- May 13, 2024
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A paramotorist prepares for takeoff in Ormond-by-the-Sea. Photo by Leland Dutcher
A paramotorist prepares for takeoff in Ormond-by-the-Sea. Photo by Leland Dutcher
A paramotorist prepares for takeoff in Ormond-by-the-Sea. Photo by Leland Dutcher
A paramotorist tosses sand in the air before takeoff in Ormond-by-the-Sea. Photo by Leland Dutcher
A paramotorist prepares for takeoff in Ormond-by-the-Sea. Photo by Leland Dutcher
Leland Dutcher had never seen paramotorists before. He knew it would be an epic moment. Photo by Leland Dutcher
After moving to Ormond Beach, local photographer Leland Dutcher learned very quickly that if he didn't have his camera with him when hanging out around town, he would likely come to regret it.
The 23-year-old loves capturing unique moments, especially at the beach, and recently, he happened to do just that when he spotted two Canadian paramotorists setting up at sunset on the beach near Lagerheads in Ormond-by-the-Sea. The conditions, with the pink sky streaked with clouds, were perfect for photographing.
"For me to take their photos, it was just kind of an epic moment, or I thought it could become one," Dutcher said.
He began shooting photos around 2010 when his parents gifted him with a camera for Christmas, but his interest for the art form had been present for a while before. He used to use his parent's point-and-shoot camera to take photos and make homemade cooking videos, but once he got his hands on a DSLR camera, he never put it down.
Prior to moving to Ormond Beach, Dutcher lived in Orlando where he was the team photographer for University of Central Florida Athletics for about three years. A UCF graduate, he has done freelance photography for NASCAR, Disney and Orlando-area restaurants, and currently works for a startup called GMTM, which acts as a networking platform for athletes to find opportunities to play at or beyond college.
His favorite games to shoot for UCF were the conference championship games like the Peach Bowl in 2018 and the Fiesta Bowl in 2019, which he said were legendary moments for the football team.
"Those moments will always be memorialized," Dutcher said. "It's like a certain building block time and will always be referenced back to as turning points."
Lately, he's been working to a photo collection revolving around Ormond Beach. He's accidentally captured a lot of rocket launches while doing so.
When it comes to his approach to photography, it's about the little details.
"That's where the story is and that's how you tell a photo story, really — you focus on the small things from every perspective," Dutcher said.
