Sam Kilgard-
Most people wish they could turn their childhood hobbies into a profession. Many try, but very few succeed. Stuart Klipper is one of the lucky few who managed to do just that.
Who is Stuart Klipper, you might ask? He is a 75-year-old international photographer who has not only taken pictures in all 50 states, but also in Antarctica, Australia, Greenland, Patagonia and Sweden (among many other locations). Klipper is also one of only 400 people who have stepped foot on the North and South Poles.
Klipper has been a photographer ever since he was young. He reminisced, “I bought my first camera with a quarter and a Wheaties box top and have been taking photos ever since.” Klipper was taking photographs long before the advent of the digital camera, and is intimately familiar with viewing the world through an analog viewfinder.
He knew he had found his passion when he demonstrated high proficiency in his photography class during his senior year at the University of Michigan. “I didn’t receive many A’s in college, but I did in Photography”.
Klipper visited the University of Wisconsin–Stout recently for a small showing of his work, as well as a presentation he had prepared. “It was a 14-piece showing on the regions of America, as well as a presentation of some photos I took during the Study Abroad program.”
Klipper has taken pictures from the top of the world and the bottom; he has seen all 50 states from a viewfinder and has taken photos all around the globe. Even at the age of 75, he is still active and doing what he loves.
You can view his work at http://www.stuartklipper.com/