Water's Edge of the Great Salt Lake - Photos by Ron Winsett

Opening reception for “Water’s Edge of the Great Salt Lake” photographs by Ron Winsett. Art Exhibit runs April 26–June 6.

ARTIST STATEMENT

For years I have been drawn to the Great Salt Lake, visiting often for dog walks, photography and bike rides out to the Salt Lake Marina. In early 2022 I became somewhat obsessed with the lake, visiting different locations about twice a week. The Great Salt Lake has an ever changing environment, the water levels, shoreline, wildlife, and weather, it truly is hard to get bored with the Great Salt Lake. Even though the GSL has been a hot topic as a major disaster as water levels drop, I feel that many people don’t relate to the problem due to not ever having been at the lake. I hope my explorations and photography can encourage people to visit or realize how amazing the lake is and become more aware of its importance.
Ron hopes you fall in love with the Lake like he has, and that his eye for the interplay of light and physical features of this amazing place make you want to take another look.

ARTIST BIO

Ron was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, and moved to Southern Utah to attend Utah Tech in 1993, relocating to Salt Lake City in 1998. In Salt Lake, Ron found the outlet and community for so many things he enjoyed – climbing, biking, skiing – and photographing all these activities for family and friends. His work building decks for a local contractor morphed into a 30-year career designing, crafting, and completing residential cabinet and remodeling projects throughout the region. During this time, Ron’s interest in photography grew from a hobby to a passion. As a self-employed contractor beginning in 2005, he was able to make his own schedule and live an alternative outdoor lifestyle, adventuring from Utah to Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado and as far as Alaska and Costa Rica. While his schedule allows for these journeys, his physical ability and willingness to go where many of us cannot allows us to experience natural beauty we may never otherwise get to see.

In 2019 Ron began shooting outdoor events such as the Wasatch Powder keg, Utah Ski-Mo, and Bike Utah’s MidWeek MTB series, as well as corporate events for Park City tourism entities. It’s thrilling for participants in these events to see Ron’s action photos, which he achieves by carefully scouting the terrain and locating the best (and often most precarious!) spots to get his shots.

In 2022, Ron got hooked on taking photos of the Great Salt Lake after purchasing a medium format panoramic film camera. In visiting the Lake on what is sometimes a daily basis, Ron learned about the “disappearing lake.” He hopes his passion for shooting this unique geographical wonder brings more awareness to the importance and beauty of the Great Salt Lake. For his first photography exhibition, Ron incorporated frames he hand-made from wood reclaimed from the Great Salt Lake Railroad Trestle, a fitting and stunning way to set off this photography.