By Nicholas Bubeck
Major League Baseball icon Randy Johnson has a passion that might surprise you.
While Randy says one of his favorite memories being in Major League Baseball was watching Little League kids parade around the field, just as he once did as a kid. “It came full circle and was a very special moment,” he says.
What you might not know is that the baseball mega-star has a passion off the field: photography.
When Randy was in college, he worked for the school newspaper as a photographer. He became a very successful professional baseball player. People in Arizona nicknamed him the “Big Unit” because he was the tallest player in MLB history at 6-foot-10 and was a super strong left-handed pitcher––one of the greatest pitchers of all time.
After Randy retired in 2010 and stopped playing baseball, he reconnected with his love for the camera. He loves taking pictures at concerts and has photographed Billy Joel and Elton John. But most of all, he enjoys traveling to places like Africa taking pictures of people and how they live.
“I loved shooting in Ethiopia, staying in a tent, and immersing myself in the peoples’ way of life. Like them, I bathed in the river,” says Randy.
He also loves taking pictures of the animals, especially elephants.
“I got an awesome photo of an egret perched on an elephant tusk with storm clouds in the background.”
Randy is excited to share his photographs with people living in the Valley.
Now through April 28, you can visit his free exhibit called “Storytelling with Photographs” located in Center Space at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, located at 7380 E. 2nd St. There, you’ll see amazing pictures that Randy took.
For exhibit information, visit scottsdaleartslearning.org/exhibition/storytelling-with-photographs. For more on Randy’s photos, visit rj51photos.com.
Nicholas Bubeck is an Epic Kids monthly columnist and CEO of creationsbynicholas.com. You can follow his adventures on Instagram, @creationsbynicholas and @mamaandmyboys.
