March Featured Photo – Frosty Stone, Alaska
“The art of photography is more than taking pictures…”
These images from Daniel Hartsfield of the outdoors are a result of a lifelong love of the outdoors, and the love for wildlife in their natural habitat. His passion for outdoor photography stems back over 30 years. Spending time in the places where wildlife are at home is where the images have their own story, a story that Daniel wishes to share with the world through his camera lens.
The art of photography is more than taking pictures of a subject. When Daniel watches a 1200 pound Grizzly bear catch a ground squirrel on the tundra, or catching a silver salmon from a lake or stream, well, to him it is breathtaking. To watch and hear a pair of Common Loons on a pristine lake is more than words can describe. To capture either of these with the lens of his camera at just the right moment, to Daniel is the art of photography.
Any type of wildlife is always unpredictable for the photographer, such as being too close to a grizzly bear! Trying to get close to big animals like bear, moose, dall sheep, rams, elk, caribou, and whitetail deer are all a waiting game in many types of weather conditions. Very seldom do you get the photo the first time. On Daniel’s 7th trip though Wyoming and Montana he finally got the desired photo of Pronghorn Antelope. It may take weeks to get that still tripod photo of a pair of Trumpeter Swans in early spring.
On a Landscape photography shoot of Lake Reflections it took him three days for the wind to die down enough for a mirror image of the mountains in the lake. Although, Daniel has found that Landscapes, Mountainscapes, Waterscapes, and Autumnscapes are somewhat easier to capture the photo than wildlife. He still requires certain protocol for the best outdoor shot. Time of day, color palettes, weather, people, traffic activity, and settings all are a factor in telling his story through the lens. Daniel also, loves to work with Artscapes to create Macro photos of elements from the outdoors. Using the exact settings to acquire patterns, colors, texture in the wild to make, as he calls them Artscapes.
Another passion of Daniel’s is Waterfowlscapes. He’s had the pleasure to experience, with camera in hand the migration of waterfowl out of and into Alaska and the far north. These stunning images such as Canada Geese, or Mallard and Sea Ducks are another part of what he enjoys about being an outdoor wildlife photographer.
One more section of Daniels Outdoor Photography is based on Antiques. These images are mostly ole antique equipment or muscle cars, some dating back almost a century. You may find these outdoor images of interest as some may be your favorite Auto like a 1960 Corvette, and some of which you’ve never seen before like a 1923 Holt Caterpillar, depending on how young or old you are. Appropriately, called Antiquescapes.
Daniel has traveled with his camera from the Mississippi Gulf Coast and many areas the southeast United States including Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Swamp, like the Mossy Cypress at Lake Fausse. Through and up to the Mississippi River headwaters in northern Minnesota. He’s photographed wildlife in the northwest, and captured the velvet mountains of Montana. See stunning photos of Yellowstone Streams, and Landscapes of the Grand Canyon. While in parts of Western Canada and the Canada Rockies he noticed that minus 30 temps would zap his DSLR battery very quickly, so he always takes a extra hot battery when putting his lens on a huge Wild Buffalo in the Frosty Yukon.
While living in Alaska Daniel has done photography during the Winter sport called Iditarod race. Here he’s captured for many years the outdoor event of the true animal athletes, Sleddogs and the mushers. He calls this section of outdoor photography the Iditarodscapes.
Also, Daniel has traveled to the Florida Keys with beautiful Waterscapes and very colorful large male Iguanas or in areas of the Domincan Republic to capture photos of the life, culture, and Landscapes of a D.R. Mountain Village.
Nothing is more of a compliment to Daniel’s work than for you to purchase a print, canvas, or metal print of his outdoor photography. Daniel Hartsfield Outdoor Photography would love, more than you know, for you to frame his work in your home, office, or business. So the world can see what he sees through his focused lens.
Daniel says, “His favorite photo is the next outdoor photo”. He never knows where his inspired outdoor photo from God’s Creation will come from next.