Local photographer to showcase work

Local photographer Don Butler has a love for nature, which he captures in his work. It’s a passion he is sharing with the community later this week at the Sampson Arts Council’s upcoming artist showcase.

The exhibit “As I See It,” will be on display from Feb. 27 through April 3 at the Sampson Arts Council’s Victor R. Small House in Clinton. An artist reception will be held this Thursday, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., offering guests a chance to meet Butler and view his 25 featured photos. Pictures from the many places he’s traveled, from Germany to England, National and Wildlife Parks like Yellowstone and Sylvan Heights Bird Park and even his backyard will be on display.

“I’ve been a photographer for most of my life,” Butler said. “Now that I’m retired, since 2017, I’ve become more serious about it and trying to become a better photographer. I’ve always enjoyed taking pictures, and my primary interests are the natural world. I don’t care too much about taking pictures of people.

“Sometimes I do, but I’d rather be out in the woods somewhere or photographing something interesting,” he added, laughing. “It doesn’t have to be a big thing, because you can go in your backyard and find interesting stuff if you take your time.”

A native of Bladen County, Butler came to Sampson in 1991, where he’s spent his career of over 30 years protecting and breeding rare, endangered pheasants at “Pheasant Heaven.” That dedication has gained him national recognition and brought numerous professional photographers to his doorstep, even members of National Geographic.

It was that constant interaction with other professional photographers that Butler credited for bolstering his love of being behind a camera.

“The first time I ever took pictures, it had to be back in the ’60s, I guess,” he said with a smile. “The more I did it, the more I enjoyed it. And along the way, I have met a lot of other photographers who are far better than me. I mean people who’ve had a lot of their work published. I learned from them, as a number of those people have come to photograph birds at my place. So that’s really what kicked it into high gear for me, is having professionals come and photograph things here in Sampson County that they couldn’t find anywhere else in the world. So that’s a pretty cool thing.”

As for what made Butler want to finally do an exhibit after taking photos for so many years, it was those around him that give him encouragement.

“Several people have asked me, ‘Have you ever exhibited your work anywhere?’” he said. “If I remember correctly, I think it was Amelia Surrett (another local artist) who asked me one time about that. I told her, no, not really because that’s not why I do it. But she said we should do it because she thought people would be interested.

“I happened to talk to Kara (Donatelli) and told her what Amelia said, and Kara said, ‘Well, why don’t we do an exhibit here?’” he added. “That’s kind of how it started, we set a date a couple of months ago, and I started the sorting process through 12,000 pictures, to pick a few, and I changed my mind several times along the way.”

Of those 12,000 photographs, how did he narrow it down to select 25? His decision was intimate.

“Well, I simply thought about the experience of being in these places and the feeling I got when I saw them — it was magical,” he said. “I’m kind of excited about this. I hope people will be interested. Maybe they will. And if they like them, I’m happy to share them with other people. We’ll just have to wait and see who shows up, and as for the showcase, we call this exhibit “As I See It,” because this is how I see it.”

Sampson Arts Council Executive Director Kara Donatelli said she can’t wait for the exhibit to kick off.

“We’re excited to have Don, and this has happened several times to me now, with people coming to me for an exhibit, which I love,” she said. “They have walked through my door and said, ‘I have an artistic skill that I’d like to share with the community,’ and we’re excited to feature Don here in the gallery.

“I’ve learned a lot from him, just in talking with him about all these birds and animals and his travels, he’s seen a lot of amazing things,” she added. “I think we’re fortunate to have him here in our community and to be able to show his work. I want to encourage any other artists who are out there, looking for a place to show their work, to contact us and let’s see if we can put together a show.”