When Cynthia Robertson isn’t teaching at Mercer University, she’s channeling her energy into another passion. The computer science lecturer has been a photographer for at least 20 years, and four of her photos are now on display at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta.
Photography started out as a hobby for Robertson as she took pictures of her family and children as they reached major life milestones. To cover the cost of her equipment, she started taking on paid assignments, including wedding and event photography, portraits and business profiles. And before long, her hobby turned into something that was so much more.
“I have a great love for nature, in particular floral. It blossomed into professional work. It started with exhibits. I started competing to have my photography juried into exhibits, and I started to become very popular in terms of being accepted into these venues,” she said.
Robertson, who lived in the Washington, D.C., area before coming to Macon in 2015, has photographed the governor of Maryland, been featured in Washington Gardener Magazine and had a few solo exhibits, among many other accomplishments. Locally, her pieces have been displayed at the Macon First Street Art & Wine Festival, Middle Georgia Art Association, Macon Arts Alliance and Columbus State University.
“When it’s art, it’s always exciting. It’s always fulfilling to be able to take a photograph and be able to convey what I see and allow others to share in my perspective and to form their own perspective from my art. It’s an art form, and nature always gives,” she said. “Oftentimes it’s a springboard into painting. I’ll take a picture and then convey my meaning of the photograph either into abstract art or a combination of impressionism and realism.”
This summer, Robertson entered four photos for consideration in the Art of Georgia rotating exhibit. The annual contest, hosted by the Georgia Council for the Arts and the Office of the Governor, calls for Georgia landscapes by artists from specific areas of the state, this time the Southeast region.
Submissions can be in a variety of media formats, including photography, paintings, works on paper and mixed media, and the selected entries are displayed in the Office of the Governor in the Capitol and the Governor’s Mansion.
Robertson was among about 15 artists whose works were accepted, and she was congratulated by Gov. Brian Kemp during a ceremony on Oct. 14. Her photos depict Toccoa Falls in Stephens County, Cumberland Island, Providence Canyon in Lumpkin and a beach scene at Jekyll Island.
“It was pretty exciting. It’s an honor to have my work recognized at such a prestigious location and get the recognition,” she said.
