Newspaper2

News-Star (Monroe, LA)

News-Star, The (Monroe, LA)

November 19, 2006

The Call

Author: Lunzeta Chretien

Author: AR

Section: Accent

Page: 1D, 5D

Article Text:

Call Ray Mears the paparazzi of wildlife because he'll pull out all stops to capture a beautiful image.

The 63-year-old goes into the wild covered in raffia grass or dressed in a ghillie suit to photograph his subject.

Mears has managed to camouflage himself into his environment so well that birds and squirrels have been known to rest on his head.

He sometimes covers himself in fallen limbs and sticks — all for the perfect shot.

The night before going on a photographing adventure, he bathes in a scent-removing soap that erases any trace of his humanity.

"Whatever you do, you have to break up the human outline," he said.

The self-taught photographer has been six feet away from deer and taken the photograph of what hunters call a dream buck.

The Southern Baptist preacher, who began photographing animals two years ago, sees his work as an extension of his ministry.

"It's my way of being a witness to the calling of God," he said.

When he ministers about salvation to children, he uses his ghillie suit to display a person covered in sin. He sometimes pairs scriptures with his photos.

One particular verse that has inspired him creatively is Romans 1:20 "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."

The Calhoun resident, who gave his life to Christ at the age of 9, believes God reveals himself through the animals he photographs.

In his photo gallery, Mears pointed to a picture of baby blue birds whose large orange mouths were designed to make feedings easier.

"That's the intelligence of God," he said. "But most people don't take the time to look."

While looking over his photographs, Mear pointed to another photo of a wood duck whose beauty, he believed, could not be replicated.

"You can't paint that," he said. "That's God's paint.

"Have you ever seen the beauty in a doe's eye? There's nothing prettier."

Some of his subjects are shot in his own yard. Mears, who owns 23 acres of land between Calhoun and West Monroe, said deer, turkey and birds frequent his property.

Others have also opened the door for him to shoot on their property. He's shot photographs on the Tatum Plantation in southern Mississippi, locations in Florida and a number of other places in northeastern Louisiana. Mears walks into lands where there are black bears, panthers and bobcats.

"I love being out in the woods and in the country," he said. "A lot of people are fearful, but I'm not."

He sometimes camps out at a location and observes his subject for a few days. The observation process helps him to learn the habitat and the type of camouflage needed.

"You have to observe until you see a pattern," he said.

The process works the same way for a hunter as it does for a wildlife photographer. You have to learn the characteristics of the animals if you want to get up close and personal, he said.

"It's a real challenge," said Mears, who views photography as both a ministry and personal challenge. "But it's a thrill to be so close."

And when his patience wears thin, he prays to God for a photograph.

"It's like they come out, pose and they look at you," he said of the animals after prayer.

Getting a great shot sometimes takes days. It took him three to finally get the photograph of a woodpecker.

It definitely takes patience, a trait that the clergyman learned a long time ago.

Mears, whose been in ministry for 45 years, has been to Central America at least 70 times and has helped with establishing churches in El Salvador. In 1970, he and seven others walked to Washington, D.C., to preach repentance — it took them four months to get there.

Mears even built a portable sound system out of sewer pipes that was patented and used in Russia, Europe and a number of Spanish-speaking countries.

"God puts things in my heart to do, and I don't always understand why and I end up understanding later," he said. The same is true for his photography. He believes God gave him the vision and know-how, and his motivation is to please God.

"I began living life's greatest adventure when I gave my life to Christ," he said. "And it's an adventure that'll last forever."

Highlights of Mears' life

· Saved as a 9-year-old boy at Tensas Baptist Church near Clayton.

· Served first church at age 18 as a minister of music.

· In 1964 married Charlotte Daniel of West Monroe. The family includes two sons, Jason and Jeremy, their wives and four grandsons.

· Served from 1962-66 as a U.S. Marine Corps. aviation electronics technician working on fighter jets and helicopters.

· In 1970 he was a member of the evangelistic team led by Sammy Tippit that walked 1,400 miles from Monroe to Washington, D.C.

· In 1970 he was called to preach and ordained to gospel ministry at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Monroe.

· In 1972 he began work on Bourbon Street in New Orleans with Evangelist Leo Humphrey and served with him both singing and preaching over a period spanning 34 years. During this time, three albums of gospel music were produced.

· In 1974 he graduated from the former Northeast Louisiana University with a bachelor of music education.

· From 1978-80 he completed two years of biblical studies at Criswell Bible College in Dallas and served as chapel praise leader.

· Established the first Fellowship of Christian Students organization in Louisiana at West Monroe High School and assisted in establishing several others.

· Was involved in more than 70 mission trips to Central America and other countries establishing churches.

· He was trained by Carl Carrigan in visual evangelism at Calvary Baptist Church in Shreveport.

· In 1997 he established Sounds Communication Inc., which developed, sold and patented two portable sound systems built from PVC pipes. One system is used by evangelists in several foreign countries.

· In 2005 he established Studio in the Wild from a desire to photograph the beauty and majesty of God's creation.

· Served several churches briefly as minister of youth and music, minister of music and evangelism, associate pastor, interim pastor and pastor encompassing, 45 years of ministry.

To buy a photograph

To purchase a photograph, go to www.wildlifeportraits.net or Daniel Appliance and Furniture, 913 Louisville Ave., Monroe. Framed photos range from $39 to $150. An 8x10 photograph without a frame starts at $23.