If you’re looking to enjoy the pristine and rugged beauty of nature, then you’ll love the works of featured artist, Scott Bacon. Scott loves capturing the beauty of rugged and remote places all around the globe from the amazing diversity of New Zealand to the majestic beauty of Denali National Park. Scott’s images are all about “representing the beauty of the natural world…the beauty that is all around us.”

When viewing any of Scott’s images, you’ll find your mind quickly wandering to these beautiful places ready to see the next breath taking view. This gift of exploration is exactly what Scott tries to accomplish in each of his photographs.  “One thing that I like to weave into my images is a sense of discovery. Some of my best images are of places that few people know about and are sometimes very difficult to get- deep within the wilderness” says Scott.

When I asked Scott about his most memorable photo shoot location, he said it was Denali National Park after several days of clouds and rain.  “I woke up really early and watched the sunrise, spreading light over Mt McKinley…it was one of those jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring mornings when you can hardly believe how beautiful the world can be.”  So, it should be no surprise that Scott’s favorite time to shoot is dawn. “There is a certain quiet and promise as each day begins.” And when it comes to his favorite time of year… “it’s probably fall- the golden trees, rusty tundra, crisp mornings and warm afternoons…it’s a great time of year here in Colorado.”

And in terms of the next photo destination Scott looks forward to visiting, he plans to go on a trip to Wyoming this summer. He’s planning on going on a 5 day backpack trip in the Wind River Mountains exploring new areas and revisiting the amazing place, Cirque of the Towers. And if Scott had the option to go anywhere in the world…he said, “I would really love to go to Patagonia… and someday I will.” (All I can say, is that I can’t wait for Scott to go as I know his pictures will be amazing!)

In Scott’s travels he loves capturing images of “the pristine wilderness where there are no roads, no trails and no noises except the chirping birds, rustling wind and babbling streams.”  But out of all his travels, Scott’s favorite place to photograph is New Zealand.  “For a landscape photographer, it really has everything- mountains and glaciers, rain forests and waterfalls, beaches and oceans.” New Zealand was also extra special because he spent his honeymoon there and now looks forward to going back with his entire family.

Now the proud parent of two wonderful children, Scott plans 4-5 dedicated photo trips a year and squeezes in time to shoot on the weekends and early mornings before his day begins as a software engineer.  As a software engineer and “techie,” Scott has been able to share his work with a worldwide audience through the use of his landscape photography website, BaconPhoto.com. Make sure you check out his extensive gallery of images from around the world as it’s like going on a photo vacation from the comfort of your home. And, if you’d like to keep informed of Scott’s adventures, you can read his nature photo blog or shop online to buy any of his selection of fine art prints.

This week’s featured artist is an extraordinary landscape photographer named Jesse Speer. Jesse’s images provide a window into the truly exquisite beauty of nature by capturing it in unique ways. His style and artistic expression makes his nature photography distinct and a wonderful representation of photographic art in its best form. So, without further adieu here is my interview with the talented Jesse Speer.

What specifically inspired you to become a landscape photographer?

Jesse: “I spent my entire childhood roaming the suburbs of Kansas City, Kansas. True, wild nature was hard to come by … or so I thought at the time. I had no appreciation for what I considered to be a very “boring” Kansas landscape. As early as I can remember, I was completely captivated by the Colorado mountains. In fact, the Rocky Mountains stirred my soul like no other place that I had encountered in the travels of my youth. The westward pull was strong, and eventually I gave in. After graduating from the University of Kansas with a fine arts degree, I decided to take some time off from life’s routine and enjoy some mountain living. I had a degree, but I had no idea what I was going to “do” in life. So, I opted for a period of adventure and life experience.

I landed in the small town of Estes Park, Colorado – the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. What was supposed to be a summer of fun turned into an amazing 10-year stretch of life. I spent many years roaming the wild mountains – hiking and backpacking in some of the country’s most spectacular scenery. These experiences resonated with me far more than any other life experience to date. In fact, there were times that I felt more at home in nature than I did back in the real world. I started carrying a camera to capture and to share these experiences. Nature photography fed a creative hunger that I hadn’t come close to satisfying in all my young years. And the rest is history.

The Rocky Mountains continue stir my soul like no other place. And I still look forward to the day that I can return to my roots in Kansas and walk through the quiet grasslands and stark forests with my camera in hand.”

What are you most proud of when it comes to your photography?

Jesse: “Breaking the barriers, limitations and traditions – mostly self imposed – that drive me to create ordinary images. Which is hard to do with nature and landscape photography. For so many years, I wanted my work to grace the covers of calendars, fill the pages of books and generally achieve a certain level of commercial success. Today, I am thankful to have a solid career as a graphic artist – which allows me to pursue photography without restraint, rules or any one golden path to success. I shoot what I want to shoot. I’m continuing to learn how to break the rules, and to produce my own brand of art – and hopefully still inspire others to an appreciation for the natural world.”

I know you want to inspire others to appreciate nature but what do you want your work to represent?

