For the last two decades, Atlanta-based environmental photographer Peter Essick has been traveling the world, documenting environmental issues and the vast beauty of Earth. He has been a major contributor to National Geographic magazine, and his most recent book, Our Beautiful, Fragile World, showcases some of the stories Essick photographed for the magazine along with a few of Essick’s personal favorites. Each image is accompanied with commentary by Essick on his research and experience.

Aurora Photos: How did you first become involved with photography, and later with National Geographic?

Peter Essick: I took a high school photography class and fell in love with the medium. I worked for a time in commercial photography in Los Angeles where I grew up. Eventually, I went to the University of Missouri to get a master’s degree in photojournalism. While I was at the school I was selected as a summer intern at National Geographic, so that is how I got my foot in the door.

Aurora Photos: How would you describe your personal relationship with the natural world and does it influence which stories you take on? 

Peter Essick: My father introduced me to the outdoors on many trips to places like Yosemite, the Grand Canyon and Death Valley. My favorite  stories for National Geographic have been about natural areas around the world. There is something healing about spending an extended time in nature. However, it has made me realize the importance of photographing environmental issues. These stories are usually more difficult from a personal standpoint, because of problems with access to sites and gaining permission for people to be photographed. However, they can be quite rewarding in the end.

Aurora Photos: In the dedication to your book, you say that you have faith that future generations will, “use the extraordinary tools of technology to change our current direction and renew our connection to the natural world.” That seems like an interesting contradiction, using “tools of technology” to renew our connection with the natural world. How do you see that happening?

Peter Essick: I think it comes down to how we define progress. A lot of technology has been used to destructive ends. However, my hope and belief is that new technologies of communication will make people realize we have to go about things differently in the future.  Generations like my 13-year-old son, who have grown up with computers and social media, will have access to the information they need build a better world. Part of that better world will be the implementation of technologies which bring people in closer contact with the natural world.

Aurora Photos: How did you choose which photographs would represent your 25 years worth of work?

Peter Essick: At first I chose one picture from each of the 40 stories I have done for National Geographic. The publisher liked the nature and environmental pictures the best and asked me to focus on those stories. It turned out that 32 of the 40 stories fit into that category. I added a few of my favorites to come up with the 50 photographs in the book. In the end, I choose all the pictures and wrote all the text.

Aurora Photos: What role do you think photographers can play in creating a sustainable Earth?

Since the 1970s we have been using more renewable resources than have been replenished. And we have been burning and mining lots of non-renewable resources. Photojournalists can document this and let the facts speak for themselves. And throughout history, artists have played a role in society of being advocates for personal freedom and a better world. Photographers can show their vision of what a sustainable world would look like.

To see more work by Peter Essick, visit the Aurora Photos website here

To visit Peter’s blog, click here

To order Our Beautiful, Fragile World from Amazon, click here

Tom Lynn is a Wisconsin-based environmental photojournalist. Over the past few years, Tom has devoted much of his time to working with the International Crane Foundation. His most recent project, titled “Hatch to Release” documents the story of whooping crane reintroduction into their natural habitat. The project started back in June and culminated a couple of weeks ago with the actual release of the birds into the wild.

Aurora: How does your thirty years in the newspaper business influence your photography and the kinds of projects you take on?

Tom Lynn: I had a wonderful career working for the Milwaukee Journal and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  I had great opportunities to work on many projects, travel and meet interesting people.  I have been a witness to the power of the human spirit, unspeakable sadness and extraordinary splendor across the country.

During those years my interests have ebbed and flowed and I became more concerned with conservation issues.  I truly believe photography can have a significant impact on people’s feelings toward the environment.

I think my background working at the newspaper prompts me to approach projects as a storyteller. Being able to tell stories about our environment through pictures is a wonderful opportunity to try and make a difference.

Aurora: How did you first become involved with the ICF (International Crane Foundation) and this “Hatch to Release” project?

