Nature Photography

By Kevin VanGorden, Program Intern
Photos by Kevin VanGorden

Since I was first able to wind film and press the shutter button, I have been fascinated with photography. When I first picked up my parents 35 mm camera, I quickly became enthralled with the pictures of nature that I developed, no matter how bad they turned out. It is that fascination that has led me to refine my skills as a photographer and keep me outdoors, taking pictures of our natural world.

I have always found photography to be an art that anyone can do, no matter your age or skill level. With the digital cameras on the market today, photography has become an option for anyone. No longer do you have to invest hundreds of dollars into film and film development, or lug around different types of film to get the best pictures out of different conditions. Digital cameras allow us to control every aspect of our cameras with just the push of a button or turn of a wheel. We can preview the photos as we take them and remove the ones we dislike. The most important thing about digital cameras and their use in natural photography is that it allows us to take a piece of nature home with us, without actually removing anything from the environment.

We all have our own reasons for taking photographs. Perhaps we just want to cherish a memory or maybe we want to take home the beauty of our world. Photos can teach us by showing us details we could not see with our eyes; they can encourage learning and understanding. We often hear that “A picture is worth a thousand words” and I truly believe this phrase to be true.