A bear in Yellowstone on Memorial Day weekend

Jay Gallman
IT Support Professional Lead
CoE Dean's Office

What came first- the traveling or the photography?

Travel came first. Photography was there, but it became serious later and goes well with the travelling. Digital photography has given me the opportunity for me to do something fun on computers outside of what I do all day long at work.

Do you know how many states and/or countries you've been to?

I keep a few different lists based on states I've driven through, eaten in, or stayed overnight in. I focus on the ones I've spent a night in and I need 9 more states for overnight visits

Which ones?

Hawaii is at the top of the to do list but I also need to spend nights in Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and South Dakota. I've also been to 28 different countries and if you count New Zealand as part of the Australian continent then I only need Antarctica to have visited all seven continents.

What are your favorite things about traveling?

I'd say the adventure, the sheer beauty of nature itself, and always wanting to do new things. The photography is more or less a natural outcome of the love of nature. I enjoy capturing it and sharing it with others.

On most of your trips do you go to rural/natural settings? Or do you enjoy cities too?

I've been to a lot of the major cities in Europe and very much enjoyed those for the cultural aspects. That being said, I do typically like to get away to places that are off the beaten path. 

Do you have an all-time favorite place to visit or one or two you'd recommend for someone looking for something different?

I'm not sure if there's an all-time favorite, but Yellowstone in the dead of winter is pretty close to it. Harbin, China was another trip that was very interesting. We went there for the ice festival, which my wife and I did just as a spur of the moment decision after seeing some pictures. We had been looking for somewhere different to go and those pictures sealed the deal.

Do you have any tips for a new traveler on how to plan, or things to avoid?

Don't let the fact that you might not speak the language keep you from going someplace, and avoid overplanning. Make sure you leave some room for spontaneity. 

Do you have any photography advice to share?

Memory cards are cheap- so take lots of pictures. You learn by taking, and the more you take the better you'll get at photography.

Harbin China Ice Festival

Penguins in Patagonia

A frog in Costa Rica

Toya Hampton
Research Ops Program Manager
School of Aerospace Engineering

How did you get into painting?

It's always been a passion but I've never had time for it. Now that I'm older and my kids are older and it's just me at home I actually have time to play around with it again.

So you dabbled in art before?

It is, but not something I did seriously. I used to draw for my nieces when I was little- cartoon characters and stuff. I stopped when life got busy, and now I've picked it up again.

What type of paints do you use?

I started with acrylic, and I found that you have to work too quickly with it. I started playing around with oils and I enjoyed it more because you can take your time with it. I haven't tried watercolors yet but maybe I will sometime.

Are you self-taught or have you taken classes or lessons?

I was going to try to take some classes but my schedule didn't allow it, so I pulled up YouTube and went from there. It's amazing what you can find on YouTube.

What do you like to paint?

So far it's been mostly flowers. My son has been trying to tell me to do something different, so I attempted to do a portrait of my daughter, and it's kind of funny. I really love flowers and color though, so that's what I do.

Where are most of your paintings now?

I have them all over my house. One of my co-workers asked me to do one for her and I did that, so she has one, but I have the rest. I just told my son that I think I'll start giving some away for Christmas gifts as something personal.

What do you enjoy the most about painting?

It's so relaxing I never really had a vivid imagination but I notice that when I'm painting I sort of go into a different place. I can use my imagination more and I just keep working with it until I'm satisfied. It's just fun.

What advice do you have for someone interested in trying painting?

I say go for it. It can get to be expensive, but it's relaxing. It really is. You can get starter kits fairly cheaply, and if you enjoy it you can take classes or get more expensive supplies.

Candler Hobbs
Communications Officer
School of Mechanical Engineering

How did you get into music?

When I was a kid I took three years of piano lessons and I was always in chorus. When I was in ninth grade I picked up one of my dad's old guitars and started playing that a little bit. He bought me a beginner acoustic guitar for Christmas and I really fell in love with playing guitar.

In high school I really got into listening to music, and the genre I embraced was singer-songwriter classic rock. Elton John, James Taylor, Paul Simon, and of course the Rolling Stones. I bought a lot of albums and taught myself to play by ear. I never took any lessons.

In college I met other musicians who became good friends and started playing with them. Playing with people who were better than me certainly pushed me to improve and take it more seriously. Berry College was a great place to perform and grow as a musician.

When did you start writing your own music?

It was after my freshman year at Berry. I liked performing and playing so much, and I knew if I wanted it to go anywhere I had to have my own material, so I tried my hand at writing. My first song was called "Sunshine." I really buckled down and got into writing seriously after college when I was job searching. I'm really glad I had that time because it let me write quite a few songs.

Have you performed since you graduated from Berry?

I have. It's slowed down since I started working at Tech in 2013 but I started playing open mics at places like Eddie's Attic in Decatur. I haven't performed as much lately because I've been focused on getting my album recorded. I love performing though. I wouldn't mind writing songs for other artists if I had the chance to do that, but the real fulfillment for me is being able to write a song and perform it for an audience as a form of expression. 

What prompted you to record an album?

I've been wanting to make an album for a long time, and I've had the material to do it for a while, but I'm glad I waited to do it. I'm a much better musician now than I was when I wrote some of the songs. It's exciting, even though it's hard to fund it myself. I'm recording some at Middle Tennessee State with my old college roommate and the rest will be done at a home recording studio in Nashville. It gets expensive to rent a studio and hire musicians. I know I'd be disappointed in myself if I didn't do this though, and I want to perform more regularly and this will give me something to share at shows. Who knows- maybe I'll get a little bit of a following. Another reason to record it is so I can get everything copyrighted and protected.

When do you hope to have the album finished?

I'm hoping the recording can be done by Christmas but then it has to be mixed and everything and I want to launch it properly. Definitely within the next year, but maybe by next summer. Hopefully I can get it up on iTunes and Spotify.

Watch Candler perform "Sunshine".