Ron Keller-Photographer, B.A.
Graduate US Naval School of Photography 1972
New Mexico State University-Las Cruces, NM, B.A. 1981
Post Graduate Studies at NMSU 1990-91
Retired as New Mexico State Govt. Photographer Specialist/Exhibit Designer 2014
Currently, College Assistant Professor of Art/Photography at New Mexico State University-Alamogordo, NM
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Images displayed on this site are representative of my 40-plus year career in photography. Actually they mostly represent what I was pursuing on the side as I was making a living in photography. Because as most know, making a career in art is one of the longest of long shots. I did the 'starving artist' thing now and then, but making car payments and raising children necessitated a more 'practical' approach, so I worked for 23 years as a state government photographer in New Mexico. A fantastic state in which to be a photographer.
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A little past history-
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I started on a professional level with my graduation (in 1972) from the US Naval School of Photography, Pensacola, Fl.. Then four years as a Navy photographer, and, after five years studying fine-art photography at New Mexico State University under my amazing professor, Richard Wickstrom, I went on to work as newspaper photographer/writer for 20 years ,and finally, 23 years as a state government photographer and exhibit designer in New Mexico.
I retired from this position, at the New Mexico Museum of Space History, (nmspacemuseum.org) Alamogordo, NM, in 2014. In 2019 I was offered, and accepted a position as Assistant Professor
of Art/Photography at NMSU-Alamogordo, NM. I had taught there previously in 1996-98 and helped establish the fine art photography program that still exists.
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All during this varied career I pursued my interest in photography practiced as a fine art. One of the great experiences during my career was my time working with my former college professor, Richard Wickstrom, at his custom photo lab in Santa Fe, NM, Lightworks, in the late '80s. Santa Fe was, and still is truly one of the top locations for artists and creative spirits in the world. My job was printing custom editions for many legendary photographers, i.e. Eliot Porter, Paul Caponigro, who lived in Santa Fe. It was a great experience and helped me to perfect my darkroom craft as well as refining my ability to 'see'. I even had the honor of copying legendary paintings in our studio for the great American artist Georgia O'Keefe, as she lived outside Santa Fe and hired our lab to produce accurate 4x5" transparencies of her paintings for reproduction. What a great experience.
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During these years I had a fair amount of success entering shows and getting works published here and there, many newspapers and magazines, quite a few awards including participating in a National Geographic show in Washington D.C., two-time publication as a finalist in American Photo magazine's 'World Wide Photo Competition' (1996-98); selling works through the state of New Mexico's 'Art in Public Places' program. And one of my favorite images, a large silver fiber print made the old-fashioned way (in a darkroom), "Anthropomorphic Mannequins, New Mexico Museum of Space History, 1996" was selected as "Best in Show/Photography" in NMSU's "Close to the Boarder" juried competition and purchased for the permanent collection of my alma mater, New Mexico State University.
So now I find myself 'retired'. And other than playing jazz trombone and directing a big band, I finally have a little more time on my hands. I'm no longer shooting weddings, after a 42 year-long tenure, and I have a little more time to devote to my art along with the great experience of teaching at the university level. Sharing, through my photography, those little remarkable moments in time when things 'gel' means a lot to me. Fleeting moments and experiences that give meaning in my life and may, in turn, relate to yours. So I hope you'll enjoy the images I have posted here. And check back occasionally to see the 'new.' And as I'm sure you know, life is all to brief a journey. I hope you're having a great and creative journey yourself.
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And I hope you'll enjoy my creative take on mine. Keep making art!
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With love and appreciation to Kerby, Luna and Amallia for their support.
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Cheers,
Ron Keller
Me, 1959. Good shot mom!
"Anthropomorphic Mannequins"
Best of Show - Photography
Close to the Boarder - NMSU 2006
Purchased for permanent collection
Williams Art Gallery
Kerby, Amallia and Luna at Pizmo Beach, 2006
A small selection of portrait images.
Some are commercial, some personal.
Although I began my career as a Navy
Photographer in 1972, these images
date from 1995 to present.
Self portrait with view camera
at City of Rocks State Park near
Deming, NM, 2005.
Native American sculptor Doug Hyde
in his Santa Fe studio - 1997.
Right-Vocalist David Clayton Thomas
of Blood Sweat and Tears - 2004.
Luna and Amallia under the Banyon trees in Tampa, Fl., 2006.
Dave Rogers on his wedding day. Capitan, NM., 1995.
Kara at White Sands, 2008.
Amallia (my youngest daughter's) studio portrait on
Halloween, 2006.
Kim at White Sands, 2010.
Pam's portrait, 2010.
Shanay Arbuckle, 2015.
Kim, 2010.
Shanay, 2016.
Amallia at White Sands, 2006.
Cast and Crew of Alamogordo Music Theater production of Annie 2014. I'm on the far-right with the trombone.
Below - "Annie" Ms. Brineggar
Popogia Burns, 2006.
Kids at playtime in
Tularosa, 2006.
Ice Cream Parlor,
Magdelena, NM, 2010.
Kim's studio portrait, 2010.
Luna (my oldest daughter), 2010.
Monique at White Sands, 2005.
A cell phone pic of
'ol Professor Keller
taken by one of my students.
Above, right and below right are images of my campus studio at NMSU/A, a very small part of one of my darkrooms (I have 4 with 12 enlargers etc.), and below right the print finishing room.
Left, my students working with a couple of models on a Spring trip to nearby White Sands National Monument.
Left and below-A few new images of Daisy. She's a very photogenic young woman who's been modeling for my classes at the college. These are from a recent shoot when we spent the better part of a day on a road trip with her and her girlfriend making lots of images. She's just a stunning model and a cool person.
