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Hi - my name is Brad Hill. I'm a full-time rabid nature photographer whose major focus is conservation. I reside in the southern Columbia Valley of British Columbia, Canada. Our home is wedged between the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Purcell Mountains to the west. I live here with my longtime partner Patti and our two almost human Portuguese Water Dogs - Diego and Jose. The area in which I live has been called the "Serengeti of North America." It's not a bad place for a nature photographer to live, I say with my tongue firmly in place in my cheek!
I currently concentrate my photographic efforts in North America and, in particular, western Canada. I like to use the term "conservation photographer" to describe myself, rather than the more limiting terms of "wildlife photographer" or "bird photographer" or even "bear photographer" (though I suspect some of the locals in the community in which I live probably think I'm a bit of a "bear nut"). Much of my photographic effort is channeled towards regional and national conservation issues in Canada. I'm keen to aim my camera at almost anything "natural", though I tend to do more wildlife photography (including birds) than landscape photography.
My photographic goal is to extract and expose the "natural art" that is all around us. My workflow is driven totally by image quality, not speed. The approach that works best for me is to concentrate on locations that are "close to home" where I can become intimately familiar with the local flora and fauna, their annual cycles, and the area's lighting characteristics. I normally take one or two annual trips to slightly more exotic locations, such as BC's Great Bear Rainforest or Churchill, MB (also known as "Polar Bear Central").
What pathway led me to where I am today? A somewhat indirect one, but it all makes sense to me - I would even argue that I was “pre-adapted” to become a nature photographer in the digital age! My formal training is in biology (B.Sc. Environmental Biology, M.Sc. Behavioural Ecology). Following my master’s degree I taught biology at universities and colleges in Calgary, Alberta. I then made a 90 degree turn and became an “entrepreneur and small business owner” (which is code for “bike store owner”). A decade or so later I began my transition toward becoming a creative professional when I started a small design firm specializing in print and online design. Somehow that morphed into a full-time position with Adobe Systems (on the Adobe.com web team) and soon after to my role as Vice President of Online Strategy and Design with Getty Images in Seattle. The obvious next step? Well, full-time nature photography, of course. Makes perfect sense - right? Go figure! But it’s a perfect fit - and I love it.
My work can be viewed on my website: www.naturalart.ca
My photographic services include:
Limited Edition Photographic Prints (www.naturalart.ca/prints/)
Instructional Photo Tours (www.naturalart.ca/seminars/)
Stock Photography (www.naturalart.ca/stock/)
And...coming soon...both instructional and coffee-table style books (but it’s a secret - so don’t tell anyone!).