Bob Willcutt, founder of Lexington mainstay Willcutt Guitars, and devoted photographer of local birds. Photo by Ryan K. Morris
Many folks in Lexington know Bob Willcutt as the founder of Lexington mainstay Willcutt Guitars, his shop on Rosemont Garden that just celebrated 50 years in business.
However, most might be surprised to learn the veteran lead guitarist and revered guitar vendor has another passion that’s been part of his life as long as music.
“I’ve always been interested in photography,” said Willcutt, 70. “I was the photo editor of my high school newspaper – back in the days of darkrooms, when you wouldn’t know whether you’d gotten the shot until two weeks later, when you got around to developing it.”
In the past few years, Willcutt has devoted his photographer’s eye to capturing stunning images of local birds. The resulting collection, “Feathers of Fayette: Wild Birds of Lexington, Kentucky,” was published in early May by Acclaim Press.
Inside the full-color book are photographs ranging from easy-to-spot birds like mourning doves, house sparrows and cardinals to more elusive specimens – such as great egrets – that many residents may not realize ever pass through this area. The book features some 200 images that Willcutt captured inside Fayette County between 2015 and 2017.
“The variety of birds Bob captures is striking,” says Tony Brusate, president of the Central Kentucky Audubon Society (CKAS), which receives a portion of the proceeds from the book’s sales. “Most people don’t look up, and they don’t notice that these birds are all around us. Once you begin noticing them, they’re so impressive.”
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This barred owl is among the many birds Bob Willcutt has learned to spot and photograph in Fayette County. Photo by Bob Willcutt
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This Cooper’s Hawk was shot on Willcutt’s Canon EOS-1D camera. Photo by Bob Willcutt
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This male northern cardinal was shot on Willcutt’s Canon EOS-1D camera. Photo by Bob Willcutt
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Great herons are often seen at Jacobson Park, and photographing them is something Willcutt says he “never gets tired of.” Photo by Bob Willcutt
Beauty in Everyday Diversity
Many of the images in the book were taken in Willcutt’s own backyard, off Harrodsburg Road. Others are from some of his favorite bird-spotting hotspots in the county, including Jacobson Park, McConnell Springs and Raven Run.
He stocks his yard with bird feeders but doesn’t otherwise lure the birds. His goal, he says, is to capture the bird as “an actor in a scene” that relays an artistic composition in some way – whether via droplets of water falling off their wings or in the way the sunlight makes their feathers pop against the blossoms of a tree.
“I’m not just documenting the birds. I didn’t set out to create a field guide. My goal was to capture images that were artistically interesting,” explains Willcutt, who doesn’t consider himself a true “birder.” In fact, he often found himself in the field capturing photos of specimens – only to identify and learn more about them once he got home and consulted his field guides or through the help of David Lang, vice president of both CKAS and the Kentucky Ornithology Society.
“You set up your camera rig and you hope that the birds come to that scene,” says Willcutt, who shoots using a professional-grade camouflage-colored Canon camera rig. “When they land at just the right angle, it’s just magic.”
Willcutt says he knew he’d captured the book’s cover image – that of an indigo bunting with outstretched wing – the moment he took it at McConnell Springs. Other birds, like the rose-breasted grosbeak and Cooper’s hawk, took persistence and repeated trips to track and photograph.
The book aims to cater equally to both bird lovers and camera buffs, with text on each page that details the camera specs Willcutt used to capture the photo, along with an interesting fact about the bird or its setting.
When he first saw the published book earlier this spring – after more than two years of work photographing and narrowing from roughly 30,000 images to create it – Willcutt got “almost teary,” he says. “The press nailed the colors exactly.”
“Feathers of Fayette” actually marks Willcutt’s second book of photography – he published a photographic study of musical instrument collectors in the 1970s. If the right project comes along – perhaps capturing the birds of a particular local park, say – he seems eager to work on a third.
Some of Willcutt’s favorite images in the book include ones of the Jacobson Park bald eagle as well as play-by-play shots of an intense territory battle between a blue jay and a red-tailed hawk. When pressed to pick a single image he’s most proud of, though, Willcutt points to page 188, where he captured a female hooded merganser – a small duck species – swimming jauntily as the morning light glistens off her wake.
“When the bird arrives on the scene, there are so many variables to manage in a matter of a few seconds – shutter speed, ISO, aperture – and you can’t have any vibration in bird photography whatsoever,” Willcutt says. “But when it all comes together and you get the shot, it’s exciting. It’s a rush.”
Book Signing. Bob Willcutt will sign and discuss his book at a Sept. 12 event at Ashland: The Henry Clay Estate starting at noon. Call (859) 266-8581 ext. 202 for a reservation.
Central Kentucky Audubon Society
Want to learn more about which birds can be spotted locally and when? The Central Kentucky Audubon Society’s email newsletter is available at www.centralkentuckyaudubon.org.
CKAS’s Tony Brusate says to be on the watch for night hawks flying around the Distillery District at dusk as well as peregrine falcons downtown during the day this summer. The Lexington Cemetery is a great spot for birding year-round, he adds.
“Feathers of Fayette” is available at various outlets, including Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Barnes &Noble, Brier Books and at Willcutt Guitars.