A Sense of Belonging

A couple of months ago, I wrote an article about how wildlife and landscape photography helped me connect with California and feel at home so far from where I grew up. I’m pleased to say that the story was published in Nature Photographer magazine this week, along with a selection of my images. It’s the first time I’ve had an article published, so it feels like a big day.

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

It was a chilly November morning in Point Reyes as I squinted through the viewfinder at an apparently empty field. The low sun diffused through an overcast sky threw a bleak, sandy smudge across the damp grass. As a landscape photographer, I couldn’t see a composition. The view was barren and listless, the light was weak, and nothing told me this was a good time to take a photograph. But my safari guide and friend, Daniel Dietrich, was leading my eye through the scene.

“Do you see the bush just beyond the fence? Look to the left and up towards those rocks. See it?”

At first, there was nothing, but then a slight motion focused my vision, and something took shape against the hillside. A bobcat, perfectly camouflaged, revealed itself patiently listening for prey. In that single moment, a landscape that offered no immediate inspiration became enthralling. 

Daniel whispered that we could try to get closer, but the animal’s interests were the most important thing. Capturing a great image shouldn’t come at the expense of it capturing a meal. We crept a little closer using fence posts as cover until it passed over the crest of a hill. As we tried to catch up, crouching low, Daniel cautioned to be ready because if the bobcat had snatched a gopher, it could be sitting just beyond the peak with its catch. 

By the time we reached the top of the hill, the cat was already far below. We watched from a distance until it passed behind some bushes. Using moments like this, we closed the gap and followed it over half a mile of fields. Eventually, as it lay down to rest, we found ourselves close enough to take a photo without having disturbed it hunting.

That day, I captured my first image of a bobcat, slightly blurry and smaller than I’d have liked, but two things changed: I had found a new source of inspiration and fundamentally saw the landscape differently. It wasn’t just a group of objects to be arranged in pleasing compositions; it was alive.

For now, to read the full article, you’ll need to purchase the magazine.