A mountain bluebird perches on top of a bush starting to show early signs of spring buds. © Dawn Wilson
By Dawn Wilson, NANPA President
Where I live in northern Colorado, three things happen in late February or early March that confirm for me spring’s arrival: seeing the first mountain bluebird, elk dropping their antlers, and buds popping out on the aspen trees. All three things happened for me just a few days ago. As much as I enjoy winter, signs of spring are always welcome, especially for the photo opportunities right around the corner.
Here’s to great signs of spring near you.
More than 350 guests attended the Virtual Summit and continue to have access through April 4, 2022. We’re excited to resume our traditional in-person Summit in Tucson, Arizona, May 4-7, 2023.
Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who attended Virtual Summit 2022 on March 5. The speakers gave another program full of inspiration, creative techniques, and guidance for building a photography business. As an example:
- Camille Seaman talked about making goals rather than plans, and that anything you do should be helping you achieve those goals; anything else is just a distraction from achieving your goals.
- Lewis Kemper demonstrated the new masking tool in Lightroom to select a foreground in a photo (I can’t wait to test this technique.)
- Jaymi Heimbuch inspired us to start a conservation project — and gave us the tools to successfully do that.
- And Tim Timmis took us through his process of getting down (and dirty) for ground-level bird photography.
There were many other wonderful presentations as well, including the keynote programs from Chris Linder, who took us on an expedition through his cold-climate adventures of Alaska, Russia, and Antarctica, and Boyd Norton, who showed us how a little perseverance can go a long way to make a big impact for conservation.
Thank you to all of the speakers who gave their time to provide information to other NANPA members and guests. Thank you to Rand Insurance, Gold Sponsor of this Virtual Summit, and to all of the sponsors who make NANPA’s Summit events possible. A huge thank you also goes out to the team that brings the Summit to you: Kathy Adams Clark, Julie Patterson, Richard Day, Susan Day, Deborah Duke, Bethany Brucker, and Bruce Haley.
The Virtual Summit program will be available through 11:59 p.m. EDT April 4, 2022 for anyone who registered for the event by March 5. I highly recommend re-watching any inspiring programs for a refresh on the information and to watch any presentations you missed on March 5.
Remember that our first in-person Summit since before the pandemic stifled travel will be held May 4-7, 2023 in Tucson, Arizona. Stay tuned for more info later in 2022.
Inspiring women in nature photography
March is designated as Women’s History Month.
Historically, nature photography has been dominated by men but successes from women in recent decades have shown that women are a powerful force to help our environment as well. There are so many women to recognize that have had an impact on our natural world – too many to list here – but here are just a few that inspire my work and are an inspiration for women photographers all over the world.
- Christina Mittermeier for her dedication to protecting the oceans
- Wendy Shattil for being the first woman to win Wildlife Photographer of the Year
- Gabby Salazar for her seemingly endless drive and energy
- Amy Gulick for her work to raise awareness about the Tongass Rainforest
- Amy Vitale for telling intriguing and emotional stories about our environment
Which female nature photographer inspires you?
Get involved
Do you want to get involved? Consider volunteering for a committee. There are numerous options available for a variety of interests. For more info about volunteering, click here.
Keep letting our membership and marketing teams know about your projects. There may be ways to share the news, like writing a blog or being interviewed on the podcast.
Do you have ideas for events or topics you want to learn more about? Reach out to us through our Contact Form at the bottom of any page of our website.
And be sure to recommend NANPA to your nature-loving friends and fellow photographers. Word of mouth is the number one way people learn about NANPA. New members can join online at nanpa.org/membership.
“A woman is like a tea bag; you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Let’s stay positive. We are in this together.
