Benton photographer's picture becomes USPS Mighty Mississippi stamp

Fifty years ago, Larry Braun found his passion for photography after he bought a camera while serving on the USS Midway in the U.S. Navy. Now, the Benton, Missouri, resident's picture of the Mississippi River will be featured on a U.S. Postal Service stamp as part of its Mighty Mississippi collection.

After his naval service ended, Braun attended Southeast Missouri State Univeristy as a chemistry major. Upon graduating, he worked at Associated Electric's New Madrid Power Plant, located in Portageville, Missouri, for 34 years.

"It was a great job, and I got a good retirement," Braun said. "But, I still wanted to pursue photography. Once my family had grown and had left home and it was just me and my wife here, I decided to pursue my love of photography, and you know, I am pretty happy I did."

Braun began his hobby of taking photographs of small towns and villages while serving in the Navy and has carried his passion through the years. His photographs of the local area are displayed at several businesses including St. Francis Hospital, Southeast Hospital and Ste. Genevieve (Missouri) Memorial Hospital. Braun's picture USPS selected to be featured on one of their stamps was taken at Fort Jefferson, Kentucky.

"Fort Jefferson has a nice view of the Mississippi River, and I got there one evening right at sunset. I think that's what really sold the image to me," Braun said. "The way I would describe it is kind of like my mom would always say, 'It looks like ice cream.' I think that is the way the sky looked that night."

Larry Braun and his wife, Darcy, display a photograph that won first place at the 35th Annual Bootheel Regional photography show. Another image Braun took has been selected by the U.S. Postal Service to be on a stamp as part of its Mighty Mississippi collection.Photo submitted by Larry Braun

Braun was contacted by a USPS graphic card company and was informed the organization would be producing a series of stamps based on the Mississippi River. He agreed to allow use of his work as one of the stamps in the series.

"It was a big deal for me because of the exposure and when a company or organization like that sees your work, it's really kind of an endorsement of your work," Braun said. "When banks and hospitals want to put my work on their walls, it's a big deal to me. It feels like I really am a photographer."

Braun's galleries and information can be viewed on his Mystical Perceptions of the Ordinary website at www.larrybraunphotography.com.