Tom Lynn: I have been a fan of the International Crane Foundation for many years.  About eight years ago, I started volunteering as a photographer for ICF.  Over the years, I became more involved in their work.  The foundation is, in my opinion, one of the greatest conservation organizations in the world.

The “Hatch to Release” project came together over several years.  It is a truly exclusive process with many intricate instructions and with the utmost care for the Whooping Cranes.  I have been so fortunate to be part of this years’ process and given unprecedented access.

Aurora: The cranes could not be exposed to un-costumed humans. What other special circumstances did you meet with throughout this project and how did they challenge you?

Tom Lynn: I felt very challenged throughout the project—in a good way.  From the very beginning, even at the hatch, I was working in a costume which meant looking through a mesh facemask. Trying to focus looking through a double layer of mesh was not easy. There were glare issues — and just plain hard-to-see issues. Since the Whooping Cranes have no contact with humans, they cannot see your face or eyes.  And there is no talking; they cannot hear a human voice.

Aurora: Can you describe what it is like to photograph this endangered species and to be one of the only photographers, if not the only, to do so?

Tom Lynn: It is awe-inspiring.  I felt a great responsibility while working on the project.

There have been others who have photographed the Direct Autumn Release, but no one else has had access to the entire process from the hatch to the release.  I feel incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to document this important work.

Aurora: Did you form a special connection with the cranes?

Tom Lynn: Yes, I did.  It was such a special opportunity.  Release day is a bittersweet event.  I’m happy for them, yet concerned that they make it on their own.

Aurora: Do you plan on traveling to Florida to shoot the cranes once they’re in the wild?

Tom Lynn: I will track their migration and make a trip to see them over the winter.  Last year’s group did not make it all the way to Florida with the exception of one of the birds.  Most of them stayed in southern Indiana.

Aurora: What’s next for you after this?

Tom Lynn: I’m hoping to work on a much larger project involving the ICF. All 15 species of cranes depend on seven major rivers on three continents for their survival.  ICF’s success in safeguarding these areas depends on “achieving sustainable water management, restoring and maintaining ecosystem services, such as clean drinking water and flood control, and improving the lives of people in these river basins”.  My goal is to document the work being done in these areas.

For more photographs on the project, visit the Aurora Photos website here

To read Tom Lynn’s blog of the project and to see more photos, click here

Aurora contributor Celin Serbo recently sat down for a photographer Q&A session with Lowepro.
Check it out here.

Ted Wood is a photojournalist, editorial photographer, and multimedia producer based in Boulder, CO.  His work has appeared in Vanity Fair, The New York Times, The Nature Conservancy Magazine, and many other international publications.  Specializing in environmental and conservation stories, Ted has most recently photographed the journey of 63 genetically-pure Yellowstone bison as they were rounded up in a holding facility near Yellowstone National Park and returned to the Fort Peck Sioux and Assiniboine reservation in northeast Montana for the first time in over 100 years.

Aurora Photos: In a multimedia piece on your website about the return of the Yellowstone Bison, one of the Fort Peck tribal leaders describes the bison as his peoples’ “prosperity and spirit.”  What would you say is your “Yellowstone bison”? What fuels your spirit?

Ted Wood: All of my life I’ve been drawn to the wild places, but not necessarily the empty ones.  I find the people that need these places as interesting and important as the places themselves, whether they be indigenous or contemporaries with a deep love of place.  What fuels my work and spirit?  It would be the preservation of wild places for their own integrity and for the role these places play in the well-being of everyone.

A.P.: What has been your favorite environmental/conservation story to photograph in recent times?

T.W.: Last summer, I was hired by The Nature Conservancy to document a new project underway in the Northern Territories (featured in the recent issue of Nature Conservancy Magazine).  The Conservancy working with the Aboriginal Land Council purchased a huge cattle station (ranch) west of Darwin, created an indigenous protected area and were training aboriginals to be rangers.  What made the story so fascinating is that the area is being managed with a unique blend of indigenous and scientific methods.  The aboriginals are fire people, using fire to manage large tracts of savannah.  Now using GPS, GIS and satellite tracking devices, they record their burn acreage, and sell the carbon credits to Australian companies.  Not only are they doing helpful prescribed burns, but they’re earning money to continue their indigenous ways.  It was a great story, blending the new and the old.  Plus what a place to be!

