I get asked from time to time why do I enjoy nature photography. My first thought is the answer should be obvious, I love it and it is more than what I do but part of who I am. However, I got to thinking the other day that the answer is really much deeper, or maybe "it is part of who I am" is really the short answer.
Why would someone purposely be hot/cold/thirsty/hungry/wet/dry/dusty/muddy and get up before the sunrise and stay out past sunset on purpose? In fact, hot, cold, wet, dry, muddy and dusty sometimes happen all on the same day (and it seems at times all at the same time). Why?
I got my first camera back in the late 1970's (Minolta XG7) and moved to Nikon in early 1980's (FE2) after the Minolta took a bath along with me when I fell in a stream. (lesson 1, non-waterproof cameras don't like to go under water). I picked up some extension tubes and started shooting wildflowers. Lots of trial and error but finally got to the point I was OK. Not great but had some published, won a few contests, made prints to hang on my office wall. All was good except for this little thing that occupied 60+ hours of my weeks. That pesky thing called "a job" that payed the bills and bought new camera gear, guitars, banjos and a few nice target rifles along the way.
OK, fast forward, I'm retired and spend what most would say is a full time job's worth of time out in the field every week. Year around, rain, shine, snow, heat. Why does a 60 year old man trudge around in the woods lugging heavy camera equipment when he's not even trying to earn a living with it? Well, I've been trying to answer that question for a while now. Let me try:
My photography ranges from animal portraits (close framed wildlife) to environmental shots (where they live and how they live) to macro work on flowers and insects to what I call intimate landscapes. After hundreds of thousands of photos, I've learned to not just shoot randomly but to shoot with intention, why am I capturing this image? What reaction do I wan the viewer to have? What reaction do I want to have when I see it? I've found my photos are better since I ask those questions.
Yes I still sell a few along the way and have won (or placed) in some contests, have followers on social media, etc. However, the real pleasure I get is when friends and family who were never really into nature tell me about some bird they saw, or they post a photo of a trail they were walking in a local park or they send a photo to me of a flower and ask "what is it." Because of this, I've gravitated more and more toward environmental shots. Telling the story of where the creature or plant lives. There is a story of survival that humans can relate to in a very deep almost primal level. When I take a macro photo of a bee on a flower, I'll try to get that classic "compound eye" shot but the ones I publish are the ones showing the flower too. I want the viewer to say "hey, I have yellow flowers outside, wonder if there is a bee on them" and then step outside and look. When I photograph a deer, I want to include enough of the surrounding landscape to show folks where they really live. I want the viewer to want to go out and see for themselves. When I publish a photo of a squirrel, chipmunk, bird, raccoon, etc. looking out of a hole in a tree, the reaction I want from the viewer isn't "wow how did you do that". The reaction I want is for them to look in every tree hole they see as they are walking on a trail and then be amazed themselves when a little face is looking back. I have had friends get excited when telling me they saw a raccoon sleeping in a tree hole after seeing one of my photos. That's my reward.
I love the wild places and green spaces. I want to protect them. The more allies we can get loving and wanting to protect these wild spaces the better off we all will be. I see my photography as one vehicle that can lead to that place. I'm by no means a "militant" environmentalist (whatever that is). I realize progress has to happen, logging will happen, minerals need to be mined, etc. However, I also don't want to see "progress" running out of control.
So, why do I get hot/cold/thirsty/hungry/wet/dry/dusty/muddy and get up before the sunrise and stay out past sunset on purpose? The short answer is it is not just what I do, it is who I am and I want to share that passion with anyone who is willing to look. I'm a fortunate man in my wife shares the same passion. She is right there with me. In fact, there are days when I'd rather stay in bed but she's luring me out the door with a thermos of coffee!
Sorry about being long winded. I figured posting this here would be safe since I believe most of you all share similar feelings about the subject and won't be laughing at me thinking what a silly old man he must be.
