By Robert Hudson

The Selma Times-Journal

 

MARION — Beauty is said to be in the eye of the beholder, and for one photographer that beauty rests in the rural areas of Alabama’s Black Belt.

Gary Phillips of Boston, Mass. has photos of various landscapes around Perry and Dallas counties on display in Lottie’s Restaurant on Washington Street in Marion.

Phillips, whose grandparents Mabel and Arthur Carlton live in Marion Junction, was inspired to do the photo show by his past experiences visiting the area.

“Spending time on my grandparents’ dairy farm in the Black Belt of Alabama is the source of some of the fondest memories I have,” Phillips said in a released statement. “Dallas County is the destination of most of our family holidays, my wedding place, and for the past six years it has been at the top of my “photo-trip” destination list.  This is my home away from home.”

Lea Chilkuri, Phillips’ sister, said the pictures display landscapes such as farms and fields, and focus on the beauty of the area and the simple things in life.

Chilkuri said Phillips wanted to put the pictures on display as a surprise to his grandparents.

“The collection of them were so beautiful that he decided to have the show in a couple different places in the Boston area where he lives,” Chilkuri said. “The show was such a success up there and had such great feedback, he decided that he wanted to put it in Marion as a surprise to the family.”

The pictures were taken over the course of several years and will remain up in the restaurant until the end of December.

Chilkuri said Phillips has been taking photos for a while and has overcome being colorblind to excel at the hobby.

“I know one thing he’s very, very proud of is he is colorblind and so that was a huge challenge with his photography,” Chilkuri said. “And he developed a self-made method of color checking to the point that he doesn’t need any outside help in adjusting colors when he develops his film and works in Photoshop.”

The show on display in Marion is only a part of Phillip’s full photo show.

Phillips has a hardback book including the full show of pictures for sale at The Little Store in Hamburg just outside of Marion.