Jesse: “When I first started out in nature photography, I had no aspirations for reaching a large audience with my photographs. I simply found a need to photograph, in order to satisfy my own creative hunger. But over time, I’m been fortunate enough to connect with a large number of people through my work, and have realized the impact that my photography has on a good number of people. It’s both humbling and inspiring at the same time. And quite honestly, I don’t fully understand it most of the time. My photography is quite simply an extension of how I see nature. I do not adhere to any one set of ideals in either the creation of my art or in the hopes of how my art is perceived. But this ability to reach other people in a meaningful manner certainly feeds the inner fire that motivates me to continue shooting. But I would still be out there doing this even if nobody else was looking.”

How is your work different than other landscape photographers? How do you market your work?

Jesse: “A couple of years ago, I realized that I was getting quite bored with my own photography. Part of it was a self-awareness that the photographs in my portfolio weren’t really that different than the work being churned out by 1,000’s of other photographers. Part of it was also due to the fact that my own creative needs were starting to evolve – or better yet, were being forgotten in favor of my commercial aspirations. So lately, I’ve been in a phase of self-experimentation and refinement – a process that will continue to develop for many years. I’m starting to shoot what comes naturally for me, as I abandon my long-standing goals and aspirations for commercial success. And strangely enough, my commercial success is beginning to really take off. I’ve managed to connect with a certain audience who appreciates my shooting style – and large segment of this group is art consultants and interior designers. The result has been both very lucrative and very rewarding as an artist – to see my work put to creative uses by other people.

My career as a graphic artist gives me very little time to devote to photographic marketing, but a majority of my efforts are concentrated on this growing market. And I continue to develop a photographic style – or better yet, a realization of what it is that makes my photographs unique. I’m only now beginning to exploit this new-found knowledge.

I’ve also been showcasing my photography through various self-published websites for more than 10 years – which is what has driven the level of notoriety and success that I’ve achieved to date. As a result, the internet has brought an unbelievable amount of work to my door over the years. I rely heavily on maintaining good websites with good search engine placement, and in maintaining good relationships with my clients and professional contacts. I also keep in touch with my audience as much as possible, which is happening mostly through Facebook these days. The personable and highly interactive nature of these social community websites is a no-brainer for artist participation.”

I notice that your gallery is full of many different types of landscape photography, is there any type of landscape photography that is your favorite?

Jesse: “Images that showcase the elements of nature – the smaller slices of beauty that are often overlooked – these are the types of images that give me an adrenaline rush. I’ve realized that one of my strengths as a photographer is the ability to capture the essence of any given location. Not always the grand scenic or the glorious sunset, but often the smaller elements within the big picture. The way the light is hitting a certain tree, a certain leaf or even a certain blade of grass. Making these types of photographs speaks more about how I relate to nature, and provide the greatest reward in my photographic pursuits.”

Is your website the primary place for purchasing your work?

Jesse: “Today, the internet is the only place to purchase my work. I’ve made my name and have reached a certain level of success primarily via the internet. At some point, I plan to be more involved with the gallery scene. But for now, I enjoy being able to keep up with making my own prints and licensing my digital files for various purposes. I always give my customers a money-back guarantee – regardless of the reason – to provide some peace of mind for buying art online.”

In the Rocky Mountains, what is your all time favorite public place for shooting?

Jesse: “Without doubt, it is the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. This is a very broad area, but my favorite locations are found here … Ice Lake Basin, the Weminuche Wilderness, the Uncompahgre Wilderness are at the top of my list.”

What is your favorite time of day and time of year to shoot? Is there any particular type of weather that you like the most?

Jesse: “I honestly love shooting all day, and welcome the challenge of shooting throughout the day. Many landscape photographers focus on the magic hours of the day – at sunrise and sunset – but I take pride in challenging myself to make good photographs at any hour. But there is no question that autumn is my favorite time of the year to shoot. Wandering through an aspen forest in mid-morning or late-afternoon … it doesn’t get any better.

I can also be found wandering into the mountains in the worst weather. The type of weather that drives most people to the comfort of home is what gets my photographic adrenaline pumping. The time periods both before and after the summer thunderstorms that are so common in the Rocky Mountains often present extraordinary moments of light. I endure a good deal of wind, rain, lightning and hail in the hopes of making unique photographs.”

While shooting in nature, what has been your most memorable experience?

Jesse: “The attempt of photographic a pre-dawn landscape scene in Grand Teton National Park in the spring of 2009. I was doing some roadside photography one morning, and had drifted about 200 yards from my car – in a large meadow under the shadow of the towering Teton Range. As I was setting up my tripod and planned shot, a large herd of elk came charging over a nearby hillside, and continued to run directly at me. It was odd behavior, as else are usually running away from people. As they began to slip up and continued running past me, I realized the source of their distress. A grizzly bear was lumbering behind the heard, and was coming right at me. I made a beeline for my car, with only a few moments to spare. I watched the bear lazily lumber past my car toward a distant hillside – with what turned out to be no care for me or the elk. I had a good laugh, my nerves eventually calmed down and I spent the rest of the morning photographing from my car.”

