Beach photographer displays whimsy in Norfolk exhibit

VIRGINIA BEACH -- When Mel Baker looks at his photography work, a twinkle appears in his light blue eyes.

Baker’s passion for the hobby he’s enjoyed since he was 17 years old is apparent as he enthusiastically explains each piece of work on display this month at The Gallery at East Beach.

“All of my photos are whimsy in form and style,” the 74-year-old Norfolk native said. Baker has shot travel, landscapes, seascapes, flowers, portraits and still life, but leans most toward abstracts.

Ten of his most treasured pieces, including several abstracts, are on exhibit at the Norfolk gallery through Jan. 30. They are all signed limited editions and marked for sale.

Baker’s introduction to the art of photography began when he worked as a teen in his uncle’s photofinishing shop in Portsmouth.

He picked up a Kodak Hawkeye, graduated to a Pentax Spotmatic SLR and, in time, a Minolta Maxxum 9000 SLR . More than 1,000 slides grace his collection, which he hopes to convert to digital one day.

He is compiling a portfolio with hopes of fulfilling his longtime dream to exhibit at the Chrysler Museum of Art .

Several of his pieces in this show feature his wife of 45 years, Judy.

“She’s one of my favorite subjects,” Baker said. In one – titled “It’s Me!” – Judy Baker is looking in a mirror with a child’s image reflecting back at her.

Another, which Mel Baker calls “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” is a collage of a tree in winter with four 8-by-10-inch photos placed together.

“This is my trademark piece,” said Baker, who lives in Great Neck.

Photography has been a constant for Baker, although he has worked in different careers throughout his life – including as a Realtor for another 20 years and as the owner of a tiny tobacco, cigar and pipe shop on Granby Street that grew into a six-store chain for 26 years.

Baker’s work has won numerous awards including best in show at the Kempsville Recreation Center’s photography exhibition, first place at the Virginia Beach Photography Club and second place at Stockley Gardens Art Festival.

“I’m a frustrated painter,” Baker said. “I just hope that people see my work as I see it and appreciate it.”

Betty Scott Owen, another local award-winning photographer, enjoys Baker’s work.

“He’s got a good eye and a lot of potential,” said Owen, of Norfolk. “You see his passion in his work, and when you look at a piece you can actually feel what he’s trying to say.”