I was drawn to photography because I have always been a keen observer of nature. I needed a medium to create memories. Raised in the Nebraska prairie country with endless stretches of flat to gently rolling terrain I yearned for more dramatic landscape. Family vacations to Colorado brought a welcome relief from the “flat land’s” summer heat and humidity. The mountains retained refreshing crisp and cold dry air and mountains to climb and film. After finishing university in Omaha, I made a calculated decision to move West and live out my dreams being much nearer to the mountains. After many twists and turns, everything worked out extremely well, especially when I decided to move from Washington to the California Bay Area more than 30 years ago.

Since I both mountain climb and photograph all flora, fauna, and landscapes, living near the Sierra Range has been wonderful. I love the peace and incredible vistas. The mountains and transition zones have also helped me to better understand natural lighting and how to use lens filters to tease out features and textures.

After a 2007 trip to East Africa I have been increasingly drawn to endangered wildlife found in Africa and Central and South America. I have committed myself to cataloging images of birds, reptiles, mammals, amphibians, and insects, especially those which are extremely threatened. By bringing the species alive in their stunning colors and vivid displays I hope to inspire others into action: slowing resource extraction by placing a higher importance on creating new parks and enlarging existing parks, as well as expanding ecotourism. If we don’t save these threatened species, humans have little hope of survival.

Please visit my website for more photos:

www.johnrichardsonnature.com