I know that you’re a freelance graphic designer and help other photographers with their websites, which websites are you most proud of designing?

Jesse: ” Marc Adamus’ website design has been my personal favorite to date. It ended up being a perfect pairing of appropriate graphic design with his bold, stunning photography. I am also extremely proud of Michael Anderson’s website. It was the biggest website challenge I’ve had to date. But the result is visually rich, appropriate for the photography and most importantly – made the client extremely happy.”

Who are some of your favorite photographers that have inspired you?

Jesse: “I love looking at the work of other artists – and discovering new artists. But when it comes to my photography, I try not to let the work of others influence or inspire what I do with my camera. As a result, most of the photography I enjoy is outside the realm of landscape photography. That said, there are certain nature photographers whose imagery and photographic styles inspire me to better my own art. Some of these include:  Christopher Burkett, John Paul Caponigro, William Neill, Art Wolfe, Elliot Porter, Guy Tal, Michael E. Gordon.”

Make sure that you check out Jesse’s website and see his amazing nature photography portfolio of images where you can be inspired by his artistic talent or buy any of his images to decorate your home or office.

If you’re looking for inspiration, then this featured artist is for you. Her name is Varina Patel and she is a professional landscape photographer with a incredible portfolio of awe inspiring images and a sincere love of nature.

Her enthusiasm for photography and breath taking images will transport your mind to spectacular vistas and scenaries and leave you appreciating the incredible beauty of the planet we live on.  And in fact, this is exactly what Varina tries to accomplish with her images.  “If I can capture a single photograph – and present it in such a way that someone remembers for a moment just how lucky we are to call this planet home – then I’ve done what I set out to do.”

When I asked Varina about what she wants her work to represent, she said, “For me, landscape photography is about respect for the incredible planet we live on. I think we tend to take it for granted – it’s just another sunset, or just another wave, or just another bit of rock. But if you stop for a minute and really look at the land,  you start to realize that it’s much more than that. The incessant dripping of water carves a canyon in the sandstone. The constant push of the wind creates enormous, rippling dunes. And the sun… a medium-sized star so incredibly far away… provides an environment that supports a mind-boggling variety of life.”

Varina’s passion for photography started as a child in the seventh grade when she first took a photo class and used her dad’s Pentax K1000.  “I learned to develop my film in the darkroom and I started making my own prints… and I’ve been shooting ever since.” Although photography is Karina’s  passion and her full time job, her kids are her greatest source of pride. “The photos of my kids aren’t always perfect, but they represent the most important part of my life.”

Varina has a diverse collection of landscape photographs from all over the US and travels about once a month with her husband, Jay (also a talented landscape photographer) in pursuit of new stunning images.  Even though she tries hard not to spend much time away from her kids, she loves working together with her husband and sharing their mutual love for photography. “It’s neat to share something I love so much with someone who feels the same way.”

When it comes to choosing her favorite type of weather to to photograph “that’s an easy one” she says. “I love stormy skies, heavy thunderheads, mist hanging in the valleys, sunbeams against a deep blue background and when the sun peeks through a gap in the clouds just as it’s about to drop below the horizon… that’s when my world becomes perfect.” Although this post features a few of Varina’s works, if you really want to be inspired then check out her extensive online photo gallery.

With so many stunning landscape pictures, you’ll be sure to find one of Varina’s works that will captivate you.  You can purchase any one of Varina’s landscape images at VisionLightGallery.com. You can also keep in touch with Varina on her cool landscape photo blog or through Twitter. And,  if you’re looking to fine tune your photographic skills, Varina and her husband Jay also teach webinars so be sure to visit her website at Photography by Varina for more details.

This week we’re featuring photographer and third generation photography business owner, Jason Lee. Jason is well recognized for his award winning wedding photography and his unique photo journalist style that captures the attention of brides everywhere. Jason has received a variety of photographic awards and recognition for his work as well as an impressive selection of thank you notes from clients over the last 17 years.

Jason works out of his third generation photography studio, Lee Photo, in Auburn, California and offers a wide range of photography services such as portraits, wedding photography and digital photo restoration.  Although Jason is most known for his wedding photography, he is passionate about photographing images that represent the images and emotions of people.  His experience is widely varied from working with families and models to shooting the photographs of  the award winning film, The Weight of It.

When I asked Jason what makes his photography stand out he said it comes down to the emotion and artistic expression that he tries to capture in every shot. He views photography as more than just taking a picture but being able to capture an expression and emotion that will help his clients treasure their memories for a lifetime. This is certainly the case as he recently received a note from a wedding client that he took over 11 years ago. The couple simply wrote him to thank him how much they still enjoyed their wedding photos eleven years later. It’s this type of impression that Jason leaves with his clients that is certainly a cut above the rest.

And for the sake of full disclosure, Jason is also my brother and part of the YourPictureFrames.com family. However, I can honestly say that even if he wasn’t my brother I would still be a big fan of his photography