Meet Artist Buddy Lauer

You might say that Buddy's story is typical of photography enthusiasts his age –the Baby Boomer Class.  Boomers started with film cameras before their teen age years.  When they were in junior high and high school, they were in the photography club, developed their own black & whites at home, and pitched the chemicals down the drain.

“We have come a long way since then," Buddy says.  “It was way before the EPA and seat belts, too.   As long as we didn't explode something or set anything on fire, which occasionally happened, we were able to experiment on our own -- an educational experience not much valued today.”

Two Virginia Tech engineering degrees later and a well-paying job, Buddy got his first really cool camera.  It was a 35mm Minolta SLR -- an electromechanical marvel.  “I don't remember the model, but it was in the very early 1970's”, he said.  “My first digital camera was an Olympus e-10.  I got that camera in 2001.  In 2010, for better or worse, I committed to Nikon.  The D700 had an affordable, full-frame sensor, and I invested quite a bit in full-frame lenses -- who could resist. Now, I am happily shooting the D850 - so many nice features,” Buddy recalls.

“I am most interested in wildlife and landscape photography.  One of my projects is called “Fredericksburg Story”.  There is a photograph of an historic Fredericksburg site with a short story about its historic significance.  There are now 20 pieces in the collection from Chatham to Carl’s,” he adds.

“I produce my own prints and control the process from composition to the finished product, which for me is hanging a beautiful piece of art on the wall. All my prints use archival materials and are framed using conservation standards.”

​