Profile
By Deleshia Youngblood
Fort Campbell High School
When you hear the name "Scooby" you automatically think of the lovable character whose is always up to something with an investigative group of teenagers.
The same goes for Gary Hairlson, who was given the nickname due to his semi-resemblance.
When Hairlson enters the room, the students rush to him to ask questions concerning photography and to hear another one of his humorous stories.
"I love Mr. Gary or Gurrie as we all called him," said Tavia Green who attended the 2002 Workshop and is a reporter this summer at a newspaper in California.
" He is cool peoples," she said. "We all wanted to be in Gary's group and be around [him]. He was cool and he really made me appreciate photos."
Hairlson was born and raised in Henderson, where he was first introduced to photography. He was a junior in high school when he started working for The Gleaner, the daily newspaper in Henderson. The then 15-year-old felt "like a little celebrity" when he first saw his photos in the Gleaner. Hairlson received numerous compliments and congratulations from not only his peers, but adults also. He also shot pictures for his high school yearbook and newspaper regarding photography.
"It's in my blood," Hairlson says about his start in photography. As a child he thought of being a state trooper or mortician, but once he got hold of a camera everything changed.
When shooting full time, he enjoys how no two days are the same and he's able to get in and do things and meet people. He describes photography as something one should live for.
To those interested in photography, Hairlson recommends that students give it their all. Be prepared to work hard and know there's a future if you apply yourself, Hairlson said. Take pictures every day, he said.
"Photography is like an instrument; you have to do it everyday to get better."
Hairlson is an assistant director of photography and assignments editor at The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He said the move from The Pensacola Journal to St. Louis was an opportunity for him to get closer to home and work with an up and coming staff.
For 11 days in June, he attends the Minority Journalism Workshop where he has been the photography director for about 20 years. He continues to come to the workshop because he believes it is important to give back to the minority community and help out where he can.
"Gary is the heart and soul of the workshop," said Bob Adams, the associate director of the workshop, who has worked with Hairlson every year. "The heads have changed, but, thankfully, the heart beats on," Adams said.
Harilson attended Western where he majored in photography. He freelanced for the College Heights Herald and was a Public Information staff photographer. From 1982 to 1986, he worked full time as the photographer for Western working on recruiting literature, sports material and other public information literature.
Hairlson's interests outside of photography include family, exercising, cutting the grass and computers.
He's been married for 19 years to Shelitta and has a 13-year-old son Andrew. Due to the fact that the Workshop is usually during the same time frame of Father's Day, Hairlson sacrifices the holiday to be at Western. "Every day's father's day," he feels.