I believe that there is no greater feeling than to stand in the midst of the great outdoors and observe the many beauties it holds. To be on a mountain, in the forest, in a jungle, or in the ocean can provide a great calming feeling as well as an overwhelming feeling of curiosity and wonder. I've always loved stepping out and away from bustling city life and into the wild where I'm no longer in command as the trees and wildlife rule the lands I've entered. Taking trips into the outdoors provides such a unique experience which is why I began bringing along my camera to capture moments that I can frame and never forget and relive every time I see them.
When I take my outdoor trips I bring all my photo and video gear with me to save the moments and scenes I fall in love with on my trips. Currently, I pack my camera bag with just a few items which include my precious Go Pro Hero 4, my Olympus E-P1 camera, and a few extra mounts for both pieces. Now these gadgets aren't at the top of the market in the photography world but they work quite excellently for my genre of photography. I personally work with wildlife such as animals and plants as well as landscapes. Capturing wild and untamed life in the rawest form is just something that I find to be so special and to be honest, I don't have the best reason for why I chose these genres other than the fact that I just love them. Recently I've been taking small local trips with close friends where I have been photographing forest scenes, beach scenes, and the occasional animal when I'm lucky enough to spot one. Photographing wild animals gets my blood running because I always experience this immediate feeling of excitement when I stumble upon wildlife or it happens to stumble upon me. The moment where I have to quietly stop and fumble for my camera is always a rush because my head begins to fill with thoughts such as my amazement of finding a wild animal, hoping it will stay still enough for a photo, or that it won't be extremely frightened by myself and my hardware when I'm too close which sadly happens quite often. But when I do get in position and get the shot I wanted it's like winning the lottery! I become so happy and grateful that despite all the variables that were in play, I still got the shot I wanted and I love that moment of victory.
When it comes to my landscape work there is less of a rush of excitement and more of a feeling of awe as I stand in front of a wondrous scene that the outdoors has provided for me. When I'm on these trips I'm usually doing a great deal of hiking and sometimes a bit of canoeing and these are the times when I'm pushing through a rough trail or gliding along the water and I look around and just see this piece of the Earth that I want to keep and that's when the camera comes out. That's my favorite part of photographing landscapes and outdoor scenes because I know that I will be taking home an exact copy of the moment that had me in awe and wonder during my time outdoors. Quite recently I've been working with a lot of forest scenes in my local parks because I love the different greens and browns that the forest produces when it comes to the growth that surrounds the area. The colors put together provide the land with such a captivating essence and working with those colors in the editing process is always a fun experience.
It's funny when I listen to people talk to me about what I do and I usually get the same question about how could it be possible for me to enjoy and legitimately take in the experience if I'm focused on my camera and the pictures that await me. I always give the same response and that response deals with the fact that my camera is never in the way, I don't look through that lens and fire up the machinery until I've fully taken in a moment and decided I want to keep it to remember the exact emotions that I was experiencing at that moment. My photography isn't about going out and looking for pictures but instead my photography is about letting the pictures come and find me. And, as wild and cliche as that sounds it's completely true. When I'm spending time in the outdoors I don't go looking for the landscapes or animals, instead I explore and enjoy the outdoors until that one piece of Earth decides to perfectly reveal itself to me making me stop and realize that this is something that shouldn't be forgotten, it's something that needs to be shown off and remembered and that's my process. And with this process comes many trips where I end up not taking any pictures because even though I enjoyed my trip, that special moment may not have revealed itself and I'll just have to wait until another trip for that moment.
I take pride in my work and I love it but I also don't use my camera solely for my own amusement. A large part of why I photograph the outdoors is because I want others who may not view the outdoors as something important to be convinced otherwise. I also want my pictures to make people want to care for the Earth and all it has to offer. There is so much raw beauty on this planet and many people fail to see it or take care of it and I use my camera as a way to advocate for the Earth and its treasures. I want people to see my work and the work of different wildlife photographers and be completely amazed at the pictures of the Earth that lay in front of them. I want these pictures to not just be pictures but to be symbols for why we need to take care of our planet because of how unique and incredible it is. That's what photographing the outdoors means to me and why I deem it an important part of my life. Seeing the outdoors through a lens stands for so much more than just photography and I want people to see that and take a look themselves.
