PLYMOUTH — A career in the United States Navy led Jerry Harrington to 50 years behind a camera lens.
The 75-year-old Plymouth native joined the U.S. Navy in December of 1968 after graduating from high school and studied aviation mechanics. He eventually found himself stationed on Midway Island, where his career took a turn.
While waiting for a spot to open up in flight operations, Harrington was offered a chance to become a photographer.
His next stop was Pensacola, Fla., where Harrington spent four months studying photography and graduated among the Top 10 in his class. After graduation, he was stationed aboard the USS Wasp — which marked the beginning of a 50-year career behind a camera lens.
For more than 20 years, Harrington has spent hours on the sidelines of football, basketball, baseball and softball games throughout the region, along with the occasional track meet.
Largely known for the dramatic moments he’s captured for many young athletes, the photographer’s work stretches beyond sports. Sometimes taking between 500 to 700 pictures at a game, he described his technique to remembering specific moments.
“When you take a picture you kind of keep that in your mind like ‘Oh, that’s something I want to look for to send into the paper,'” Harrington said.
A lesson he learned early while shooting photos for the Plymouth Advertiser, a former local newspaper in the village, stuck with Harrington: always maintain focus on the subject of the photo.
50 years of photography
Harrington’s work will be on display to the public in a special exhibit at the Plymouth Area Museum, 7 E. Main St., according to a press release from the Plymouth Area Historical Society.
“Jerry Harrington – The Long View: 50 Years Behind the Camera” will open with a private reception on Sept. 4, followed by its public opening Sept. 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“I tried to pick out the most interesting for people to look at,” Harrington said.
It includes more than 100 of Harrington’s favorite photos, including a wide variety of subjects. He said the exhibit will include images from his time serving in the U.S. Navy, as well as pictures from trips around the globe.
There will also be some wedding photography and portraits — not to be outdone by sports photos.
“I feel like I put something together that’s going to hit a lot of people. There’s like four or five different classes of photos,” Harrington said. “I was really tickled to death that they ever asked me that (to put together an exhibit).”
The exhibit will run on three additional dates at the museum: Sept. 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sept. 13 and 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In addition to the public dates, private appointments to view the exhibit may be scheduled by calling the Plymouth Area Museum at 419-687-1059.
Photography remained part of Harrington’s life
Following his honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy, Harrington returned home to Plymouth and became employed at Plymouth Locomotive International. Photography remained a heavy presence in his life.
Around 1975, Harrington began working a side gig helping a local studio with weddings, portraits, senior pictures, Little League photos and other local sporting events.
“Before you knew it, I was doing about 20 some (weddings) a year,” he said.
In 2001, Joe Centers of the Norwalk Reflector asked Harrington to shoot high school sports photos for the newspaper.
Now 24 years later, he is still working the sidelines — equipped with multiple lenses and a camera bag on his shoulder. His photos have appeared in several local publications.
His love for fishing has taken Harrington all over the country, at the same time creating opportunities to photograph nature and landscapes, the release said.