EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A new gallery — The Photography Enthusiasts of El Paso (PEEP) Photographers Collaborative — has opened its doors at the Five Points Entertainment District in Central El Paso, featuring the work of 18 local and regional photographers.
“The PEEP Collaborative is the only photo gallery in the area. The nearest one is in Carrizozo, New Mexico, so you’d have to drive 145 miles to find a photo gallery,” said Tim Holt, a photographer and president of the PEEP photography club.
“What’s neat about this particular photo gallery is that (most) of our members are amateur photographers, and so it’s neat to have them up in a gallery setting that they’ve never been in before,” Holt said.
The gallery features a wide array of photography, ranging in styles, perspectives, and unique subjects.
The work of the 18 featured photographers includes landscape to portrait photography, to experimental to documentary photography, to name a few different styles.
Each piece is available for purchase.
Holt said that the PEEP club was established back in 1993 by four local photographers. Since then, Holt said members had been continuously gathering to do “typical club things,” but they felt it was time to do something different, which sparked the idea to create a photo gallery.
“A lot of amateur photographers keep all of their digital photographs on their hard drives or on an SD card or something like that. And we’ve been noticing over the years that fewer and fewer people actually print out their work, post it up on a wall somewhere. And if you’re trying to leave a legacy, if you’re trying to make yourself remembered as a photographer, how do you do that? Are you going to give somebody your SD card when you get old? Or are you going to give somebody your photography,” Holt said.
Holt has been a member of PEEP since its inception, but for newer members of the club, they said it has opened great opportunities for them to learn from each other, and to now even have a space to showcase their work.
“I didn’t know what I was joining. I thought we would just get around and talk about cameras. (But) we do things,” said Delbert Humberson, a photographer and member of PEEP. “It’s been very exciting. Since joining the club, (my photography) has been shown at the airport twice, at Ardovino’s, now here at the (PEEP Gallery). And I never thought anything like that would be possible. When I first joined, I had this big long-term goal that maybe I’ll sell at a market one day,” he said.
Humberson is a full-time hydrologist who moved to El Paso back in 2008, where he developed a passion for photography after spending much of his leisure time hiking.
Humberson specializes in outdoor photography, specifically shooting landscape and wildlife.
“I just joined (PEEP) in 2024 and it has opened so many doors for my photography. I’ve only been in El Paso for three years, so joining people is my way of getting out and exploring. And sharing some of my photography with other people that like to take pictures, (it has) opened doors left and right,” said Leanne Brown, a photographer and vice president of PEEP.
“This past year is the first time that I’ve ever done anything with my photography, outside of showing it on Facebook or Instagram. I have three photographs featured in the PEEP show in the airport,” Brown said.
Brown is a military spouse, and arrived in El Paso when her husband was stationed at Fort Bliss in 2021. She said she had already developed a passion for photography at their prior stops, but has furthered her skill and style since joining PEEP.
Holt, meanwhile, been taking photos since 1982, and said he has no specific style. He said that throughout his over-40-year trajectory, he has tried to delve into different niches, such as landscape, macro, and experimental photography. And for the past six years, Holt said he has almost exclusively shot his photography through his smartphone or drone.
As to what makes the art of photography special, each one of these PEEP photographers shared a distinct perspective.
“What’s neat about photography is that you’re taking an image, that you’re capturing a moment in time, and you’re never going to see that moment again,” Holt said.
“(Photography) lets people see things that they wouldn’t normally see. It is fun to play with the camera and show things in a way that you just won’t see with your eyes. Just showing things at a slightly different point of view can make things look really amazing,” Humberson said.
“Photography, for me, has been a way to reset from things that I can’t control. I can control going out and being out in nature and in finding things that I enjoy taking pictures of. With the macro (camera lens), I can take a time. I can take a moment to really focus on just that (subject). So there’s nothing else going on in the world except for that one bee, in that one sunflower. It’s not so much the subject matter. For me (it helps) with mental health,” Brown said.
The PEEP Collaborative is located at 801 N. Piedras next to the El Paso Wings Factory in Five Points, where the El Paso Community Foundation sets up the Border Art Residency (BAR) for half a year.
PEEP will use this space until March 2025 — until the BAR returns.
Gallery hours are: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
To learn more about PEEP Photography Collaborative, you can visit their website by clicking here.
They will also be hosting a wine tasting in collaboration with Zin Valle Vineyards from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5 at the PEEP gallery.
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