Page 55 - Q02-2021_Fins-Magazine

TAKING

PHOTOGRAPHY

TO THE AIR

BY: PATRICIA PASTRANO ©2021 by Patricia Pastrano
PHOTOS: RON MCGEE @RAMVISIONS | FB RAM PHOTOGRAPHICS | MM: RAM PHOTOGRAPHICS

********** My Dad had given me a Kodak box camera shot
Meet Ron McGee, a professional with 120 film. I just played with it a little bit, but
photographer of over 50 years with a it was pretty cool. Back then, developing things
passion for being in the air. A retired US was kind of expensive for us at the time. So I
Air Force pilot, his father helped create the didn’t do a whole lot.
path for him and other black Americans to
pursue their dreams. I was actually in the service before I really got
Join us as we learn how the son of into photography. When I went to Vietnam,
you could buy cameras fairly inexpensively, so I
famed Brigadier General, Charles McGee, purchased a Yashica Tel Electro X. It was my first
followed his dreams of flight and took 35-millimeter camera. They had a darkroom on
his love of flying and photography to new base for black and white images that I could use.
heights. How could I pass that up? So, I started taking
********** shots over there.
PP: When I came back from Vietnam, I learned that
I will say, Ron, it was super hard to find anything the rule was in color and not black and white. So
on you. Because as soon as I searched for you, I went out and bought nice cameras. I got my
I would get results for your Dad (Brigadier Nikon equipment at that time. I also had a color
General Charles McGee). Can you tell us about darkroom. I had taken an old closet in the house
your background and how you came into and converted it into a darkroom. So, I didn’t
photography? really have a darkroom. We just had a room and
made it dark. [LAUGHS]
RM:
Since I was five years old, aviation was always It was expensive in color. I used Ektachrome
my primary interest. Like most kids, I wanted film - if you remember Ektachrome and
to be a pilot and an inventor, be a pilot and Cibachrome film - for prints because it was
a photographer, be a pilot, and be whatever archival, and I thought that was pretty cool.
else, but I always wanted to be a pilot. So that Yeah, it was all expensive at the time, but I
was always my career path. I was able to follow liked it. After I did a favor for a friend and took
what my Dad did, flying in the Air Force. I pictures of his model train set, it got published.
was able to travel and take photos, and it was Then I took a photo of a friend’s daughter.
a good combination of my interest. It was a One thing led to another and I thought, you
combination of both, and it worked out. know, I’m doing a lot of stuff for people free
here because everybody wants photography
I used to do photography at a very young age. done. And I should make a business out of it.
Ron McGee