perfect focus, keep it simple and clear subject,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Larry joined different camera clubs and art guilds to hone his craft and exhibit his works. His interest was piqued by the architecture of Ste. Genevieve. He found 50 different historical buildings in the town and eventually took photos of each.<\/p>\n \u201cInstead of just taking the photos, I came up with a process in Photoshop where you add texture to the images,\u201d he says. \u201cThat texture gives it a feeling like it\u2019s almost a painting. I\u2019ve had people think the pictures were paintings before.\u201d<\/p>\n Larry sold 30 of those photos to a local hospital and his new passion for small-town photography was born. \u201cI grew up in a small town, St. Mary,\u201d the SEMO Electric Cooperative member says. \u201cWhen I was there it was a thriving community and it kind of lost a little bit of its luster through the years. I try to put them in the best light I can.\u201d<\/p>\n He started taking a series of photographs in towns along highways in southeast Missouri and the surrounding areas. He might photograph an old filling station, courthouse or just the view of downtown.<\/p>\n Larry published his first book, \u201cChristmas Country Church Tour,\u201d in 2019. The book features Larry\u2019s photos of 38 southeast Missouri churches from all seasons. His latest book \u201cTowns of Southeast Missouri\u201d includes photos from 50 different towns stretching from Festus in the north, Van Buren in the west and south to the Bootheel. Larry\u2019s pictures show off what makes each town unique: the post office and general store in Knob Lick, a grocery store in Oran or the auto shop in Ellington.<\/p>\n Larry\u2019s latest photography accomplishment is likely his biggest. The USPS is using one of his photos as a stamp in its Mighty Mississippi series. The 10-stamp release includes a photo of the river from each of the 10 states it touches.<\/p>\n His photo is for the Kentucky stamp as he took it in Fort Jefferson Hill Park in Wickliffe, Kentucky. He took the image a few years ago on a photo trip that took him down to Paris, Tennessee. He got to the park just south of the confluence with the Ohio River right as the sun was setting. He posted the photo online and the art director for the series found it. \u201cKentucky doesn\u2019t have a big Mississippi shoreline and a lot of that is private property,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n The stamp series will be released on May 23. \u201cI\u2019m really excited for the release,\u201d Larry says. \u201cI\u2019m pretty proud of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s a sunrise landscape, a small town scene or a country church, Larry wants to highlight the art he creates.<\/p>\n \u201cI might clean up trash or remove an item that bothers me in Photoshop,\u201d he says. \u201cThat town might be where someone grew up or where they\u2019d visit aunts and uncles. I want these towns to sparkle as best they can.\u201d<\/p>\n