Gallery Photos

Danny Bowers: the 2011 David McCrosky Volunteer Photographer-In-Residence

Danny Bowers was born on March 22, 1956 in Beaumont, Texas. He was raised in the Cajun country of Louisiana, and as a Boy Scout he learned to appreciate nature early on. 

He has lived in Memphis since 1980. Bowers received a Bachelor's degree from Harding College in Searcy, Arkansas. He studied theology, and for a while was even a minister. He completed his MA in Counseling at Harding Graduate School in Memphis and has been working in counseling since 1984. He is married to Donna Bowers and they have three children: Kevin, Dan, and Angie.

Bowers received his first camera, a 35 mm single lens reflex camera, in 1974 as a gift from his parents. As he became more serious about photography, he bought a professional model Nikon camera in 1984. He has taken thousands of nature and scenic photographs with that camera.

In 2009, Bowers suffered a stroke. As a part of his therapy, his wife bought for him a Nikon D3000, his first digital SLR. One of the first stops he made after receiving the camera was at Elmwood. "I know I had been at Elmwood in the past, as I remembered one of the monuments. But, due to the stroke, it was like I had never been there and it was a whole new experience," he said. "The beauty of the statues and angels and the sayings written on the monuments drew me in, and the peace of the cemetery made what could have been a potentially fatal stroke less fearful."

Bowers says, "There are people who have said that taking photographs of old statues has to be boring as they never change. In reality, they are always changing; the light, weather and foliage are always changing. The challenge is to find the beauty of these old statues and show that beauty to the 21st century. I am thankful to Elmwood Cemetery for choosing me to be the David McCrosky Photographer-In-Residence for 2011."

To view more of Bowers' photographs, visit the Painted Planet at 798 South Cooper Street.