Fred Noer

Writing, Editing, Photography

"Two words – endless wonder – pointedly describe my interest in photography. I never cease to be fascinated by what can be recorded on film and how those images affect me as well as people who view my work.

Recording my observations of the world through photography began in 1973. My first photos were of car races in Milwaukee and Indianapolis, enabling me to add a new dimension to my deep interest in motorsports, especially drag racing. I also started practicing photojournalism of area community events and wrote articles for The Times, the weekly newspaper in Walworth, Wisconsin, my parents bought in 1957. I owned, edited, and published the paper in 1980-86.

The editorial page of the newspaper, which was printed in black and white, always displayed a scenic photograph. Having to shoot for that page provided the impetus for me to photograph landscapes of Geneva Lake and the surrounding countryside on a regular basis. Walking the lake path or driving a country road always enabled me to slow the often maddening pace of my life. That calming effect never has waned, and it serves as a motivation for doing scenic photography. If I seek to have my photos convey a message, it is to urge all of us to stop and look more keenly at what is closest to us, especially in our communities. We will be amazed at what we see.

My work also appeared in Lake Geneva Magazine, which I edited in 1987-88, and Shopper Sunday, which I edited in 1989-94. The past nine years I have done freelance writing, editing, and photography and contributed to a wide variety of publications, many related to drag racing.

My landscapes also have been exhibited in shows at Community Bank and Aram Public Library in Delavan, the former Community Bank (now F&M Bank) in Elkhorn, Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts in Racine, Hoard Historical Museum in Fort Atkinson, and George Williams Gallery in Williams Bay.  Several of my works are displayed at The Tin Tub, a store at 262 Center Street in Lake Geneva, and Deja Brew, a coffee shop along Third Street in Fontana."