The only class in college I ever fell asleep in was art class. So, what do I end up doing? Artsy photography things.
I always did enjoy the outdoors. From summers growing up at my family’s fishing camp, getting a Bachelor of Science in Biology, to getting a position at Walter B Jacobs Nature Park, spending time outdoors was always what I wanted to do.
But art and museums were never my thing. It was boring, too many people, too little to actually do. So, one day I bought a little camera that just happened to have a lens that could be changed. I just wanted to stream online like a cool gamer. But somehow, I ended up taking it outside to take pictures of something. Next thing I know I’m buying a longer lens. Then trying to get a picture of a woodpecker just out of reach. So, I upgraded.
With the new camera body and lens, I decided that it cost too much to just use it a little. I should get good. For the entire year of 2023 I did the 365 Challenge. Take a photo, edit the photo and post the photo. Every. Single. Day. For a year. And I wanted to do it right. Learning new techniques and trying to master some aspect of photography process every day. Somewhere during the year, I was told I got good. Well now I’m putting those new skills to work.
When planning the new Walter B Jacobs Nature Center years ago, we were meeting with the company that was going to be designing and building the new nature center exhibits. They found out that I did some photography and wanted to see some of my work and possibly incorporate some into the new exhibits. So we started working together, them giving me and list of things to photograph and a place to upload them. The results of those can now be found inside the new Walter B Jacobs Nature Center.