A.P.: You’ve authored 10 nonfiction children’s books over the course of your career. How did you get from editorial photography to children’s book publishing?

T.W.: In 1990, I did a magazine piece on the Bigfoot Memorial Ride, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Wounded Knee massacre in South Dakota.  I followed an 8-year-old on a 5-day ride in -50 degree temperatures.  An editor in New York saw the story  and gave me the chance to write a children’s book about the boy’s journey.  That was the beginning.  At the time, there were very few non-fiction photo and text books.  So it was a chance to help open up a new genre.  For me, it was a way to bring the real world to kids and to have 40 pages or so to do a story.  What magazine would do that?

A.P.: You spent many years photographing in Mongolia. What was it that drew you to Mongolia?

T.W.: Shortly after Mongolia got its independence from Russia in 1995, I met two Mongolian conservationists at a journalism conference in Boulder, CO.  When I asked them why they were at the conference, they said they had 13 national parks but not one piece of printed information about the parks.  I couldn’t believe it.  At the time, I was living near Yellowstone, and I tried to imagine that park without a postcard, map, you name it.  Mongolia was a mystery to most Americans, but as they showed me photos, I fell in love with the landscape.  It resembled Wyoming and Montana, same animals, same birds, except with nomads living in yurts and no fences for 2,000 miles.  That’s all it took, and within a year I had started a non-profit to publish interpretive materials for Mongolian parks.  It’s now like a second home.

A.P.: Psyched for Peyton or sad to see Tebow go?

T.W.: Sorry, I don’t follow religious news.

To view more images from Ted Wood, visit Aurora Photos.

Robert Benson is an editorial and commercial photographer based in San Diego. For a recent project, he took his camera to the open seas, high-end restaurants, and production plants to document the urchin industry. The urchins are plucked one by one off the ocean floor, processed in California and shipped worldwide in less than a day. Benson, working with feature writer Dave Good, chronicles the urchin’s journey from sea to plate.

Aurora Photos: Peter Halmay, who you photographed for this story, said he banned bananas on his fishing boat because he believes that the fruit brings bad luck. Do you have any superstitions, rituals, or beliefs when it comes to shooting?’

Robert Benson: None whatsoever. In fact, I’ve done a lot of foolish things while shooting. I remember shooting a story about a private company that sprayed for mosquitos in swampy areas of Virginia in the summer. To get unique images, I walked behind the truck as it slowly sprayed, in the chemical mist, which was backlit by the sun. I’m sure that will come back to haunt me….

At a motocross truck race I mounted a camera on a monpod in the dirt bank of a hairpin turn. As the trucks raced through the curve, they immediately buried the camera in two feet of muck and mud, and nearly ran over it.

I’ve shot in lightning and rain, tetered on chairs and other unstable things, and have broken just about every other rule in the superstition book. So no, I don’t follow protocol in that regard.

A.P.: This piece is about nature, industry, food and people.  What do you like about this subject? How did you get involved in photographing the urchin industry?

R.B.: Most American’s gag reflex kicks in when they smell, or touch or eat urchin, but I love it. I lived in Japan for seven years and quickly acquired the taste for it. I found out only recently that a large part of the world’s sea urchin comes from waters here in California, and remember seeing a sign once near that waterfront that was handwritten and read “live sea urchin”. I dug a little deeper, met a urchin diver, and he was kind enough to let me on his boat for a few trips. I wanted to experience some of what this world was all about. I feel like I’ve become a sea uchin expert. I know how they grade the quality, how they are cracked open, how they are prepared, how they are shipped, etc.

A.P.: “Uni”, or urchin, is best eaten right on the boat, fresh out of the water. Did you sample the urchin? What sort of odd or unique experiences have you had while you were photographing?

