Professors are People Too: Christopher Carrothers
A small town man with a camera
Although he was born in Virginia Beach, Professor Christopher Carrothers grew up in the small town of Bennet, North Carolina, where his dad was stationed in the army.
“I grew up there, small town atmosphere and everything,” Carrothers said. “It was from there I became passionate about photography.”
Discovering his love for photography in a high school class, Carrothers knew that was what he wanted to do with his life.
“Photography was my first love,” he said. “The first time I put a black and white print into a developer and saw that image come – it just emerged from a white piece of paper into an image – I was kind of hooked.”
From there, he went to a small photography school in North Carolina called Randolph Technical College. Upon graduation, he worked for a newspaper for about a year and a half, during which time he reconnected with a high school friend who would later become his wife.
“I was out covering feature stories, and I actually stopped by her parents’ pottery shop to take a photograph,” he said. “They told me she was in college and she was taking a photography class. So we got together, she wanted to know more about that, we started dating, and we got married. Now we have four children, three boys and one girl.”
Joining the Navy
After his employment with the newspaper, Carrothers then spent 24 years in the Navy as a photographer, videographer, and mass communications specialist.
“I got to go see the world,” he said. “I was on ships; I was in combat camera; I was in squadrons and got to see a lot.”
After living in many places such as North Carolina, Florida, Virginia, Barangay, Nevada and California, he retired from his life of travel and from the Navy in Norfolk. He then attended Regent University and came back as a professor.
“I have a pretty good life as it stands now; I’ve done so much and seen so much in my life,” said Carrothers. “The Lord has blessed me immensely, and I just can’t imagine a different life, really.”
Living the life he loves
Now a visual information specialist for Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Carrothers has been lucky enough to find a job that coincides with his passion for photography.
“I’m starting to learn more about digital printing,” he said. “How to integrate video, animation, and all the talents the Lord has blessed me with to make them into a training tool to benefit other people.”
Outside of work, Carrothers enjoys volunteer work with his church, Princess Anne Plaza Baptist Church, and living the life God has given him. “The best way to start my day is with prayer,” he said. “When I get up in the morning, I pray, because I know that without that, my day is going to turn into something not so good. So, before my feet hit the floor, I say Lord, help me, help my wife, help my family through this day.“
Shelly Slocum is a department head for the Daily Runner.
