Bill Gogo and the Birds
A veteran photographer from the Baby Boomer generation with a deep appreciation of his natural surroundings, Bill Gogo has ridden the waves of change in his field from his childhood camera to a foray later in life into digital wildlife photography. “Photography has always been a facet of my life. At eight years old, I won a Brownie camera from a sales contest selling Christmas cards.”
Photography seemed to be the thread that connected the major points in Bill’s life. As a young man, he enlisted in the army and was stationed at Fort Sheridan where he developed film for the base. Later he worked for the nation’s Inspector General during the Vietnam War, photographing evidence of war crimes.
Eventually, he moved to Detroit and attended the College of Creative Studies of Art and Design where he focused on Abstract Creative, Street, and Landscape photography. He excelled into the University of Michigan’s three and a half year directive study program under Thomas Frank. “My creative aspect was very successful when I did a one man show of my presentation of india ink lines, shapes, and textures set to Pink Floyd. It was called Future Shock. After that I received the first place win for a landscape I shot in Nova Scotia and won a trip to Hawaii. It was on that trip that I married my high school sweetheart.”
Much of Bill’s career was spent in the graphic arts industry working with notable companies like Ricoh and Pacific Northwest. When he moved to his current home of Klamath Falls, he effectively retired from serious photography. Then, almost four years ago, he found new inspiration to fuel his passion. “An eagle landed in my tree and stayed on that limb for over an hour. I was in awe by his behavior.”
Since that day, he became a dedicated avian and wildlife photographer and grew into a prolific digital photographer as well. His stunning photos have won multiple contests, including his photos of the leucistic (partially lacking pigmentation) bald eagle.
His early craft helped him prove his mettle through several contest wins including his 1988 First Place prize in the Los Angeles Fine Art Expo and in 1991 placing as a finalist in National Geographic Travel Magazine for photos he shot in Peru. Bill’s additional awards and publications include Lucie Awards, Bell & Howell, and the Detroit Photo Show. Even today he ranks in the top 10% ranked photographers on Viewbug.
“It’s amazing how my photographic eye has developed through the years. Patience is key. Your creativity comes through all types of avenues, so never get discouraged. I never imagined myself as an award-winning nature photographer, but I owe that to the American Bald Eagle.”
He was recently invited to showcase at the Winter Wings Festival, which further pushed him to exhibit his work in local galleries and explore new ways of displaying his photos. This is how he discovered Artmill. “I owe Artmill’s awesome products to my success. When I display now, seventy-five percent are Artmill’s products. The viewer is so impressed and it keeps their attention for sure.”
Currently, Bill’s photography can be viewed at the 2 Rivers Gallery, MJ Art Gallery, and the Klamath Art Gallery in Klamath, Oregon. Some of the photos he’s mounted with us include Floatmounts as large as 24” x 16”. He speaks highly of the responses to his mounted photography, “It’s an attractive way to show your work. Don’t have to worry about framing. The compliments are just amazing.”
View more of Bill Gogo's photography at his website.