R.B.: I fed the fish on my first trip, vomiting good a couple of times overboard as Pete’s small boat rocked heavily in four foot seas. This was surprising to me, since I spent so much time onboard larger ships in the Navy without incident. I did eat the urchin onboard. We cracked a few on the boat, and scooped out the gonads with a spoon, while the spiny urchin continued to move. The salt sea water gave it a great after taste. Definitely a unique and good taste.

A.P.: You have another series in which you documented trophy rooms. You’ve also photographed fisherman. Is there a certain element to “the thrill of the hunt” that you relate to?

R.B.: I like exploring things that are uncommon to me – and most people. I love fishing too. Grew up in Minnesota.

A.P.: In this story, you photographed underwater, in factories, on boats and in restaurants. Does the way you photograph vary in different types of locations? What advice do you have about lighting, technology and approach?

R.B.: I shot most of this story in film – as much as I could afford to shoot on a personal project at least…. It gets expensive. Most of what I shoot for income are portraits, lit, and choreographed, and planned….. I come from a newspaper photojournalism backround and haven’t been doing a lot of that, so it was nice to document what’s happening, instead of creating what’s happening, which I do with commercial or portrait shoots.

To view more images from Robert Benson, visit Aurora Photos.
To view Robert Benson’s portfolio, visit Novus Select. 

Aurora Photographer Stacy Pearsall knows Veterans; not only is she one her self, she has worked for such programs as the Wounded Warrior Program, Real Warriors and other Veteran programs promoting the health of Vets. Stacy has taken her work nation wide and has even appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show and the NBC Nightly News. After being medically retired from the service in 2007, Stacy moved forward and started the Charleston Center for Photography. We were fortunate enough to have Stacy answer a couple questions for us.

Aurora Photos: How has your own experience as a solider affect your photography and life?

Stacy Pearsall: During my time as a combat photographer, I developed leadership skills, independence and confidence. I grew photographically and was given many opportunities to develop personal projects outside of my everyday military work. My passport was full and I’d seen over 41 countries by the age of 25, which is more than I had ever dreamed. My responsibilities were immense for a young woman of my age. I was required to maintain thousands of dollars worth of camera gear, stay current on weapons qualifications, remain in-the-know about new technology, arrange my own international travel, develop photo stories, shoot, caption and transmit remotely in a timely manner – all while dodging bullets in the worst war-torn countries. Wearing a uniform and staying away from home for months at a time made me appreciate all that I have and value my friends and family so much more. People I’d never have the chance to meet, are now friends for life simply because we served together. We are bound by a commonality, a shared experience, a life no one else can really understand – we’re veterans of the military. It’s amazing how small this fraternity really is and how much of a family we are, no matter what generation, be it WWII, Korea, Vietnam, OEF, OIF or what have you. I’m fortunate to have the title veteran and am proud to be associated with all veterans. If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t change a bit because I attribute my skills and training as a photographer and my work ethic as a professional all to my military service.

A.P: Can you tell us briefly about your portraits of Veterans for the Charleston VA Hospital?

S.P: After being wounded in action in 2007, I was medically evacuated from Iraq. I went through months of recovery and multiple medical procedures. Eventually, I was told that I couldn’t continue my job as a combat photographer and was medically retired from service. To say I was devastated would be the understatement of the century. I transferred my medical care from active duty military doctors over to the VA. I spent countless hours in many waiting rooms among numerous other vets, who were mostly older males of WWII, Korea and Vietnam Era. They’d ask, “Are you here with your dad?” and I’d chuckle and shake my head. “No sir,” I’d respond, “I’m a veteran.” A look of astonishment would wash over their faces, which was often followed by a floodgate of questions. After exchanging so many stories with wonderful veterans, it occurred to me that I should start making their portraits. I started by bringing my camera to my doctor’s appointments and while I was waiting to see the doctor, I’d take pictures. Then I began to bring a backdrop and lights between appointments and shoot more portraits. I eventually spent the entire year shooting them and obtained 300 plus veterans’ portraits. I never intended for the pictures to go anywhere other then in the hands of the vets. However, the art curator at the Charleston VA asked if they could install a permanent exhibit of a selection of the portraits down the main hallway of the hospital. I was thrilled and the vets have center-stage with their names and branches of service below their pictures.

