Rod Watson is a 1986 graduate of Kent State University's School of Architecture and Environmental
Design, and is presently a Registered Architect and proprietor of Watson Architectural Services in
Doylestown, Ohio. Photography has always been an important part of Rod's life, even though he has
never received any formal training, or pursued a professional career at it. One of Rod's lighthouse
photos will be featured in the year 2000 calendar produced by the Time Factory, Inc, and is now
being sold at most Wal-Mart stores world wide. A few other publishing offers are in the works at
this time.
"Ever since I was a child, I had a fascination with art and photography. Even from the Polaroid and
110mm camera days, I was always running around snapping off shots of anything and everything
imaginable with whatever cheap camera I had at the time. I never really considered pursuing
photography any further than just a passionate hobby, but if I had a chance of exploring a second
career today with the proper time and equipment, photography would definitely be at the top of my
passions.
Most of my photography evolves around vacations we have taken through the years. Becki and I climbed
our first lighthouse in 1989 during our honeymoon in Key West. I immediately became fascinated with
the architecture and history of the lights, and soon became somewhat of a lighthouse fanatic. We now
spend a majority of our vacations traveling the coasts of America visiting these wonderful symbols
of the past. We have presently visited over 175 lights, with many more to visit in the future (there
are 116 lighthouses in Michigan alone!). I also enjoy nature and wildlife very much, and love
exploring the spectacular natural wonders this country has to offer.
The photography was always just a means of capturing those memories from the past, but with whatever
artistic flair I could muster at the time. I enjoyed showing them off to family and friends, but
never dreamed of others really viewing them as a piece of art. The internet has become the latest
passion of mine, so in March of 1999 I thought it would be interesting to create some sort of web
site to experiment with the new medium. Since I had these 100's of photographs laying around
collecting dust, it only made sense to transfer a few of them to the computer before they were lost
forever, while also allowing others to experience them. The initial heightened interest in my
website by others has caught me a bit by surprise. It has turned into a wonderful experience, and I
am quite pleased that others seem to be enjoying these photos too. The site has grown to over 100
photos, and I plan on continually adding many more as time permits.
The new website has already sparked a flame within myself to spend even more time exploring and
photographing the beautiful lighthouses, natural wonders, and architecture that this country has to
offer. If I achieve anything else from the site, I would hope it at least inspires a few others to
experience these wonderful subjects in person too, and ultimately help to preserve them for the
future generations to admire."
Rod Watson
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