Author: NANPA News Blog

NANPA Regional Event Preview – Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge

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Story and Photographs by Donald Brown

 

Chincoteague Ponies at Tom’s Cove © Donald Brown

 

NANPA Members Colin Hocking and Don Brown will be leading a NANPA Regional Event at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia from November 16-19, 2017.  All the details about the event, including cost, registration, and other information can be found on the NANPA website at www.nanpa.org/events/regionals/chincoteague-national-wildlife-refuge–va/   Here, Don offers a preview of the beauty of Chincoteague, and shares some great images from his previous visits there. Continue reading →

CONSERVATION: Sockeye Salmon Spawning

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Story and Photographs by Andrew Snyder

 

Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) making the jump up a small falls en route to spawning – Katmai, Alaska. © Andrew Snyder

 

Andrew Snyder is a new NANPA board member, a professional biologist and photographer, and a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Mississippi.  He recently posted a piece on maptia.com, a website devoted to stories and photography of the natural world, about the annual spawning of sockeye salmon, which return to freshwater rivers from the Pacific Ocean each year to lay their eggs.

When sockeye salmon are born, they spend between one and two years in freshwater lakes or streams.  Then, they migrate to the ocean and spend two or three years there.  Once they’re ready to spawn, they head back to the river where they were born. Continue reading →

Documenting the Anacostia

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Story and Photography by Krista Schlyer

 

Great blue heron on the Anacostia River, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens National Park, Washington, D.C. © Krista Schlyer

 

As the 2016 recipient of the Philip Hyde Grant, I encourage all NANPA members engaged in a conservation photography project to apply. I was awarded the grant from the NANPA Foundation in support of my Anacostia Project, which aims to help residents of Washington, D.C. better understand and get engaged in restoration of the beleaguered Anacostia River watershed.

The Anacostia River, long known as the forgotten river, has, like so many of our urban rivers, suffered centuries of abuse and ecological insult–from deforestation for tobacco production in the 1700s, to toxins and sewage that accompanied a rapidly growing population ever since. Continue reading →

Channel Islands National Park – America’s Galapagos

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Story and Photography by Jerry Ginsberg

 

Camping on Anacapa will allow you to capture a great sunrise from spectacular Inspiration Point at the island’s east end.  © Jerry Ginsberg

                               
We are accustomed to driving to our national parks. This is definitely not the case with Channel Islands National Park. This little archipelago of a half-dozen rocks jutting out of the Pacific Ocean a few miles off the coast of central California is reachable only by a short boat ride. This rather contradictory blend of remoteness and accessibility offers some unique opportunities for us photographers.

The Channel Islands are called America’s Galapagos – and for good reason. A wide variety of birds and pinnipeds are in plentiful supply. Western gulls find safety here. Continue reading →

Reflections from a Janie Moore Greene Grant Recipient

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Story and photographs by Jiayu Su

 

Jiayu Su

It has been such a great opportunity for me to study in the United States during the past year and a great chance to learn about the geographical environment of western America, especially the Yellowstone area. It’s a huge difference compared to where I am from back in China. Nature and wildlife are an important part of our daily lives and they draw my attention to how those things affect us and how human activities influence them. Continue reading →

Janie Moore Greene Scholarship Grant

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Grant supports a student’s study of photography at the university level

 

© Jiayu Su

Applications are now being accepted for the Janie Moore Greene Scholarship Grant, awarded annually to a student studying photography at a two-year or four-year college, university, art/design or photography school.   The deadline for applications is 11:59 p.m. EDT on October 31, 2017.

“For many years, Janie Moore Greene has supported higher education in photography with her gift to the NANPA Foundation, and we are very grateful to her,” said John Nuhn, president of NANPA Foundation. “Her scholarship grant enables us to assist emerging photographers in their career path and uphold the Foundation’s mission of awareness and appreciation of nature through photography.” Continue reading →

Phillip Hyde Environmental Grant Applications Accepted Through October 31st

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What difference do your photographs make?

 

Leopard frog in the Anacostia River watershed, Washington DC metro area.

Applications are now being accepted for NANPA Foundation’s Philip Hyde Grant, a $2,500 award given annually to an individual NANPA member actively pursuing completion of a peer-reviewed environmental project featuring natural photography as a medium of communication, nature appreciation and environmental protection. Application deadline is October 31, 2017 at 11:59pm EDT. Continue reading →

Winner’s Profile- Mark Kelley

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In springtime, before the salmon start running up the creeks, many bald eagles hang out on the icebergs in Tracy Arm looking for food. © Mark Kelley

 

How many of your images will win? The 2018 NANPA Showcase competition is accepting entries until October 1, 2017 at 11:00 p.m. EDT. The annual competition is a wonderful opportunity for you to submit your best photography and have it evaluated by three notable professional nature photographers- George Lepp, Roy Toft and Darrel Gulin .  You may even have your image published in our annual Expressions publication which features the top 250 images from those entered.  For more details about the 2018 NANPA Showcase competition, check out the website.

Over 3,300 images were submitted last year. One of the key NANPA Showcase 2017 winners is Mark Kelley, a photographer based in Juneau, Alaska.  Mark had nine images featured in the 2017 Expressions, including Best in Show for “Eagle Hell,” Judge’s Choice for “Hiker Inside Glacier Ice Cave,” and First Runner-Up for “Drizzly Bear.”  All of these images were made in Alaska and reflect the photographer’s passion for this beautiful state.

“Eagle Hell” Best of Show winner in the birds category for the 2017 NANPA Showcase Competition. A smudged up bald eagle use a discarded stool as a perch in the Adak dump where it scavenges on caribou hides and carcasses left by hunters. (See hide in lower left corner) © Mark Kelley

Continue reading →

Volunteer Profile: Lisa Langell

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Lisa Langell is a professional nature & wildlife photographer who specializes in birds and mammals. She has lived in Michigan, and currently lives in Arizona, where she has discovered an entirely new photographic environment. Lisa often submits her work to the annual NANPA Showcase competition, and has won several awards, including 2nd place in the “Mammals” category in 2015. Her work has been published in numerous magazines, including the March 2017 issue of Arizona Highways. She serves NANPA as a member of the Board of Directors, as well as a certified instructor.

Perusing the website of nature photographer Lisa Langell, one of NANPA’s new board members, provides the viewer a feast of beautiful images of our natural world and the wildlife that inhabits it. In addition, you will find some images that are not usually within the purview of a nature photographer – street photography, for example, which is focused on images of people, and a gallery of “machine” images. You can find all of this and more at langellphotography.com.

Lisa’s earliest experiences with nature were with her great aunt, who was an avid bird watcher and nature enthusiast. As her interest grew, she picked up a camera and made photographs of the birds she had grown to love.

We recently spoke with Lisa to learn more about the development of her photography, and what she’s working on today. Continue reading →

Conservation: Alaskan Beauty

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Story and Photography by Tyler Hartje

 

Winding rivers serve as the lifeblood of this dynamic ecosystem, carrying fresh water and nutrients to the tundra.  © Tyler Hartje

I couldn’t help but stare out the window during the short 45 minute flight from Anchorage to Iliamna — my home base for the next week as I sought to photograph the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) and maybe catch a glimpse of the elusive coastal wolf (Canis lupus). Coming from Seattle, Washington, I am no stranger to vast mountain ranges, winding rivers, and large bodies of water, but the Alaskan scenery left me awestruck. I couldn’t believe that I was going to spend the next week in this incredible place. Continue reading →