A.P: How has your work at the Charleston Center for Photography changed the way you approach your own photography?

S.P: I continue to push myself photographically and what’s surprising is my students at the Charleston Center for Photography (CCforP) continue to inspire me. Everyone has an individual, creative vision and I truly enjoy watching other budding photographers make beautiful work. I find that CCforP affords me the opportunity to stay on the pulse of new technology and even test new gear, beta test software and put camera gear through its paces. CCforP really keeps me “in-the-know” and I love it. Plus, I get to work with my husband, combat veteran and fellow photographer, Andy Dunaway.

A.P: Do you have any upcoming projects that you can share with us?

S.P: I am currently working on two different veteran photo stories. One story is about incarcerated veterans and the VA’s initiative to intercede on their behalf. They are doing their best to go into prison systems and get veterans the care they need, whether that be metal health, drug rehabilitation or the like. The second story is about the rise of women veterans’ homelessness. It’s a very important topic, especially because I am a female veteran. I’ve been trying my best to advocate on behalf of other women vets and raise awareness about their needs. This is just one of those very basic needs female vets need right now.

To view more images from Stacy Pearsall, visit Aurora Photos.

Peter Essick / Aurora Photos

Aurora Photos: In a project published in National Geographic and featured by NPR, you paid homage to Ansel Adams and the Sierra Nevada wilderness area that is named after him. Ansel Adams is undoubtedly the world’s most famous environmental photographer. What about his work is meaningful and interesting to you?

Peter Essick: I like the timeless quality and purity of vision in the work of Ansel Adams. I could relate to the story of how he found solace in nature when he first started photographing in the Sierra Nevada. This story on the Ansel Adams Wilderness was meant to be a tribute to someone who has influenced many photographers and also someone who was a tireless advocate for wilderness.

 A.P: In your blog, you write often about both serendipity and preparation and how they affect image making. For this project, how much did you rely on chance, and how much did you rely on prior planning?

 P.E: I planned the trips the best that I could in respect to trying to go in different seasons and hiking to places that sounded interesting in the guidebook. However, as is usually the case in landscape photography the best pictures were not planned but came as the result of either dramatic lighting conditions or weather events.

 A.P: These photos are all about nature. But you are also widely recognized for your photos of people and cultures. How is your mindset, technique and behavior different when photographing these different subjects?

P.E: I choose the equipment based on whether I am planned to photograph landscapes or people. I like to think of it as a static bag and an action bag. For landscapes it is usually all about a tripod, full frame sensor and slow exposure for great depth of field. For people I use the Canon camera that recycles faster and often shoot wide open. However, in both situations I use a documentary approach where I try to just observe as best as I can and alter the scene as little as possible.

A.P: You have followed the footsteps of photographer Ansel Adams in the Sierra Nevada wilderness and renowned anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski in the Trobriand Islands. What other prominent figures inspire you? Whose work would you like to profile next?

P.E: The two other great figures in respect to the American environmental movement are John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt. I don’t have any projects involving either at the moment, but would like to figure out some way to do a story about them.

Peter Essick / Aurora Photos

To view more images from Peter Essick, visit Aurora Photos.

Ron Koeberer / Aurora Photos

Aurora Photos: Your situation shooting on movie sets is pretty unique among our contributing photographers. Can you tell us a bit about the experience while on set and how you create images during productions?

Ron Koeberer: I am currently working on a feature film is San Francisco and yes, it is a unique experience. I am always flattered when I am hired as the unit stills photographer. But how tough can it really be . . . the film crew provides locations / sets, dresses the actors up, adds make-up and props, lights the scene and I take the photograph. I know I am over simplifying things but I really do believe I have the easiest job on set.

