From Police Chief to Photographer: Rich Lockhart Captures Beauty in His Free Time

Since arriving in Lawrence nearly four years ago, Chief Rich Lockhart has made it a priority to connect with the community and he’s been known for that outreach. Fewer may know his hidden passion: photography.

Lockhart’s journey behind the lens started early, with a simple Kodak Instamatic 110 film camera. “I’ve been doing photography for as long as I can remember,” he shares. While his first pictures were simply of family memories, his serious interest emerged with the digital age. “I got back into it when my kids started playing sports. It was a way to capture those moments and with digital photography, you get instant feedback,” says Lockhart.

Pano of Kemper Bridge

Focusing on the Overlooked

His lens was then drawn toward the world around him. “I started shooting landscapes as a way to connect with nature and capture the beauty that lives around us every day,” he explains. This focus helped his see things others often miss. “There is so much all around us and I enjoy finding that out-of-the-way something and creating a story around it,” he says.

He searches for character, like a photograph of an old hay barn he calls “Forgotten.” The barn was in the middle of a field near his kids’ high school. “People drove by it every day and most likely never noticed it,” he recalls. The barn is gone now, but lives in Lockhart’s art.

Lockhart also has a fascination with bridges and water. “I love bridges, and I love water. Older bridges were so architecturally diverse,” he says, citing the ASB bridge over the Missouri River and the rusted iron railroad bridge across the Kansas River. “The rust on it adds so much character, making it an amazing subject for photography,” he says.

Hay Barn

Capturing Color and Light

Vibrant colors are a theme in Lockhart’s work. “The colors are part of the art,” he states. He creates the look by using a technique called high dynamic range (HDR) photography, which involves capturing a scene with three different exposures. He says it’s an effort, “to see the image more like the human eye does.”

Lockhart explains why timing is critical, “I like to shoot with a sunset as the background. A good sunset will provide the most amazing colors,” he explains, “I can sit for hours before and after sunset to get the perfect shot. In a typical session, I take close to 200 pictures with different exposures and end up with a handful that I would use.”

ASB Bridge Fisheye

A Vital Outlet for Stress

For Lockhart, photography is more than just a hobby.  It’s a necessity.

“Having an outlet is so important when you have a stressful profession like policing,” says Lockhart. He shares that earned advice with new officers.  “I suggest they do something that doesn’t involve other police officers or policing. It not only helps relieve stress but also connects them with people outside the profession,” says the Chief.

Lockhart studied photography at the Kansas City Art Institute and with an artist in Chicago.  “My world is so much bigger and more informed because of these experiences. It’s made me a better person.”

He even showcased his work in the Westport Art Show twice. “That opportunity to meet people and talk about my art was a lot of fun,” he concludes.