Mangrove Gallery showcases award winning photographer

Pine Island is home to artists who dabble in a vast array of mediums including oil painting, sculpting and jewelry making, but often overlooked are some of the area’s most talented individuals. Rather than capturing images in acrylics or watercolors, others share what they see through the lens of a camera.
Among these artists in St. James City resident, Ron Mayhew, an award-winning photographer who is the featured artist in the Mangrove Gallery at the Pine Island Chamber Welcome Center through the month of May.
“I had been wanting to show my work at the Welcome Center for some time and I am pleased to have gotten the opportunity now,” Mayhew said. “My favorite subjects to photograph are people on the street just doing what they do. I believe that the process is the joy of photography, not just the end result and by traveling and observing people I am able to accomplish this and have a great time doing it.”
Many of Mayhew’s images are candid portraits of people he has seen during his global travels which include adventures throughout Tanzania, Cambodia and Laos, Haiti and Ecuador.
“I have really enjoyed photographing people from very different cultures. My wife is a writer and combining her stories with my photos has provided us a lot of opportunities to share what we have learned and seen through our website,” Mayhew said. “I have always had the travel bug and now that we are retired, we do our best to take advantage of this opportunity whenever we can.”
According the Mayhew, he and his wife Lynne Mayhew will travel next to Kolkatta, India this fall.
Born in Miami, Mayhew began his artistic ventures as a sculptor, but was inspired to capture images on film at a very early age.
“When I was very young, I had an uncle who was a serious hobbiest photographer and learned a great deal from him,” Mayhew said. “Much like other photographers, I started out using a very simple camera and used a corner of my parents garage as a dark room and dreamt about working for National Geographic magazine. As I got older, the only photos I took were to use as models for my sculpting, but when we moved to Pine Island I took up photography again.”
Mayhew has attained regional and national recognition for his images. He is a member of the Photo Arts Group of Charlotte County, the National Association of Photoshop Professionals and the National Press Association. Since moving to Pine Island Mayhew also is an active members in the St. James City Civic Association photography group known as the Hotshots.
“The Hotshots are a group of novice and professional photographers who get together to share tips and techniques and is an excellent way to help improve your work,” Mayhew said. “I have enjoyed interacting with the group and recommend membership to anyone who is interested in photography.”
Mayhew has earned other accolades through his association with Hot Shots as well as providing the group with several photography workshops and seminars. The Hotshots Photography Group meets at the St. James City Civic Center each Thursday from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
As for his accomplishments, Mayhew received Best of Show in the 2010 and 2011 Photo Expo sponsored by the Photo Arts Group of Charlotte County and internationally he was recognized in March 2011 in a British worldwide photography contest for Portrait and People. During this event, he received the Gold Award for his image of African Fyes, a photo taken in a Tanzanian school. In addition, Mayhew also was awarded a first place in the Art League of Fort Myers Art of Photography Show in April 2011.
Examples of Ron Mayhew’s photography can be seen throughout the month of May at the Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center in Matlacha Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. To see Mayhew’s work online, visit ronmayhewphotography.com