So, what do you write in a photographer's biography that people want to read about? A lot of photography bios read pretty much the same, taking pictures since childhood, want to share the beauty of nature, etc, etc. Of course, all of that holds true to some extent here, but seems almost cliche to write about it. My wife and I do have a deeply rooted passions for nature and wildlife. My education comes from curiosity, observation of details and spending time in the woods, though formally with a Bachelor's Degree in Science. The shot here is from 1980 taken on my Ansco 110 cartridge film camera on a family vacation 'out west.' I suppose the shutter bug did bite me early on at age 12. Throughout my life I have had influences in photography and the arts from my mother and others. I have received support, patience, and encouragement from my wonderful wife who has also shared in some of the photographic pursuits, and co-wrote our first published article.
From some of the pictures on this site, I suppose you can tell that details interest me. Sometimes strange details, small details, or even the obvious ones. They are discoveries where I say to myself "Wow, someone has to see this!" I am fortunate to have traveled to some interesting places around the world - Honduras, Galápagos, Fiji, Ecuador, Dominca, various islands, even Florida! I feel just as fortunate to have discovered a new swamp near where I live, or see a new bird in my yard. Some of my most memorable experiences with wildlife have happened underwater - playing tug-of-war with sea lions, swirling around in a school of thousands of fish, or having a shrimp clean my finger. Learning to scuba dive has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. It introduced an entirely new, foreign environment to explore where many creatures are just as curious about you as you are about them.
My interest in various subjects changes often, sometimes I am content with a documentary approach to a subject, but more often I am interested in creating an artistic view. I am continually trying to enhance my way of seeing the natural world around me.
I feel the need to protect the diminishing environment around me, yet keenly aware of my own impacts upon it, my species' impact upon it. This is an ongoing inner conflict I doubt will ever be resolved. I am always saddened by the struggles of those that cannot speak for themselves.
I can always hope my photographs produce some type of appreciation for the natural world, but in the end I believe that appreciation comes from within those that already do. If anything, perhaps they will provide a momentary visual escape, an interesting detail to study, or even perhaps spark a new thought that perhaps might have never been.
It is said that owning a piece of artwork is owning a piece of the artist - and with the heart and soul I put into my images, I certainly believe that to be the case with me as well.
"Entering the sea or immersing myself in the woods are magical escapes for me where I hope I will continue to be a welcomed visitor, despite my species imposing otherwise. There is a definite feeling of kinship there. There are endless rhythms, patterns, and details yet to be found and experienced. New ways of seeing...
A camera and a lens are like the the brushes of a painter, sometimes like the chisels of an archeologist. They beg for you to go out and create and discover something with them, tools to bring forth an internal vision. The words in a dictionary are available to everyone, yet a poet arranges them into something powerful. The elements of nature are similar - available to everyone who cares to look. With my images, I hope to create something that is more powerful than the casual observation, to offer a window into how I see the world.
Interaction with nature can offer unparalleled experiences. An intimate connection is established when you are with trusting wildlife, a visitor to a 10,000 year old reef, sitting peacefully in the wilderness, or witnessing a spectacular display of light on a landscape. All of these are moments that may only last a few seconds, never to be the same again. It can last for eternity through the power of a photograph. It is said that it is only during these moments when a photographer is truly at peace, where I find peace. "
Ethical behavior is paramount to us as we deeply care for our subjects, their environment, and the manner in which they are portrayed. Ethical behavior in nature photography has no universal rules, and ultimately it is a personal choice to the limits you wish to impose on yourself. Nature photography for some is more of an art form, while others approach it photojournalistic ally. There is a line to be drawn on how far a photographer is willing to go in their portrayal of their subjects and their behavior towards them, as well as courtesy to others.
Care for our subjects and the environment clearly defines this line for us. Absolutely, positively no image is worth making if it causes detriment to the well being of our subjects. If we are unsure, we take the cautious approach or simply don't take the shot. It is after all, it is only a picture, no matter how unique it may be. I have seen too many photographers crashing into reefs or simply pushing an animal too far just to obtain a particular shot. In some cases it can be excused by ignorance, but never because of apathy. Animals photographed under controlled/captive conditions should always be labeled as such. We do so by placing the indicator (cc) in the image description.
Manipulation is always a contentious subject because manipulation can be defined in a myriad of ways when it comes to photography. Right from the start, the lens itself is manipulating light and perspective into the camera. Shutter speeds can manipulate time. Subject positions, behaviors, and environments can all be adjusted.
How many times have we been disappointed that the picture is not exactly the way we saw it with our eyes? The characteristics of film and optics have already manipulated that image compared to our vision, and not always in a pleasing way. The simple fact is photography is already a form of manipulation that controls what you are seeing (or not seeing) after the actual moment in time has passed. It can include or exclude surrounding material that can completely alter the what the image communicates.
With digital cameras, many purists are concerned that digital implies fakery. The use of Photoshop® somehow implies you have faked part of the image. We assure you, this could not be further from the truth. Certainly new digital tools can make 'faking' an image easier if someone chooses to do so. They can also be used to simply replace what has been done in traditional darkrooms for decades. Digital capture is simply that - replacing the medium of film with a digital sensor, both of which are sensitive to light and color. It is the choice of the individual on the amount of adjustment that takes place after the shutter is pressed. Post-processing is quite often considered the finishing touch to a photograph.
