I'm most at home when immersed in nature and natural settings. As an outgrowth of my desire to be in touch with nature, recording my personal experiences became an important step in that process. Whether wandering in my certified backyard wildlife habitat or roaming the wild places and national parks of our country, I'm driven to record the beauty and diversity of nature's bounty.
As a nearly lifelong resident of the state of Kansas, with a brief stint in Nebraska on the family farm, it would be fair to say that I have heartland roots and values. Raised on the outskirts of Kansas City there was ample time in my youth to wander the hills and streams with friends as we searched endlessly to quench youthful curiosity and fulfill childhood's mischievous impulses. That wanderlust extended to the expanses of the family farm in Rising City, Nebraska. There seemed a never ending supply of places to capture a child's imagination in the old barns and silos that graced the farm. Add to that the annual family vacation to visit relatives in the Rocky Mountains and you complete the picture of a young man's exposure to nature and some of its compelling mysteries.
My passion for photography began relatively late in life. Like so many others, the rigors of daily life and raising a wonderful family required most of my time. After years of filming my children in their many activities I unknowingly developed an eye for composition thru the video lens. When the demands for my time diminished, the pursuit of photography became a logical extension to my videography experience.
Most nature photographers share first and foremost the love of all things natural. Like others, I share a burning desire to experience firsthand the flora and fauna of our earth while striving to understand mankind's intimate role in the preservation of the vanishing natural environment. My respect for the natural world evolved into a desire to capture what I observe on film and share my personal vision with others. I employ Canon film and digital SLR bodies in a quest to capture my experiences in the natural environment. With a compliment of lenses, filters and accessories I favor scenic landscapes, flowers and vineyard subjects.
My growing list of credits include the cover of Kansas! magazine (Winter 2009) and being featured in the Summer 2008 edition of Kansas! magazine's "Artist's Trail" article. My "Sprague Lake in Fall" image won the inaugural National Wildlife Federation's "Our Public Lands" national photo contest in 2008. My "Of Time and Place" four-part article and images were published in Nature Photographer Magazine's 2007 quarterly editions. An article & images on my backyard water garden appeared in the February/March 2003 issue of Birds and Blooms magazine. I also shot the cover for County magazine's Summer 2006 issue. My images have appeared on the cover and graced the pages of calendars sold in my home state of Kansas.
Thank you for taking the time to review my profile and browse my portfolio of images.
Wayne Rhodus