I got my start if you will, photographing student films.  First I asked if I can shoot some stills; promised I would not walk in front of the camera, step on any toes, or be in the shot too many times. And I hoped I would get invited back. (All this is for free mind you.) And I didn’t so I was. Slowly I started building a portfolio and then with a little luck and perseverance my images attracted some attention, and people start calling me and eventually started paying me.

I was very fortunate to have had one of the best stills photographers in the business as a mentor and friend. He was invaluable at the start (and still is); critiquing my work, answering questions, and keeping my spirits up and eventually referring me to his clients when he was unavailable. What small amount of success I have had, I owe much of it to my good friend.  It’s a tough business, far more difficult than I thought it would be to break into. While you clearly must have the technical ability, know your way around a set and the set protocol, getting a job many times comes down to relationships and who you know.

It’s a great job if you don’t mind the long hours, the difficult locations, and the seemingly endless waiting around and then not being able to get the shot you so desperately want.  But when I am on set, looking through my camera lens, there is no other place on earth I would rather be.  I remember one of first real films I worked on. It was a student film but it had very high production values.  It was 1930’s boxing movie and they had made this great boxing ring set in an old warehouse; complete with extras all dressed for that period. As I walked on set that morning they were just starting to rehearse so I quickly grabbed my camera. Then, as I looked through the lens it was like being transported back in time, the hairs on my neck literally stood up. It was a magical experience.

A. P: Your spin on image making provides moody, sometimes ethereal pictures. Do you naturally see in this way?

R. K: As somebody one said . . . “photography is knowing where to stand.” And I have always contended, and with much disagreement by others, that if any other photographer was standing where I stood and saw what I saw, they would have taken the same photograph. But a more direct answer to would be yes. I think I do intentionally look for those moments: compositions that convey powerful emotions, drama, or something that one would not normally see.

In my opinion, I think that much of that has to do with removing your “filters” and just shooting, not thinking and taking the millisecond to ask yourself the question . . . why am I taking this photograph?

Because by then it may be too late. I try to go by instinct and emotions. Then, in the editing process I ask myself that question and I try and find what was appealing, what caused me to take the photograph.  Sometimes it may take some manipulation, cropping, etc. to realize what motivated me. I’m not saying it’s always there or that I am always successful, I’m not. But I try and learn from my mistakes which are many. In most cases this is how I try and approach much of my photography. I’m also not above avoiding the obvious great “stock” shot if it is staring me in the face, the one I do not have to go looking for. And I try to avoid directing. I just don’t have the patience for that and don’t think I am particularly good at it. I think my strong suit is recognizing a shot when I see it. And what is important to remember is that when I am on a movie or TV set photographing, I have zero authority to direct or position people. I must find a way to get “the shot” without interfering with the production of it. Occasionally I do receive some prior guidance from the publicity department at the studio as to what kinds of images they need, but aside from that, I am left alone to shoot what I want.  That kind of freedom is priceless.

A.P: What subject or scenario excites you most these days when shooting?

R.K: Lately I have been shooting a lot of reality TV shows. It’s tough as there are no rehearsals, cameras are everywhere, you never know what is going to happen next, and it’s very fast paced and typically poorly lit.  But I figure if I can do a decent job in that environment, it just makes me better a better photographer, and is good training for when when I work on a feature film like I am doing now where you can have multiple opportunities to capture that great shot. It’s still not easy for me, but at least I get more chances.

I have shot my fair share of student films (and still do now and again, my way of giving back), spec. commercials, stage plays, “experimental films” and many feature length films. But if I had to pick a subject or scenario I would have to go with a feature length film, one preferably shot sometime in the past, a period piece with great acting and script, exciting and exotic locations so I can once again, be transported back in time. . .

And finally, stock photography is what I do between films.  My wife and I travel as much as we can, and I take photos when we do so. I also try and give myself assignments and keep my eyes open for photographic opportunities. The beautiful part of all this is that I have a great editor at Aurora who puts up with poorly edited submissions and succeeds in finding a few gems now and again.  At least we hope so. I am blessed with the best of both worlds.

