by Megan Stroud
Al Fowler photos

Local photographer Al Fowler’s passion for photography stems from his love of supporting people around him and providing priceless visual memories. 

After discovering his love for photography from his father-in-law, his passion grew and followed the lives of his children. “When my kids were in school and sports, I shot sports. When my grandkids were in school and sports, I shot sports,” Fowler said. “My granddaughter is going to be a senior, and this will be her last year to play ball. I am phasing out that time in my life, and maybe it will give me more time to do local stuff and travel.” 

After spending his life in Arizona and Arkansas fundraising for Harding University, working as a CPA, managing finance and personnel for doctors in a local clinic and losing his first wife in 2006, Fowler retired and began spending more time doing what he wanted to do. 

“I take them because I like to, and if people don’t like them, they don’t have to look at them,” he said. “Nobody pays me anything, so they don’t get to tell me what to do. And I don’t owe anybody anything. If they like it, fine, and if they don’t, fine.”

Though his passion for capturing moments has not changed, the rise of digital media and social media changed the way Fowler was able to share his pictures. The images he used to print and physically hand to parents at community and sporting events can now be posted on Facebook to a national and international audience. 

“Early on, I had no outlet for my pictures,” Fowler said. “I took pictures, I went to people’s homes, I went to see them at a ball game, I would give them pictures I had taken of their kids. I had to distribute them manually, and I had to pay to get them printed. After digital kicked in and Facebook came along, I had an outlet. So, the numbers of pictures I took expanded exponentially. If I like it, I take a picture. If I see something that reminds me of somebody, it gives me a chance to post a picture for them specifically.” 

By simplifying his distribution, Fowler was able to spend more time behind the camera, capturing nature, community and family, and traveling with his second wife of 11 years, Carla Fowler. He strives to use photography as an outlet to help people appreciate God’s creative work.

“He is up every morning,” Carla said. “He tries to get every sunrise and sunset. Every afternoon his alarm goes off to remind him that it is sunset time. He will go out and chase the sunsets. I only see sun rises through his pictures.”

Alongside his involvement in sports and nature photography, Fowler also spends a lot of time capturing local events to promote the Searcy community. 

“I feel like we have a responsibility to do what we can to build up and support and give back, so to speak,” Fowler said.

His reputation has earned him frequent photo bylines in newspapers, with the chamber of commerce, local news organizations like Searcy.com and local staff for annual events like Get Down Downtown. 

“It gives me a chance to get it out to a lot of places, and, to me, it is really helping promote the city of Searcy” Fowler said. “The kids’ pictures are all for the parents, but the local stuff is aimed at promoting the community.” 

Because of his passion for capturing real, local moments, Fowler never wants to miss anything and never goes anywhere without his current camera, a Nikon D500.