Why would someone purposely be hot/cold/thirsty/hungry/wet/dry/dusty/muddy and get up before the sunrise and stay out past sunset on purpose? In fact, hot, cold, wet, dry, muddy and dusty sometimes happen all on the same day (and it seems at times all at the same time). Why?
I got my first camera back in the late 1970's (Minolta XG7) and moved to Nikon in early 1980's (FE2) after the Minolta took a bath along with me when I fell in a stream. (lesson 1, non-waterproof cameras don't like to go under water). I picked up some extension tubes and started shooting wildflowers. Lots of trial and error but finally got to the point I was OK. Not great but had some published, won a few contests, made prints to hang on my office wall. All was good except for this little thing that occupied 60+ hours of my weeks. That pesky thing called "a job" that payed the bills and bought new camera gear, guitars, banjos and a few nice target rifles along the way.
OK, fast forward, I'm retired and spend what most would say is a full time job's worth of time out in the field every week. Year around, rain, shine, snow, heat. Why does a 60 year old man trudge around in the woods lugging heavy camera equipment when he's not even trying to earn a living with it? Well, I've been trying to answer that question for a while now. Let me try:
My photography ranges from animal portraits (close framed wildlife) to environmental shots (where they live and how they live) to macro work on flowers and insects to what I call intimate landscapes. After hundreds of thousands of photos, I've learned to not just shoot randomly but to shoot with intention, why am I capturing this image? What reaction do I wan the viewer to have? What reaction do I want to have when I see it? I've found my photos are better since I ask those questions.
Yes I still sell a few along the way and have won (or placed) in some contests, have followers on social media, etc. However, the real pleasure I get is when friends and family who were never really into nature tell me about some bird they saw, or they post a photo of a trail they were walking in a local park or they send a photo to me of a flower and ask "what is it." Because of this, I've gravitated more and more toward environmental shots. Telling the story of where the creature or plant lives. There is a story of survival that humans can relate to in a very deep almost primal level. When I take a macro photo of a bee on a flower, I'll try to get that classic "compound eye" shot but the ones I publish are the ones showing the flower too. I want the viewer to say "hey, I have yellow flowers outside, wonder if there is a bee on them" and then step outside and look. When I photograph a deer, I want to include enough of the surrounding landscape to show folks where they really live. I want the viewer to want to go out and see for themselves. When I publish a photo of a squirrel, chipmunk, bird, raccoon, etc. looking out of a hole in a tree, the reaction I want from the viewer isn't "wow how did you do that". The reaction I want is for them to look in every tree hole they see as they are walking on a trail and then be amazed themselves when a little face is looking back. I have had friends get excited when telling me they saw a raccoon sleeping in a tree hole after seeing one of my photos. That's my reward.
I love the wild places and green spaces. I want to protect them. The more allies we can get loving and wanting to protect these wild spaces the better off we all will be. I see my photography as one vehicle that can lead to that place. I'm by no means a "militant" environmentalist (whatever that is). I realize progress has to happen, logging will happen, minerals need to be mined, etc. However, I also don't want to see "progress" running out of control.
So, why do I get hot/cold/thirsty/hungry/wet/dry/dusty/muddy and get up before the sunrise and stay out past sunset on purpose? The short answer is it is not just what I do, it is who I am and I want to share that passion with anyone who is willing to look. I'm a fortunate man in my wife shares the same passion. She is right there with me. In fact, there are days when I'd rather stay in bed but she's luring me out the door with a thermos of coffee!
Sorry about being long winded. I figured posting this here would be safe since I believe most of you all share similar feelings about the subject and won't be laughing at me thinking what a silly old man he must be.
All I can say is what motivates me: my love of nature. I just love the whole experience of being there, and watching the natural world in its glory. As Wendell Berry wrote, "I come into the peace of wild things". Trying to capture one of these experiences, feelings, or places on film is my hope - sometimes I'm successful, sometimes not - no matter, I still have the experience in my head.
