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My wife, two dogs and I recently relocated to Ashland from Chicago. A short stay here last summer was all we needed to realize Ashland is where we belong.
My career actually has a chance here. I'm a wildlife photographer and between the abundant wildlife and this town's supportive art community, I can't imagine a better place to be. My artist statement below:
A career in wildlife photography never even dawned on me as a child. Growing up in Chicago, I was a complete animal freak and I sure did enjoy the work of other photographers, but I never made the connection between the photograph I was viewing and the person who took it. In my late twenty?s, I moved to Island Lake, a small town about an hour north of the big city. Although it was hardly a wildlife mecca, hikes through local forest preserves provided me glimpses of creatures I had never seen outside of a zoo. The more I looked, the more I saw. Finally, about six years ago my wife bought me a camera. We didn?t know it at the time, but that gift would change both of our lives forever.
Since those days, I have learned a lot. Through observation and research, I have learned a ton about North American wildlife. That being said, some days I feel like I hardly know a thing. I have learned a lot about cameras and technique, but sometimes still feel like a novice. Finally, I have learned too much about our relationship with the natural world. Wildlife habitat destruction is happening everywhere, and it?s happening incredibly fast. To me it?s not a problem, but a crisis!
www.elsterphotography.com
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