It’s a casual photograph: Two boats are pulled halfway out of the still water, tilting awkwardly on land. Casual, relaxed—exactly the mood for Dick Osgood, formerly of Shorewood, when he snapped it. “It was a beautiful day, and I was—well—lazy.”
Osgood loves this spot by Tonka Bay City Hall for a unique reason. Of course, the plant life was beautiful. The reflection on the water’s surface was eye-catching. But though Osgood noticed these details, he focused his attention on his nostalgic love of motors. “I like old motors,” he says, “so they kind of stood out to me. They’re reliable … I used to have one as a teenager.”
He had one as a teenager, yes: a motor, but no boat. He and his father used to rent boats for days out on the lake, but to save money, they’d bring their own motor. Thanks to his father’s thrift, Osgood’s photo finds beauty in the everyday.
His artistic skills are, apparently, science-based. “[I’m an] amateur! Self-taught for the most part. I’m a scientist by training, so I understand the optics and physics of it all.” He brings these skills to the computer, too, which gives the photo its painting-like effect. “This one wasn’t over-processed, I would say. I intensified the colors just a bit, the blues and greens especially, and that enhanced the reflection aspect of this, which I think made it really attractive.” So what tips can this photographer share? “Learn your basics,” he says, “but after that, have fun!”
