Ed Harrison:
CLASS OF 1978
Winnetonka High SchoolClass of 1978
Kansas city, MO
Ed's Story
I have been a photographer ever since I was in the 12th grade in high school. I took a lot of year book pictures for Winnetonka High School back in 1977 and 78. From week to week I would shoot school events during school and on weekends I would shoot all the track, Baseball and football games.
I worked after school as a Drafts man for TEC engineering locating in down town KCM. I started the summer of my 7th grade year and worked there until the year I graduated from high school. It was right at 5 years. It was nice to tell people I worked for an engineering firm. It made me have a big head from time to time. The nice thing was I could use my photography skills along with my drafting job. My boss would send me on sites to take pictures of existing equipment so the engineers could see what type of equipment was used and how it was installed.
When my drafting day where over I took up photography. My first photography job was taking school pictures. I got the job driving down I70 talking on the CB radio to my uncle. I was acting up on the CB and I told him that ¿he know how us photography where¿. This man come on the CD and asked me if I was a photographer. I was happy to tell him that I was. He asked me if I would like to have a job and I told him yes I could use one at that point in time. So he gave me his number over the CB and asked me to call him if I would like a job. The next week I called him setup an interview and started to work for him right away. I worked for him taking school pictures for 2 years. I loved the travel and the fast pace work.
The next year I wanted to try something new. So I applied for a job with a company shooting portraits at collage fraternities and sororities houses all over the US. Now that was a job I liked. I did a lot of traveling, meeting a lot of collage kids, got to know them and parting with them a lot. It was more then a 22 year old could handle but I did my best. It was a great job and I loved it. But like all good things this job come to an end and time started to slow down for me.
I was asked if I would help out a friend who had a studio located in down town Kansas City Missouri. Him and his brother run a studio and they need some help with there lighting and posing skills. I had nothing going on at the time so I took them up on there offer. I worked with them for about 2 years. Then o...Expand for more
ne day I bet them I could get a job with Olan Mills portrait studios. I know I was to a point I needed more experience with my posing and lighting skills. So I decided to give it a try and see what I could do. The next week I filled out an application and was haired on the spot.
I started working for Olan mills in Oct of 1982. I started off as the photographer at the north oak traffic way office in Gladstone Missouri. That Dec I was promoted to photo instructor for 6 of the 12 studios in Kansas City and St Joe area. With in a year I was the photo instructor for all 12 studios. I started to do wedding and other photography jobs on the side about this time. I would go out and shoot a school for myself from time to time jus to keep my foot in the door. It was like going back to my roots thing I think.
Then the old patriotic bug got to me. It was time I did something for me country. I was 24 years old and had never been in the military and for some reason I joined the ARMY as a photographer. I spent 7 years in the Army. My first assignment was in Korea for one year. I liked Korea and I would love to go back some time. I took over 18000 pictures that year in Korea. Most for the Army but some was for myself. I took all of the honer guards portraits that year. Each country had a set of honer guards in Korea and I took all of there pictures that are displayed in the capital in Soul. Each and every field exercise they had I was out there shooting pictures and driving the MJR or LTC around. But it was a good life for me. It was like being in boy scouts camping and taking pictures. What else could a young man of 24 wont?
In 1989 I was stationed in Hawaii. I was working on a lawn mower when my back pooped and down on the ground I went. My back was out and the Dr. told me I had Degenerative Disk Disease and my back would not get any better. So he started the discharge papers for a service connected disability. It took almost 2 years and I was out of the Army and back in the civilian life again. Now I work with computer and networking equipment. But as you can see I keep on shooting pictures. Now I do more of it for fun then money but I will shoot a wedding and some portraits from time to time for a doller or two.
Any type of picture that some one would want I will shoot.
Now you know a little about me. What can I do for you?
Ed
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