Kermit Hull, Putting Life on Film
Kermit Hull, Putting Life on Film
Riding through Gaston County, N.C., with Kermit Hull is a lot like riding through Mayberry with Andy Griffith. Just about everyone knows himor knows someone who knows him.Even in Myrtle Beach, S.C., where Hull and his wife, Irene, own a vacation home, familiar faces greet the Gastonia resident with wide smiles and tales of how he once photographed a mother, a cousin, or a neighbor.
As a staff photographer for The Gaston Gazette, Hull chronicled Gaston County life for more than 30 years. Hes captured on film such subjects as presidents, movie stars, daredevilseven those whove run afoul of the law. And, of course, children. Plenty of children.
I feel like sometimes Ive photographed every kid in Gaston County, Hull says with a chuckle.
His favorite photos, by far, have been those that made the papers readers laugh, cry, and sometimes swear.
I guess one thing I liked about newspaper photography was going out and showing people something they wouldnt have seen if I hadnt been there, Hull says. To me, a picture is a moment that lasts forever.
So, too, are the memories Gazette readers have of Hull and his work. When he retired in 1997, the Gaston County Library exhibited a collection of Hulls photography, including award-winning images, as well as snapshots of ordinary county life.
Not bad for someone whos never taken a photography class.
Hull started honing his skills in the 60s. His pastor had taken slides of a Labor Day stock car race the men had attended together. The images inspired Hull to buy a camera, and he spent nearly a decade teaching himself how to take the perfect picture.
I would go into the newsroom and look through papers to see what they were trying to show to the public, Hull says.
He developed a natural instinct for making good pictures, says Bob Hallman, who retired in 1992 after 40 years at The Gaston Gazette. Hallman watched as Hull blossomed from amateur to award-winning photojournalist.
Hull joined The Gazettes printing department in the 50s. As his camera skills improved, he inquired about a position in the photography department. Soon, Hullcamera in towwas clicking away to tell Gaston Countys story.
Co-workers and community members quickly christened him with a number of nicknames, among them Sky King for his regular shotgun seat beside helicopter pilot Reece Kelso. The duo teamed up for aerial shots of fires, industrial parks, and the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo.
We work good together, says Kelso, who first worked with Hull in 1979 to cover a fire at Mary Jos cloth store in nearby Dallas. I know about what hes looking for, and he knows I know where he needs to be. Id rather fly with Kermit I guess than with anyone I ever flew with, Kelso says.
Other co-workers share the pilots admiration.
Hull and Hallman, who worked as a reporter, managing editor, Sunday editor, and business editor at The Gazette, worked together on countless articles through the years.
If you were with Kermit and the story developed in conversation you could suggest to him that this would make a good picture. He would never say, No, it wouldnt. But if it wouldnt, hed persuade you with something better.
Hallmans favorite Hull photo shows a firefighter in the aftermath of a fatal blaze. The firemans facethe face said it all. You didnt need words.
One of Hulls favorite photo subjects was Billy Graham, whom he photographed at the pastors home in Montreat, N.C. His hair was kind of long and gray, and it reminded me that in Jesus time he would have been one of the disciples, Hull says.
Hulls career hasnt been without its regrets about a picture or two. But for the most part, he enjoyed his 30 years in photojournalism. I miss the people I used to come in contact with, he says.
But Hull hasnt exactly retired his camera. Hes still working, but now does mostly commercial work and year-round weddings.
He photographs as many as 50 weddings in a year. Hes seen brides and grooms faint mid-ceremony. Hes watched cakes plunge into lakes. And he once photographed two sisters who married two brothers atop their Harley-Davidson motorcycles. He even photographed a meadow wedding in a cow pasture.
And while Hulls wedding pictures provide everlasting memories, it seems his news photos have defined his ability to tell a complete story without words.
You just see things different from other people.
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