Ron Koeberer / Aurora Photos

Ron Koeberer / Aurora Photos

To view more images from Ron Koeberer, visit Aurora Photos.

Woods Wheatcroft / Aurora Photos

Aurora Photos: Your images are playful and amusing, how do you stay creative and inspired?

Woods Wheatcroft: I consider myself a playful and amusing person…!! So basically if i just stay in touch with myself and surround myself with positive fun loving folk while i am shooting,  i usually come away with a frame or two that resonate and communicate this truth. I also keep a journal and have since i was 16.  The journals are my creative sounding board. Everything from shot ideas to colors to concepts i like are all pasted and penned into one book that i refer to often.

A.P: If you could go anywhere on assignment, where would you go?

W.W: Hmmmmm…Hold on…I’m going to go look at my atlas…Currently i am inspired to shoot big wide open spaces on this planet. Dry, arid,big planetary feel. So maybe the Aral Sea in Russian Republics, Atacama desert in Northern Chile, the Gobi…or the opposite…some bubbly warm tropical island in the remote South Pacific!!

A.P: We think your bike commuters series is great. Tell us a bit about your interest in the project.

W.W: My interest spawned in a collaboration with Peter Dennen. It has evolved into a nice personal project and one in which I am not out there amassing frames just for the sake of seeing how many people I can take pictures of that ride their bike. It’s has become a little more than that. I am searching out unique people, situations, and aiming to capture people who truly love their bicycle and the lifestyle that comes with it. And the fact that they use it as a substitute for an automobile is an added bonus…However, I do hope to continue to build the numbers and have the project increase the influence and importance of alternative transportation.  With gas prices rising again, I think the timing for pushing this idea out there is fine.  Also, National Bike to Work Week is the last week of this month…

Woods Wheatcroft / Aurora Photos

Woods Wheatcroft / Aurora Photos

To view more images from Woods Wheatcroft, visit Aurora Photos.

Kenyan marathon runners run in the high desert of Santa Fe, NM

Aurora Photos: You were recently featured in PDN’s 30 New and Emerging Photographers, can you describe briefly the steps you’ve taken to get to where you are today?

Ryan Heffernan: Building my career to date has been an adventure.

Its been a combination of constantly making images, finding mentors for constructive feedback, creating portfolios from bodies of work and trying to get that work in front of the right people in the industry.  I love it all and it certainly keeps me busy.

Being included in PDN’s 30 this year is a huge honor and has been a great opportunity for reaching a larger audience with my work.  Aurora has also been incredibly helpful in getting my work out in the world along with helping provide a marketing outlet for strong personal shoots.

A.P: Your portfolio ranges from photographing the Kenyan marathon runners to captureing a fantastic looking English Bulldog, how do you approach each shoot? Do you have any shoot that stands out among the rest?

R.H: I’ve been extremely fortunate to make a living photographing things that I love. Running and bulldogs fall right in there. I try to tell stories with my images and am constantly looking for interesting angles, using natural and artificial lighting, and utilizing post-processing when needed to push the image to create something beautiful.

A.P: In our highlighted shot of Kenyan marathon runners in the desert of Santa Fe, NM, can you describe how the project came together?

R.H: It started off as a personal project.  I was introduced to a group of Kenyan marathon runners in Santa Fe, NM through a fly fishing buddy who’s an avid runner.  The Kenyans were living in Santa Fe for 8 months out of the year, training and trying to win an income by running medium and large US marathons.  When winter came they would return Kenya to be with their families. They all were incredibly nice and excited about doing a photo shoot.  So we scouted some great locations in northern New Mexico and pulled the shoot together.  We’ve done a number of other shoots since and they’ve become good friends.

A portrait of a group of Kenyan marathon runners taking a break

To view more images from Ryan Heffernan, visit Aurora Photos.