Water lotus and water lilies have long been a favorite subject of mine. I find myself producing abstracts as well as more literal interpretations of them. Recently I spent a couple of days photographing water lotus and water lilies and a few other subjects. I have posted a number of these  new images to my site or you can view a sampling of them view HERE

We all have a sense of the restorative and healing powers of being in the outdoors and experiencing nature. But can simply viewing art that depicts nature aid in healing our bodies? As a fine art nature photographer it is certainly an intriguing concept. One of my motivations when I create a fine art photograph is to help uplift and inspire people. It  appears that there may be some physical healing that can take place from viewing art images of nature.  Now there is evidence that looking at art that depicts nature can actually have a healing effect on our bodies. Here are some recent findings:

“In Harmony with Nature’s Blueprint” published in Interior Expressions (February 2000), Jain Malkin writes the “effect of nature on humans has been thoroughly studied… humans have physiological and emotional responses to nature.”

In recent years, Roger Ulrich, Ph.D., environmental psychologist, director of the Center for Health Systems and Design, College of Architecture, Texas A&M University, and a leading authority in the field has expounded his “Theory of Supportive Design.” Access to nature is central to this theory. The underlying premise is that “improved medical outcomes are linked to environments’ effectiveness in facilitating stress coping and restoration. Supportive design tries to eliminate stress factors and to include features that reduce stress, calm patients, strengthen coping resources… including access to nature.”

Ulrich has cited numerous studies showing that “viewing nature can produce significant recovery from stress, which in turn, can lead to cost-savings, by improving medical outcomes,” going as far back as a 1984 Science paper which stated: “patients with bedside views of nature had briefer hospital stays and needed less medication.” In a September 2000 presentation titled “Evidence-based Environmental Design for Improving Medical Outcomes,” Ulrich argued that “exposure to nature produces significant recovery.” Both psychological and physiological stress reduction are noted, as measured by “less anxiety, calmness, reduced blood pressure, muscle tension, heart and respiratory rates.”

Interesting…..

I have recently tested and added into the mix of papers that I offer for my prints, a new paper which is made from sugar cane pulp. It has the textured surface of a fine art paper and it adds a slight warmth to the photograph. The sugar cane paper that I am using is a heavy weight natural white paper. It is made from 75% sugar cane (bagasse) fiber, which is a by-product of sugar cane processing and 25% recycled cotton fibers. Bagasse fiber is an eco-friendly resource endorsed by many environmental organizations worldwide. Since it is made from the leftover material of the sugar making process it saves trees and helps to maximize the use of materials that are consumed when sugar is produced. In addition to it’s environmentally friendly properties it shows off prints beautifully!!

There is arguably no subject that has been photographed more than nature. The question remains, with all of the millions of nature images that have already been created, is it possible to make an image of nature that is refreshing and new and yet still appeals to our desire for art and beauty? The answer to that question has been part of the motivation I feel to keep returning to the wilderness in search of new ways to see the natural world. For me the real joy and challenge of my journey as a fine art nature photographer has always been the never ending discovery of new ways to reveal the beauty of Nature. To see in a new way and to share that vision in a way that uplifts and inspires people, that is my mission.

Fine art photographs of nature can make powerful statements as single images.
They are often the focal point of interest for an entire room. Bringing together images that work as sets or groupings is also an effective way to extend the ambiance and flow of nature images throughout a design.
When choosing photographs to be used as sets or groupings it is a good idea to select images that have a common theme and color. It is even more striking if they have a common style and feel. This often means working with one photographic artist for the entire set. I have had many instances where all of the images were shot on the same day and even represent different compositions of the same subject. Above and below are a couple of very popular groupings that we have helped our clients with.

If you would be interested in having us create some groupings for you please let us know.

I have always been one of those people who would stop and pick up a turtle that was stranded in the middle of a highway and carry him on across the road in the direction he was traveling. This Saturday however, after photographing for hours on the hot cedar glade (more than 700 photographs) I wasn’t feeling very energetic. I was tired, thirsty, and hungry. So when I rounded a bend in the highway on my way home and spied a large slider in the middle of the road, I didn’t stop. I just slowed down gave him a wide berth and kept going. “Maybe he will make it across without my help”, I thought. But one glance in the rear view mirror and I was afraid he wouldn’t. A car came barreling around the corner. I watched in horror, kicking myself for not stopping and moving the turtle out of the road.  Suddenly, the car slowed, the flashers came on, and a woman jumped from the car, picked up the turtle and carried him across the road to safety. I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. Here on a country road in Tennessee I witnessed the good side of humanity. In a world full of wars, murder, recessions and oil spills, there is still hope. If everyone just does there little bit of good everyday, there is hope…

Sometimes when I am working on projects for clients I will run across images that I feel should be added to the web site. I have added five such images this morning. You can view them in the New Images gallery. This particular image was made while I was on Sanibel Island a few years ago. The colors of the ocean sky and beach were so beautiful that I decided to create an abstract image  in which the bands of color themselves were the subject and the combination of colors would reveal the location and the subject of the photograph.

Just back from 6 day shoot in Arizona. Arizona is truly a magical place. Busy now adding more than 3300 images to my library and getting jobs to clients that accumulated while I was gone.

After more than 30 years of photographing nature I have nearly 300,000 images in my files. My images have been taken from Alaska to the Amazon River in Brazil, from Vermont to the Everglades in Florida and from Olympic National Park to Guatemala. Some pretty cool places no doubt, but I noticed something interesting the other day while working on a project for a client. Some of my best selling images have been made very close to home. In fact a number of them have been made within 10 feet of my house!!
Here are a just few of the images that have been big sellers that were made close to home. All of these images were created within 10 feet of my home!

We don’t have to look far to find the beauty in nature.

Twenty years ago I was introduced to the Tennessee Coneflower by The Nature Conservancy on a cedar glade in Middle Tennessee on a hot day in late May. I am not sure exactly why these flowers captivated my imagination maybe it was the knowledge that they were feared to be extinct until just a few years before my visit. I found my self photographing this flower and all the life on the cedar glades over and over again through the years.I returned for another photo shoot last summer and I was accompanied by Ken Tucker from The Tennessee Wild Side television show here is what we found….