Blind Man, 70, Enters His First Photo Contest In Homewood

HOMEWOOD, IL — A 70-year-old South Holland man said he truly began living 18 years ago.

That's when Rick Olsen, a Vietnam veteran and former outdoor electrician, suffered a stroke that caused him to lose his vision. What he did next, many might believe to be impossible: Olsen became a photographer.

"I went scuba diving with a friend of mine and got an underwater video camera," Olsen said. "I started taking pictures of what people said they were seeing and doing, and just stuck with it."

That was the start of his nearly two-decades-long hobby, which eventually led him to enter his very first photography contest in Homewood this year.

Olsen still has light perception and is able to see sun rays, which helps him when setting up his shots. Olsen travels around the world with his girlfriend, Colleen Schickel, capturing memories along the way with a pocket-size camera and cell phone.

Using equipment issued to him through the Veterans Association, Olsen is able to move about freely by following vibrations. The equipment senses objects on the ground, helping him to follow whoever he may be traveling with and assisting when he's setting up his camera for a shot.

Olsen prefers to stay active and estimates he walks over 100 miles a week, snapping photos along the way.

"I've taken pictures skiing downhill in Colorado and have been many places like the Great Barrier Reef, and grabbed wonderful pictures there," Olsen said. "Most devices have wide lenses, so I just take a picture. I can remember about eight to 10 pictures back in the camera roll, who was in it and where it was taken."

In mid-August, while walking through the Homewood Izaak Walton Preserve with Schickel, Olsen met Howard Wolinsky, a member of the preserve's photo committee. After talking for a while, Wolinsky introduced Olsen to the "Seasons of Izaak Walton, 2022" contest.

In 2020, photographers entered more than 200 photos into the competition for a spot on the "Seasons of Izaak Walton, 2021" calendar, which shows the Homewood preserve in different months of the year.

Olsen, for the first time in his 18-year-long photography career, entered his photos into a competition. The photographer said he submitted four portraits but may submit more. He's excited about the results.

"Doing this not only builds up my self-esteem and self-confidence, but helps motivate younger people with disabilities by showing them what they can do, too," Olsen said.

His girlfriend agrees.

"He's inspirational, and he's funny. It makes me happy to see him get up every day and have a blast,"Schickel said. "We've been walking every day since COVID started, practically, and he is just one of my biggest inspirations."

The photographer said he chooses to get up every day and live life to the fullest, and he hopes to motivate others who are visually impaired to do the same.

"I've done more since I lost my sight than I did when I had it," Olsen said. "A lot of blind people just stay in, and their families don't let them do anything. But we are quite capable of doing pretty much everything other than drive, even though I've done that before."

As for the contest, visitors to the Homewood Izaak Walton Facebook page will be able to vote for their favorites by liking up to 12 photos. The contest will close at midnight Sept. 13.

An independent panel of photographers will choose their favorites. The Homewood Izaak Walton Photo Committee will use the public votes to break ties, and all decisions are final.

Ask questions by contacting the Homewood Izaak Walton Preserve Photo Committee at hiwpcalendarcontest@gmail.com.