My 501 LIFE in pictures

05 Dec 2024 My 501 LIFE in pictures

Posted at 4:22 PMh in Features by 501 LIFE

By Mike Kemp

After 161/2 years, I’m shifting focus in my work and am stepping away as Photo Director for 501 LIFE Magazine.

I started working with 501 LIFE in March of 2008. Sonja Keith—who hired me at the Log Cabin Democrat some 15 years earlier—was launching the magazine with her partners Donna Spears and Tracy Ferrell and approached me about doing some freelance photography for the publication.

I will now be writing a quarterly column about my love of motorcycling. It has been a rewarding experience, watching the magazine thrive while other forms of media experienced upheaval and change.

The variety of the assignments has helped scratch an itch formed during my days as a photojournalist. From month to month, there was always a new set of stories to illustrate life in the 501 area code, each with its unique challenges.

From the first issue, where I spent a couple of afternoons wandering downtown Conway to illustrate revitalization efforts, to my last issue in September of this year, being able to connect with the people I met through my work has been truly meaningful.

Some were people I knew, such as Rodney Sanders, who posed with his son and nephew at the Conway Fire Department training facility for a cover shoot on a cold December night. Struggling with wind and the timing to balance the exposure from my flash with the flames and lights from a fire truck, it was a memorable experience to capture the exact image my mind’s eye had envisioned.

Another time, it was with my friend Richie Ryerson, who shares a passion for two-wheeled transportation. He just likes buzzing through the forest, whether it be under his own propulsion or through internal combustion.

We needed to illustrate a “Wheels” theme, and he met me on a trail at Cadron Settlement Park. Due to a scheduling conflict, I arrived late and set up in a light rain. Despite dwindling light and precipitation, we created a photo I still am proud of—and there was only one close call where Richie almost collided with me.

Others I had never met, such as Bill Ledbetter, a veteran of WWII who I photographed in his home. Although age had robbed his mobility, his mind was still very sharp—he remembered with great clarity the sound of bullets whizzing through his Jeep as Japanese soldiers fired at him.

That shoot was memorable not only for the conversation with a battle-hardened veteran, but it also produced a portrait that was placed in the Professional Photographers of America’s loan collection. That’s an honor I’m still quite proud of.

Another time, I met champion duck caller Jordan Case at sunset, also at Cadron. After quick introductions, we piled into his boat and zipped across the Arkansas River to an island he was familiar with. As the sun lowered, I quickly set up a light and set my exposure to grab a shot that made it look as though he might be waiting on ducks at sunrise.

My khakis provided little warmth as we rushed back across the river on that late fall evening. I was in a time crunch due to a teaching commitment that night, but by the time I got to class, I was showing the students the images I took from the screen on the back of the camera. I was pumped with the results.

Arkansas Research Alliance press conference announcing fellowship recipients

One of the most profound shoots was two years ago with A.J. Turner. It was a quick session in my studio with a boy who had survived leukemia only to face a life-threatening bacterial infection which caused him to lose his hearing.

It was challenging to communicate with him, but the story of his survival against the odds pushed me to produce something that would be impactful for the magazine’s readers. Although it was a bronze-level award winner in the Professional Photographers of America’s International Photo Competition, the words his mother, Katrina Morris, said about the image were the biggest prize I could receive.