Both film and digital capture have their advantages and disadvantages - neither is perfect. The image of the water flow displayed above is pretty close to how it came out of the camera. It could have been made with digital or film - yet I consider it to be a manipulation of light, color, and time. Did I actually see it this way? Not in a literal sense, but it was what I saw in my mind about the type of image I wanted. I knew if I manipulated the shutter speed on the camera, I would get a 'silky' effect to the water. I knew if I used a polarizing filter, I could eliminate reflections and make the colors stand out. I couldn't have made it in Photoshop if I tried. The adjustments that were made were no more than optimizing contrast and color. That is part of the excitement and mystery that photography can hold - that it can open our eyes and imaginations to many things we normally cannot 'see.' It is where the art in nature photography can shine through.
The making of a print, which involves just as much creativity as the original composition, is the most time-consuming and exacting part of the photographic process. Only a few photographers actually become great print-makers. The negative, says Adams, is the symphony's score; whereas the print is its final performance. - a description from Ansel Adams book "The Print."
The logo itself has a lot of meaning in how it represents the way I feel about nature photography. Graphically, it is a camera lens aperture surrounding a gray wolf paw print. Figuratively, it represents the way photography can make you more perceptive to what's around you and the intimate connection you establish with your subject through the lens. The gray wolf paw print was chosen because it is one animal that remains truly wild to most of us - elusive and secretive in nature, often full of mystery as well as misunderstanding. This can apply to much of the natural world. A photograph can help us understand. appreciate, and admire an aspect of nature normally overlooked. It can cause us to want to learn more, or become more involved. It can find beauty in something that is feared, find interesting details in something otherwise benign. The lens reveals a bit into the subject's world and character, and perhaps in the other direction at the photographer. The aperture often controls what we want to see, and what we don't, similarly to how we may not 'see' something that may be right in front of us. All of this must be brought together into some form of harmony to make an image interesting to look at and explore.
Our logo is registered with the US Trademark Office.
• published article & images - Nature Photographer Magazine • place winners and honorable mentions - Ford Seahorses Underwater Photo Contest
• Honorable mentions - Nature Conservancy Wildlife & Wild Places Photo Contest
• published image - Wayne State University South End • published images - Orchard Ridge Recorder • Editors' pick of the year 2002 (Macro)- Naturephotographers Online Magazine • Selected - Naturephotographers Online Showcase Website
• University of Michigan'sGifts of Artprogram exhibitor 2001
• Sterling Heights Artist of the Month, with featured articles in The Source, The Sentry, and the Detroit News; Sterling Heights television
• Published images, Eleanor Curtain Publishing, Australia, "Amazing Sea Lizards"
• Image panels for Aquatopia, Belgium - underwater exhibits
• Photo Essay, double truck spread - Whisper in the Woods, MI Audubon issue, Summer 2004
• Various sales for international advertising clients; brochures, promotional materials
• Interior decor of Mercy Regional Health Center in Manhattan, Kansas • Greater Detroit Camera Club Council - Image of the Year Color Slide 2004 "Sunrise on Ice"
• Dispatch Detroit, Volume 7 - abstracts
• Back Cover and inserts - Wolves, Whisper in the Woods, Autumn 2006
• Interior decor for local office buildings
• Prints for patient rooms - Henry Ford Hospital West Bloomfield, Michigan
• Cover image and others within - Whisper in the Woods Pure Michigan issue, Governor selected, August 2007
• Sierra Club notecards, Winter 2008
• Front Cover, Naturescapes.net online magazine, July 2008
This website was completely self-designed by Mark Graf through a lot of trials and mostly errors. My vision of how I want things to work and to look always exceeds my technical abilities to make them come true. So the site itself is always a 'work in progress.' I use a combination of Adobe Dreamweaver and Photoshop for the design, and currently use a customized version of Coppermine as the engine to drive my gallery database. I hope you find it easy to navigate and find the images you are interested in. Emails are always encouraged if you are having any troubles whatsoever.
“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” -Elliott Erwitt
So, what do you write in a photographer's biography that people want to read about? A lot of photography bios read pretty much the same, taking pictures since childhood, want to share the beauty of nature, etc, etc. Of course, all of that holds true to some extent here, but seems almost cliche to write about it. My wife and I do have a deeply rooted passions for nature and wildlife. My education comes from curiosity, observation of details and spending time in the woods, though formally with a Bachelor's Degree in Science. The shot here is from 1980 taken on my Ansco 110 cartridge film camera on a family vacation 'out west.' I suppose the shutter bug did bite me early on at age 12. Throughout my life I have had influences in photography and the arts from my mother and others. I have received support, patience, and encouragement from my wonderful wife who has also shared in some of the photographic pursuits, and co-wrote our first published article. 
My interest in various subjects changes often, sometimes I am content with a documentary approach to a subject, but more often I am interested in creating an artistic view. I am continually trying to enhance my way of seeing the natural world around me. 
