What originally started out as a fun hobby to get outside with his grandchildren sprouted into a love and dedication for photography. Born and raised in Franklin, Ronnie Vanhook regularly snaps pictures at a variety of activities in Macon County.
Even though he currently photographs various athletics, Franklin High School graduate Vanhook never participated in sports himself during his high school years. After high school, his 24-year career was with a manufacturing company.
“I did not take any photography classes or yearbook in high school. I didn’t play any sports. either. I tried out for a couple of sports as a freshman and decided that wasn’t for me, so later on in my senior year I started racing dirt cars and I did that for a couple of years before I got married,” said Vanhook.
Vanhook’s interest in photography developed through family photos and attendance at NASCAR events.
“It all kind of started out with my kids, Rodney Vanhook and Kara Hollowell, and then it grew into a hobby from there,” he said. “My wife [Karen] and I are NASCAR fans and we began going to some of the races. I started taking pictures there and then I had a friend that got us into the pit areas. I took a couple pictures of this one team and the owner of that team liked them and wanted some of my photos. He wanted to know if I could come and take pictures of his team at some of the races. So that’s what I did; and then after that I just started photographing high school sports and middle grades.”
Now that Vanhook has entered his retirement, and after six years of focusing on NASCAR photography, he has discovered that photographing local games is a positive way to spend his free time.
“The reason I do the high school stuff is because I have had grandchildren and nieces and nephews involved in athletics. And it actually gives me something to do that involves my passion,” explained Vanhook.
Currently playing sports at Franklin High School is Vanhook’s granddaughter, Tatem Vanhook, and his nephew, Anderson Terrell.
As someone with years of experience taking action photos, Vanhook is no stranger to getting the right angles to take high quality photos. “The camera I use is a Canon 90D. I have several different lenses that I use in rotation, but I’m often getting wide shots and close zoom.”
Vanhook attends all sorts of different sports games, but he can most often be seen on the sidelines at football games in the Panther Pit at Franklin High School as well as on the volleyball court. During games, he is walking quickly from one end of the field or the court to position himself and his camera for just the right shot.
“The pictures I take are shared with the athletes that I take of them,” said Vanhook. “I don’t share on social media. The parents and athletes share them on social media if they want to. That great shot gives you a great satisfaction and accomplishment of capturing that once in a lifetime memory.”
Many of his photographs have also appeared in Macon Sense.