Weldon Lee presents “The Nest Step” on August 21, 2017 at 7pm, Lone Tree Civic Center.
Most of us take our cameras into the field because we like making photographs and sharing them with our friends. We make copies to decorate the walls of our homes and offices. A few of us even find ways to transform these pursuits into a cash flow. In other words, photography for many is all about about making art. Why then, are we satisfied making only ‘nice’ photographs? With all the smart phone cameras in use today, just about anyone can do that. It’s time to go beyond the basic post processing techniques. It’s time to take the next step. It’s time to start producing works of art. During this presentation, Weldon will show you what he does to transform his photographs into works of art.
About Weldon Lee
Weldon Lee is one of America’s top wildlife photographers. With a career spanning some 30 odd years, his pursuit of wildlife has taken him around the globe to some of the world’s most exotic wildlife locations. He has a special way of communicating with animals and his images depict that relationship. His commitment to wildlife brings a fresh perspective to photography and is but one reason his images are popular among collectors worldwide.
His work has been exhibited in the Denver Museum of Natural History and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. A University of Northern Iowa photography professor ranks Weldon among the top five wildlife photographers in North America.
Weldon’s early work focused on wildlife in the Rocky Mountains. His first book, Watchable Birds of the Rocky Mountains, contains over 50 photographs depicting a cross-section of the avian species found throughout the Rocky Mountains. Erwin and Peggy Bauer, friends and lifelong wildlife photographers, said about his second book, “No region of North America offers so many opportunities for wildlife photographers as the Rocky Mountains. No one has ever described its wildlife and captured their natural beauty so thoroughly as Weldon Lee in A Guide to Photographing Rocky Mountain Wildlife.”
His third book, Bears of North America, was released in 2014, and his latest book, Rocky Mountain Wildlife, was published in 2016.
Weldon’s images have appeared in numerous magazines including Mature Outlook, National Wildlife, Backpacker, National Parks Magazine, Bird Watcher’s Digest, Outdoor Photographer, and Petersen’s PHOTOgraphic. As one of the Editors of Nature Photographer beginning in 2001, his images and articles have frequently appeared in that publication. In addition, his photos illustrate text and natural history books by Macmillan, Westcliffe, Falcon Press, and Roberts Rinehart to name just a few. Weldon’s work has been featured on all the major television networks including ABC, CBS, and NBC.
In January, 1995, Weldon was elected Chair of the Education Committee of the North American Nature Photography (NANPA) and served three years in that capacity. In addition to being a charter NANPA member, he is also a member of Rocky Mountain Outdoor Writers & Photographers and in 2007 received that organization’s Selected Works Award for Excellence in Photography. The American Bald Eagle Foundation honored Weldon as the 2010 Photographer of the Year.
“My pursuit of art,” proclaims Weldon, “was not a choice. It simply happened. I had little choice in the decision making process. With a burning passion for our wild brothers and sisters, there is little doubt which direction it would take me. The only question that arose was the medium. Should I paint? …or, should I pick up the camera? I chose the latter.”
“There are times,” he continues, “when Nature creates special moments and I just happen to be in the right place at the right time. These magical moments are Nature’s gifts and are given to me for a reason. In fact, there are times when I am not even sure who is making the image. Why would Nature be so generous? Simple. My wild brothers and sisters have a message they want to share with the people of the world and my photographs are simply one medium whereby they can do this. Therefore, I have an obligation to bring my images before the public. When you look at one of my photographs, I want you to pause for a moment …and with your spirit, listen to what the subject is telling to you. Whoever …whatever …created them, also created me. We’re made of the same dust. We share almost identical DNA. That makes us related, and is why I often refer to them as my wild brothers and sisters. This is my philosophy. This is who I am …and this is what, so I am told, is portrayed in my images.”
