Ezell Photo Exhibit celebrates opening
OCCS staff |
A collection of photography by brothers Bill Ezell and Miles Ezell Jr., former top execs at Purity Dairies in Nashville, officially opened with a celebration Jan. 15.
Bill Ezell and Miles Ezell Jr. have both been avid shutterbugs since Miles took a photography course at Ohio State University in the late 1940s. From black and white shots to the advent of color to the changeover to digital, the Ezells’ love of photography has endured. In fact, Miles, 80, says he used to have his own darkroom in his home, and today he still loves nothing more than to spend an afternoon in front of Photoshop on his computer.
“I first took pictures with my mother’s camera and then I got a camera of my own. My greatest influence was my grandfather, who subscribed to ‘National Geographic’ magazine. I loved to look at the pictures in them and got inspired by them. In college I took a photography class where I learned to develop film among other things,” said Miles.
“Now, digital photography and Photoshop has opened up a whole new world to me.”
Bill said he learned to love photography from his brother.
“I learned from Miles and I still learn from him. I just follow what he does. I’ve had the opportunity to travel to some very interesting places and take pictures. Believe it or not, my favorite place to travel and photograph is Iceland,” said Bill.
Despite a lifetime snapping photos on vacations, shooting family weddings and preparing albums for family and friends, the Ezells have never before exhibited their photos for the public, said Bill, 78.
The free exhibition will be held in the Paul Rogers Boardroom on the first floor of the Ezell Center on the Lipscomb campus. It will be open Jan. 15-28, 9 a.m.-8 p.m., on weekdays; 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturdays; and 1-4 p.m., Sundays.
Most of the photos on display are scenes from the Ezells’ travels to exotic locales such as India, Vietnam, Africa, Nova Scotia and Italy. Architecture, landscapes, animals and the people of nations around the world will all be represented in the show, say the brothers.
“I like to do bicycle rides,” said Bill. “I’ve been on 12 bicycle trips from Nova Scotia to Russia. There is no better way to photograph the back roads and back country than being on a bike.”
Miles said he plans to display photos taken on the African safari he took last year as well as a collection of his best underwater photos taken over the course of several years.
“It’s nice now, when I have more time to do what I want, that I have something like photography that I enjoy spending time on. I didn’t have as much time before retirement,” he said.
That’s because they were both busy running one of the landmark companies in Nashville: Purity Dairies. Both Bill and Miles were top executives at the long-standing family-owned business and they still keep office hours at Purity despite their “retirement.” Bill now serves as past president and consultant at the dairy, and Miles served as president, treasurer and chairman over the years.
Although they have not publicly displayed their photos, the Ezell brothers are certainly known for their photo skills. Bill says he carries a stash of matted photos with him anywhere he goes and gives them out with abandon to friends at the doctor’s office, his lawyer’s office, Brentwood Hills Church of Christ and elsewhere. He will never charge for a single photo, he pledges.
Both Bill and Miles create albums for themselves and friends every time they go on a trip. Miles notes that he likes to attend a photo workshop with a professional once a year to improve his eye.
Both men have served on the Lipscomb University Board of Trustees in the past, and the Ezell family was the principal donor for the Ezell Center, the newest academic building on the Lipscomb campus.