Russ Sharrock

Photos by Russ Sharrock

Biography

Russ Sharrock was born in Maryland on the Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, so his early memories included waterfowl, wildlife and waterways.  His time in the woods and marshes instilled a love of nature and an understanding of the rhythms of the seasons.

His interest in cameras and photography began as he recorded his outdoor experiences, and deepened as a photojournalist where he developed his sense of timing. These experiences helped him to hone his abilities and later merge his love of photography and his love for the outdoors.

Russ’ portfolio of travel and outdoor photographs led to a dual show in 1992 at the National Wildlife Federation Gallery near Washington, DC entitled “Wilderness Wanderings.”   Life soon took a new pathway as he became involved in ministry and started a church in the Alaskan Interior.  Photography was always the way Russ preserved the high points of life and the wilderness, and it was the way he communicated his experiences to others. 

Today, he is exploring the forests, rivers and rock formations that give Oklahoma its unique flavor.  Russ especially enjoys discovering old pioneer homesteads and mining towns, recording history that is soon passing away.  He has recently enjoyed translating his most powerful images into black-and-white photographs. Russ feels they reduce the image to its essence, yet retain the     texture of history and permanence that initially drew him to the subject. 

Russ Sharrock currently lives in Stillwater—where he will be found, camera in hand and tripod on his backpack.

Artist’s Statement

“I’m not a passive participant in life.  I ask questions...about meaning, about history, about the why’s and how’s and when’s. 

The grandeur of mountains and rock formations capture me.  Oklahoma’s rivers, hills, and forests are a part of the greater world I’ve only begun to explore.

Wilderness stirs my soul, but so do the weather-beaten buildings that are slowly crumbling into the soil.  Who lived here?  What did they feel about the land?  What experiences did they have?  What can I learn from what they left behind?

All of this is inherent in the visual attraction these places have for me.  This is why I need to record the photograph.   I believe the photographer translates these deeper meanings into a visual image that evokes an equally deep emotional response from the viewer.  If life is art, then the meaning of life can be communicated through art.”