Rising Stars: Meet Bobby Dickey of Deer Trail

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bobby Dickey

Hi Bobby, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was raised in NW Louisiana, my mother was a photographer for live band performances and fan club president of a few country and western artists, the pictures she took always told a story to those willing to listen, and that was amazing to me. My dad was raised in the Depression and never had much as a kid, for me as a kid, he raised me to love and respect the outdoors and wildlife. He taught me how to live off the land if I needed to one day, as he had done when he was young. He taught me to be the best I could be at everything I took on and give it 100%, and learn as much as possible about everything I touched. This began my love for all things outdoors and photography. I bought my first camera at 18 it was a used Yashica J3 or TL. I did a lot of nature and landscape photography and after learning a little about it, I went to the local camera store and bought some Star Lens adapters to shoot at night. I took a lot of pics, but eventually, other things like martial arts, music, singing, flying, and multiple occupations worked themselves into my life. I was married and had a stepson (like my own) in my 30s.
Fast forward to 1998, in which I feel was a turning point in my life. I lost my dad at the age of 67 he was my mentor, at that time I realized how fragile life was and that I needed to do what I loved not just what was an occupation, I wanted to make what I loved my occupation. For my pre-adult life, I dropped out of high school at 17 and got a GED, found a job, and worked 10-12 hr a day going to community college at night. I learned how to be an electrician, electronics tech, welder, and mechanic, anything someone would teach me I learned it, as my dad told me to do. I come from the school of hard knocks and what I have learned has all been OJT and I was very grateful to all those who took their time to teach me what they knew so I could become who I am.
I met my beautiful bride after my divorce in 1999. In 2001 I was presented with the opportunity to move to Colorado for a job. I had always wanted to live here so I packed up and moved 1000 miles from everything I knew to be life. Once here I made a name for myself with all the people I worked for and with. I continued to teach martial arts Kajukenbo and Aiki-jujitsu, snowboarding, mountain biking, and hiking in the beautiful Colorado mountains. Although I run a 30-story glass tower in downtown Denver these days I don’t mind the drive to the office only because I work with a great team of folks in Denver.
About 10 years ago I bought a little place about an hour SE of Denver on the Palmer Divide in the trees and hills. After being here for a few years with deer and wildlife all around me and the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen anywhere, I picked up a camera again and started photographing what I saw around me. Although I never gave up shooting photos I never got serious about it till 2017. I was shooting with a cell phone when I stepped into a Canon t6i kit camera, I have never looked back. I have learned everything through YouTube videos and articles written by photographers and one friend here who is a photographer.
About 5 years ago I stepped out of my comfort zone and started shooting Astro Photography, storms, live music events, and everything under the sun, nothing is off limits. I grew so thankful for all of the nature and animals around me and thank God most of all for allowing me to see the things I see, he gave me a gift I can never repay, but I can pass this on to everyone I see and know.
When people congratulate me on my work all I say is, God set it up, I just pull the trigger. If I can ask anything is that if someone sees one of my shots, If I can one second, make them feel like they are there with me enjoying the beauty I see through my lens, I did what I set out to do in life, that’s make someone happy and maybe change their life. I had a picture of a Colorado mountain on my desk in Louisana at my old dead-end job, and each day I looked at that picture and dreamed of being here, seeing and doing what I do. Dont tell me dreams don’t come true. I hope I do that for someone else one day.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, not at all.
As I said, I was a high school dropout, I was not a popular kid in school, actually I was an outcast. My parents were amazing and great, I could not have asked for better parents to raise me the right way. How I was treated in school had nothing to do with them. I was bullied and ridiculed in school, I was unsure of why I was so disliked. Looking back it’s because I did not fit in and I was of a different mind than everyone else, I did not follow the crowd. I learned if I fought back people would leave me alone, so I did and I learned to fight even though I didn’t want to, I even fought for those who were as I was and being picked on. This is one reason I started taking Aki-jujitsu and Kajukenbo in my 20s, I wanted to teach others who were like me that they did not have to be a victim. This is why I continue to teach today and am ranked as a Master 7 dan BB. As I said I never give up on something I set my mind to I will become good at it, to help others.
I went from a bunch of jobs learning from others, none of them paid that much and I hated most of them, with long hours and dirty work, but for me, it was a trade-off, I learned a lot from a lot of good people.

My father’s passing in 1998 was the most devastating thing, to be honest, I almost didn’t make it through that, If it had not been for my uncle I don’t think I would be here today. He sat me down and had a come-to-Jesus meeting with me, he and my dad were best friends and he knew where I was mentally. I went on a few drives I did not intend on coming back from before my uncle stepped in.
I pulled myself out of that hole and by the grace of God someone saw my talents in a place I worked (they were there doing a startup on some equipment in Colorado) and offered me a startup position in Denver because they saw I knew more about the equipment than they did.
Things have been great since being in the Denver area, If you are out in the countryside here there’s no better place to be.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
In my professional career, I am a chief engineer and run a new 30-story glass tower in downtown Denver. My team and I run all the mechanical aspects of this building.

I specialize in a lot of things including but not limited to, photography, editing, teaching martial arts, and singing, I have been a bodyguard for many music artists, a fitness trainer, a water treatment engineer, a machinist, a welder, pipefitting, mechanic, HVAC tech, electrical tech, and electronic tech.

I specialize in whatever someone needs, but what I enjoy most of all is photography, singing, and teaching martial arts, and caring for animals, those are my passions in life. I am most known for my photography and my martial arts instruction.

I am most proud of my photography, martial arts, and singing. Im not sure proud is the word I would use, I do them because they bring me and others joy and happiness, and teaching someone how to protect themselves is very satisfying knowing those people walk away with tools to protect them and others from evil people that they didn’t have before.

Im not sure what sets me apart other than I have a goal to help others to be happy and enjoy life. I see things that are beautiful and amazing that most walk right past and never notice. I am an avid wildlife lover, I love all wildlife and my life would not be as full as it is if I did not care for animals and learn about them and they care about my well-being, I feel.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Well, I guess I would say, my ability to listen and learn from those willing to take the time to teach me the things I want to know. We have two ears and one mouth, I think we should listen twice as much as we talk. My compassion for others, and understanding of how to meet someone where they are and help them through things. I enjoy teaching as others have taught me. My drive to never give up no matter how hard something is to do, it just makes me push more. Being a people person is huge! I read a book long ago recommended to me by a friend that changed my life it was, How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie. I highly recommend it to everyone if one chooses to be successful. About the only thing that will make a difference in a person’s life is the people they meet and the books they read. Being grateful for all you have and never taking it for granted. My faith in God makes me who I am today, I can never forget that driving force.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bobbydickeyphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photography_by_bobby_dickey/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100081527541892
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobby-d-12661485/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bobd1806
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@bobsplace101

Image Credits
Bobby Dickey