Artists in Ashland

At the age of 17, Fred Stockwell borrowed his father’s camera. He’s been taking pictures ever since.

Along the way, he took up flying, learning from a pilot on Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. The flying and later, barnstorming gliders, took him around the world.

He’s been a freelance photographer or pilot all of his adult life. He’s lived in Australia, Africa, the Mideast and the far East, and traveled around the United States. He’s received awards for flying from both Prince Andrew and Prince Philip.

“Aerial photography is what I love, whether it’s pretty shots or the way it is, realistic views of the way the landscape really looks,” said Stockwell. Even after years of it, he loves the view from the clouds, although these days, he’s a passenger.

Stockwell has also added a new interest recently. Last year he was asked to do some photographs for performances at the Britt festivals. One of them was the James Brown concert, with local band The Usual Suspects opening. That evening, in addition to capturing the legendary Brown in action, Stockwell struck up a friendship with the members of the Usual Suspects. The friendship has led to his discovering how much fun he can have capturing the musicians and also the very interesting milieu in which they work. This New Year’s Eve, he added to his rock ‘n’ roll portfolio when he shot pictures of another legend, Bo Diddley, in his Medford appearance for Kids Unlimited.