Sandy Dimke

Lowcountry Originals 2025
October 2025 Issue
photography (top) by
Lindsay Gifford

Sandy Dimke

Art: Photography
Website: www.DimkePhoto.com
Current residence: Bull Point Plantation, Northern Beaufort County
Hometown: Schenectady, NY
Family: Husband Russ, and our Therapy Dog, Sarah

When and how did you discover your artistic talent?
I love creating art through the medium of photography. Luckily, the photography bug hit me early, so I’ve been able to perfect my art over the last 50 years. I photographed as a 16-year-old exchange student in France, and as an adult, my husband encouraged me to continue pursuing the art I love. My goal is to freeze a moment in time in a creative way by using unique camera angles, and I’m not afraid of adding a different perspective with post processing. A traveler at heart, I try to capture the excitement of the world we live in, whether at home in the Lowcountry or in more exotic locales around the globe. I use photography as a means of creative expression to see the world differently, with a fresh view of reality.

As a “creative” you are unique. What are 3 words describe you best?
Enthusiastic, strong, imaginative

In your artistic pursuits, what is your proudest moment so far?
In 2019, I was juried into the National Association of Women Artists (NAWA) and served on the board of their South Carolina chapter for five years. Historically, photography is not seen as a fine art, and for me and my work to be accepted into the first women’s fine art organization in the country (established in 1889) was an huge honor and accomplishment. Winning their annual photography award in 2021 was the icing on the cake!

What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
Two things come to mind: Although my life today appears to be centered in the Arts, I have an MBA in marketing and started my career in the unglamorous field of advertising. Secondly, the people who don’t know me well, would be surprised that I received the honor of being the 2021 Alumni of the Year at my alma mater, Nazareth University in Rochester, NY.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve overcome?
I am an active member of the Photographic Society of America/Worldwide. When elected as chairperson of their Pictorial Print Division, it was my responsibility to encourage and promote the printing of pictures…to grow our division. In this digital age, more and more people are taking photos with their smart phones and never seeing the photos in print. My success was limited, but through presentations, exhibitions, competitions, and study groups, I made headway in educating the pubic about the importance of printing their photos.

If you could go anywhere in the world to create your art, where would it be?
I’ve had the good fortune of traveling around the world to more than 70 countries to experience different cultures and relate the similarities and differences through my photography. Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to photograph at two Photo Gatherings in Indonesia and Sri Lanka with photographers from all over the world. My most rewarding experience was making friends with Dalia, a Muslim photographer from Oman who wore a hijab while photographing next to me. It’s a small world! I especially loved photographing in Jordan and Greenland. In Africa, I challenged myself to capture the interaction of wild animals, not just document them—whether friendship between the same species or survival against other species. What’s next? The cherry blossoms in Japan are on our radar for next spring, and I still want to photograph the pyramids of Egypt!

Tell us about the time when all good vibes came together and you rocked it.
For Beaufort’s 300th birthday, I wanted to personally applaud my town but use a unique and different approach. It was important for me to celebrate the hopes and dreams of the people who make Beaufort beautiful. I photographed the “hands” of 100 people in Beaufort, doing what they love or what they do for a living. I included prose with each image to complete their story. I received the City’s support, and the exciting culmination was a gallery exhibit hosted by the Beaufort Three-Century Project. The portfolio was printed as a coffee table book!

What artist, living or passed, would you love to spend a day with.
My day would be spent shadowing Ansel Adams and learning all I could about how he created his works of art. When I started in photography, I captured most of my images in black and white, had my own darkroom, and constantly struggled to achieve the right balance of tones. Ansel Adams was my hero. Besides being brilliant at composing the image, he had the technical mastery and previsualization that I can only hope to achieve in my lifetime. Now, in the digital age, I use Lightroom and Photoshop but my final print still relies heavily on what I learned by studying his methods.

What do you want to scream from a mountain top?
Life is short. Don’t take one day for granted. Everything can change in a moment. Be grateful for all you have and all you are. Remember who is most important in your life and cherish them. Life is a gift.