Arthur Houston Sr.

We recently had the opportunity to interview Las Vegas photographer, Arthur Houston, Sr. on our television show, “The World of Art TV”. My cohost, Ruthie Moller, and I had so much fun talking with Arthur and enjoyed his photography immensely, so I wanted to share his pictures and some of his personality with you.

Currently, there are many places in the Las Vegas, Nevada area where Arthur’s photography is being featured. You can see displays of his work at the Art House City of the World art gallery, Henderson City Hall, Boulder City Hall. Hoover Dam Lounge and the Boulder City hospital. He will also have a display of his art at the upcoming 56th annual Art in the Park in October of 2018 in Boulder City, Nevada. If you haven’t been to this fun celebration, I suggest you make it a point to go there this year., Arthur also sells his art at the First Friday Monthly art festival located in the downtown Las Vegas art district.

So, Arthur, let’s get to know you better!

Where did you grow up? What things were you actively involved in?

I grew up in Compton, California. My mother kept me involved in many activities in attempt to keep me from going astray. She also knew that I had a strong curiosity in wanting to learn about a variety of topics. For instance, I was involved in ROTC, Civil air patrol, and the Boy Scouts. I played the percussions in a marching band, jazz ensemble and orchestra. Then I moved onto being associated with Toastmasters and the speech team.

Did you always want to be a photographer?

Yes, as a young boy, I did graphic art, but did not become serious about becoming a photographer until the age of 21.

When did you first know you had talent?

Around the age of 25, a good friend of mine named Thomas Terry saw a few pieces of my photography and stated, “Arthur, you have a talent.” His statement motivated me to venture into the world of art. Back in the day when photography was processed with film, I remember taking black and white pictures and selling the 8×10 prints for fifty cents. My same friend ventured out with me and we learned how to develop pictures into color and sold them for $1.00 each. About six months later, I became a wedding photographer and took photographs of over 200 weddings.

Who influenced you?

As a young boy, I was influenced by the pictures in the National Geographic magazine. I was fascinated by the photographers’ ability to capture images on film.

Who inspires you?

My wife inspires me as she pushes me to strive, to achieve, and to become the best photographer that I can be. I have been blessed to receive many attributes for my work, which increases my desire for ACPHOTOZ to become a household name.

Did you get a formal education in photography?

Yes, I attended Los Angeles Trade Technical College for about one year where they taught courses on photography. As a student, I took classes on Lighting, Composition, and Processing of film. I attended Compton College for about three to four years where my talent was intensified to learn basic and advance photography, special effects (filters) that were placed in front of lenses, color balancing, and exposure, special dark room techniques, how to take portraits of people, nature, animals, architecture, sports, high speed photography along with knowing the difference between infra-red and regular photography. In addition, I took on-line photography courses at New York Institute of Technology. With the assistance of my college professors and ambition, I became a self-taught student and I continue to learn and hone my skills every day.

Why did you pick the medium of photography?

I chose to become a photographer because of the enjoyment of seeing beautiful images along with the desire of wanting to capture the beauty of what the naked eye can’t see. For example, some people may see a tree planted in the ground, but through my camera lens, I see the way the tree is bent, the color variations of the leaves, the shadow hitting the tree, and the patterns of tree shapes. When looking at a building structure, there is more than seeing mortar, glass, and brick. I see the beauty of the columns, shapes of the buildings, the way the roof is structured, and colors of the glass. I find it amazing that at different times of the day, the color of the buildings and the shadows will change. One of my favorite photographs is called Sky on Fire. When capturing that image, the sky was perfectly blue and then it suddenly turned to give the appearance of being on fire which lasted two minutes and then it returned back to blue.

Of all your works, do you have a favorite?

Yes, the Sky on Fire is my favorite image.

It is my favorite as well. Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos with us. I love that you shoot to show us exactly what you see, so that we can see it through your eyes.

What makes a picture great instead of average?

In my professional opinion, great photography will show balance and will usually have a point of reference. However, my preference is not always to include a point of reference, because I want to make the audience think about what they are looking at. The picture must have vivid colors which consists of a combination of several colors in one picture. The picture needs to stimulate the audience’s mind. It could be as simple as capturing a picture of a can rolling down the road in the rain to as complex as having a picture with beautiful building, flowers, clouds, water, mountains and trees all in the same picture. Each picture should tell a story which can be interpreted by the viewer.

If someone would like to purchase one of your photographs, how can they contact you?

I can be reached at (702) 762-9101 or by email at acphotoz@mail.com. My artwork is also available for purchase online.

In addition, you can find a wonderful gallery of his artwork by going to the website; www.acphotoz.com.

Thank you for this interview. As you know, I am an admirer of your work and it is such an honor to learn more about you.

This article originally appeared in the Autumn 2018 issue of CHOICES Magazine