Everett is focus of one man’s photographic journey

John McAlpine has been teaching himself photography for years.

On Facebook, his friends frequently see his photos of Everett. Some are amazing shots of local wildlife. A few are of abandoned buildings, digitally altered for color and contrast.

To see bits from McAlpine’s photographic journey, stop in at The Sisters restaurant for a show of his work, curated by Lyussy Hyder.

A longtime Everett resident, McAlpine likes to walk around his neighborhood and take pictures.

“Sometimes I am not good company on a walk,” he said, “because my camera is always with me.”

His shots are of downtown Everett, the marina and the parks.

”Being self taught, there was a time I wouldn’t show my work to anyone for fear of rejection or criticism,” McAlpine said. “Other artists taught me that fear is an illusion.

“While I had fooled around taking pictures in the past, about eight years ago I picked up a camera again and was determined to learn how to take interesting pictures. Once I learned about exposure, aperture and shutter speed, I started looking for subjects and began taking pictures — thousands of them.”

What viewers will see in the exhibit is the result of McAlpine simply getting off the couch, setting aside time to learn and finding the time to take pictures.

The challenge was to not get discouraged “when I would download a days worth of shooting and find nothing,” he said. “A lot of finding a good shot is simply being in the right place at the right time. Some of the photos are the result of luck, some were planned and some were just there.”

If you go

John McAlpine photography exhibit, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday through March 3, The Sisters, 2804 Grand Ave., Everett. More at www.johnmcalpineart.com.