Mary Ruth Manthey’s Image

A World War II photographer inspires this month’s contest highlight.

Mary Ruth Manthey’s father did photo recon during World War II. The Plymouth resident of 24 years figures she caught the photography bug from him, saying she’s enjoyed taking pictures since “my first box camera at about age 10.”

The turtle in this image was strolling through the Manthey front yard one day last summer and paused on the driveway, where she decided to document its journey. Nature’s armored foot-soldier dutifully did more than soak up the sun, quickly meandering off into the grass. “I grabbed this shot of him as he gazed at me, quite frustrated with his unsuccessful effort to climb over the fence that prevented him from exploring another yard,” Manthey recalls. “Eventually he found a low spot of ground and was able to crawl under the fence.”

I enjoy attempting to frame the perfectly balanced photograph and to capture memory moments. I enjoy trying various camera techniques and find that there is always more to learn. Having a camera at hand for those unexpected opportunities is a must in my world!

I love to photograph the many changing faces of people - children especially. My own two girls continue to patiently put up with my constant documentation of their lives. I got them used to the camera when they were small children and now as adults, they just pose naturally whenever the lens comes up.

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You might recognize Mary Ruth Manthey’s images from other Plymouth locales: “A great share of the photographs I take are at my local church (Church of the Epiphany), where I am the unofficial historian,” she says. “Every year I seek the perfect angle to shoot my small stand of gorgeous purple irises; capturing a scene in just the right light is a never-ending challenge.”