A Hobby That Grew into Serious Artistic Expression

 But how does one initially discover artists that have true talent? The answer varies by artist, but for Larr Kelly, his knack for photography started with a gift.

Kelly’s exhibit, “Quiet Light,” opens Friday night at Gallery 222 in Leesburg. But the origins of his unique photographs were decades in the making.

A Loudoun County government employee for over two decades who worked in both the County Attorney's office and as a planner in the zoning office, Kelly, 52, received his first high-quality camera from his brother in the mid-1980s. He quickly realized that his hobby was becoming something more refined.

“I played around with the camera for a few years, but every now and then, I would take a really good photo,” Kelly says. “At some point, I decided that if I can do this by accident, then I can learn how to do it on purpose.”

"Reflection I," by Larr Kelly

Kelly soon enrolled in adult education courses at Northern Virginia Community College, where his instructor jokingly accused him of actually being a commercial photographer. Kelly then entered three of his pieces in a Loudoun County employee art show. His work caught the eye of the show’s curator, who offered Kelly his own show. After the success of his first solo show, artistic fate stepped in.

One evening, a friend of Kelly’s was admiring artwork over a meal at Nido’s Italian Restaurant in Leesburg. His friend told the owner about Kelly’s interest in photography, and the owner immediately gave Kelly some wall space in his restaurant.

“From Nido’s, everything kept falling into place,” Kelly says. Since then, he has spent years molding a respectable second career. Kelly has hosted several shows, as well as being featured in countless others, winning various awards along the way.

But Kelly is happy that he doesn’t have to rely on his photography to make money.

“If photography was my principle way of living, then it would become work, as opposed to pleasure,” he says. “If you have to make money off it, then the pressure it produces is horrible. Don’t get me wrong, I get an incredible rush out of every sale. But my pieces don’t command thousands of dollars.

“You have to take into account the cost it takes to produce these very high quality prints. Then the framing material, and the gallery’s commission,” he explained. “I don’t expect to make money but ultimately it would be nice to break even.”

With his most recent exhibit, Kelly is focusing on what he calls “quiet, abstract light.” On the invitation for the event, Kelly says the photograph is fairly straightforward. “This is the reflecting pool at the botanical gardens in Washington. The bottom of the pool has two tones of tile, and on top of the water, there are lights reflecting off of it. So I moved the camera slightly when I took the shot. And that’s what you see.”

From sunrises in Machu Picchu to sundog rainbows in Peru, to desert rocks in Las Vegas to shots of the Potomac River taken from his kayak, Kelly’s quiet energy will be on display Friday night.

From here, Kelly will continue his job with the county, but still has his nights and weekends to moonlight as a photographer.

“It would be great to do this in retirement, but I’m happy where this is at now. In terms of the visual arts, there’s something in me that always wants to get out.”

Quiet Light, premieres Friday night at Gallery 222 in Leesburg with a reception from 6-9 p. m. It will remain at 222 until Nov. 28.

For more of Larr Kelly’s photos, visit larrkelly.com.