West Side Camera owner David Baird has passion for photography, and much more

David Baird is a man with many interests, talents and hobbies. One of his lifelong passions is photography, and he and his business partner, Jeremy Griffin, have owned and operated West Side Camera in Cape Girardeau for the past two years.

"I started taking pictures in the mid 1960s with a simple Pentax camera," says Baird. "I would shoot pictures when I had the money to buy film."

Over the years, Baird and his wife, Mary, who also enjoys photography, developed a love for destination photography. Last year, they accompanied 25 students from Southeast Missouri State University to Maine to do destination photography, and the summer before last, they accompanied 11 Southeast students to Yellowstone National Park.

"We shoot landscapes, animals and wildlife," says Baird. "It's a great learning experience for students. They get totally immersed (in the learning process) during these trips."

They have another photography trip to Maine planned for June, and another to Yellowstone in September.

Baird is a retired professor from Southeast, where he taught graphic arts and photography. He is also a former dean of technology at Crowder College in Neosho, Mo.

It was during his first summer off from teaching that Baird discovered another passion: sculpting from wood carvings and bronze castings.

"Since we had the summer off, Mary and I did a little traveling and we went through Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo.," says Baird. "We watched the guys carving the wood sculptures and I really wanted to purchase some of the pieces. But, being new teachers, we had very little money. Since I am a trained industrial arts teacher, my wife suggested that I try carving my own wood sculptures."

Baird's sculpting hobby took off from there and he started creating wood sculptures depicting people from the 1800s. He included the details of the costuming and activities of that era in his sculptures.

"Most of my sculptures are of Native American Indians," says Baird. "I tend not to (depict) the war paint and all that, but more the softer, spiritual, family-oriented side."

In addition to photography and sculpting, Baird has a passion for building antique cars and street rods.

"I love combining the creativity of the design side with the engineering of the technical side," says Baird.

He developed a special interest in Packard cars, especially the Fat Packards, as they were called, and he got so involved in learning about the cars that he wrote a book called "Packards 1948-50: The Fat Years," which he published five years ago.

Baird combines his love of photography with both his sculpting and his interest in cars.

"I shoot photographs of my (finished) woodwork, and I take lots of pictures at the national car shows and meets (that I attend)," says Baird.

Baird, who is 71 years old, was born in Nevada, Mo. He and his wife, Mary, have been married for 47 years. They have a son, Michael, 37, who is an adjunct professor at Southeast Missouri State University.

Baird is the managing partner at West Side Camera, 837 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau, and still finds the time and energy to keep up with his many interests and hobbies.

"The students (that I taught) kept me interested, and I have always thoroughly enjoyed learning. I believe that you can never know enough," he says.