Posted by scott lanz on January 1, 2016 at 10:22 AM
I thought I would share this happy story and message I just received this morning by email from a stranger as it directly relates and responds to Jim's question "Why Nature Photography?" First, a little background. For nearly all of my life (except when away at college), I have been fortunate to live next to a beautiful park in Youngstown, Ohio called "Mill Creek Park." It is Ohio's first public district, created in 1891. The Park (now part of a county metroparks system) is about 8 miles long and averaging about a mile wide, and includes woods, ravines, waterfalls, 3 man-made lakes, a historic gristmill, several historic bridges, a public gardens, etc. Probably 90% of the images posted in my gallery at NPN were taken in Mill Creek Park. In 2008, I began to publish a "Mill Creek MetroParks" wall calendar (12" x 12", opening to 12" x 24"). Currently, I publish about 3000 calendars a year which are sold in about 10 stores in Youngstown as well as by me directly. I love doing it, get many compliments on it, and make some money, a good % of which gets donated back to the Park to fund certain projects. The 2016 calendar is a special calendar which honors the 125th anniversary of Mill Creek Park. Now to the story and message: The calendar literally makes its way all over the world when people buy it and mail it to family and friends.I sometimes get emails from people who receive it as gifts and want to tell me how much it means to them. I love getting these emails, but the one I received this New Year's morning was so special that I thought I would share it. I don't have the sender's permission, so I will just leave out her name, but her emails reads:
Dear Mr. Lanz,
I am a Peace Corps volunteer, currently serving in Guiyang, Guizhou, a province of South Central China. I've been here since August 2013, and will finish my service in July, 2016.
I grew up on Ferndale Avenue, in Youngstown, just a block from Lake Newport. And though I was a Dayton, Ohio resident for 20 years of my adult life, Mill Creek Park has always been in psyche and a major part of my activities when I visit home again.
My first Christmas in China, the care package from my mom included the 2014 Mill Creek Park calendar. When reconvening after the school break, I took the calendar to my office hours every day in March, to share a little bit of my hometown and upbringing with my students.
Since then, every Christmas care package has included the Mill Creek Park calendar, and not only does each current one brighten my days by hanging above my desk in my bleak, soviet bloc style apartment, but they make their way to my office and classes for numerous other purposes, too.
Last year, a student preparing to take the IELTS test to study abroad was having difficulty getting the concept of describing something visually. So I pulled out the 2014 calendar and made him describe one picture each week. This pushed him to learn new vocabulary he'd never even considered before, relating to color, texture, perspective, and senses.
Now that it's 2016, and the new 125th anniversary calendar is up, I've taken apart and combined the photos from 2014 and 2015, and in class will have my students tell stories about the photo in the month of their choice.
Even the small 2X3 versions of each month on the back cover of the calendar won't go to waste. I've cut those out and will take them to our university-wide English Corner to use in a variety of speaking and listening activities.
I love that I've been able to share such a special part of my background and hometown with so many Chinese kids, and thought you might like to know that widespread influence your photographs and love of the park have made!
Thank you, and a very Happy New Year to you!
(Name withheld)
So, in answer to Jim's question, it is my love for Mill Creek Park and other natural areas, and my desire to capture the beauty of these places and to share it with others, and the response that I sometimes receive like the message I got this morning from this Peace Corp volunteer serving humanity in China, is why I am a nature photographer. While her email was sent to me, I wanted to share it with you this New Year's Day because I think this is a message that my fellow nature photographers at NPN can relate to as well.
Happy New Year!
Scott
Posted by Mike Ramy on January 1, 2016 at 10:58 AM
Scott: Wonderful story and also goes to show that there is beauty to be found close to home and not just in our favorite exotic locations. Many kudos to you and Happy New Year. Thanks for making mine a little better. >=))>
Posted by Keith Bauer on January 2, 2016 at 9:18 AM
What a great story. I'm sure for you it is even more gratifying. Congrats!!
Posted by Lon Overacker on January 4, 2016 at 8:18 PM
Good for you Scott, that is an awesome story! I'd love to share some Yosemite calendars... but I'm afraid there is already a gazillion-illion calendars in every corner of the globe.... ;-)
Very nice of this person to let you know. Just plain cool.
Lon
Posted by scott lanz on January 5, 2016 at 10:31 AM
Thanks, Lon. Mill Creek Park is not Yosemite, of course, but the trade off is very few professional nature photographers. I have a unique situation here - a large and much loved municipal park with photogenic features, a public garden, and a rich history, but hardly any professional nature photographers. While I love shooting out west when I get the chance, my concentration on my hometown park is like the Crosby, Stills & Nash song that goes, "If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with."
Discussion
8 repliesDear Mr. Lanz,
I am a Peace Corps volunteer, currently serving in Guiyang, Guizhou, a province of South Central China. I've been here since August 2013, and will finish my service in July, 2016.
I grew up on Ferndale Avenue, in Youngstown, just a block from Lake Newport. And though I was a Dayton, Ohio resident for 20 years of my adult life, Mill Creek Park has always been in psyche and a major part of my activities when I visit home again.
My first Christmas in China, the care package from my mom included the 2014 Mill Creek Park calendar. When reconvening after the school break, I took the calendar to my office hours every day in March, to share a little bit of my hometown and upbringing with my students.
Since then, every Christmas care package has included the Mill Creek Park calendar, and not only does each current one brighten my days by hanging above my desk in my bleak, soviet bloc style apartment, but they make their way to my office and classes for numerous other purposes, too.
Last year, a student preparing to take the IELTS test to study abroad was having difficulty getting the concept of describing something visually. So I pulled out the 2014 calendar and made him describe one picture each week. This pushed him to learn new vocabulary he'd never even considered before, relating to color, texture, perspective, and senses.
Now that it's 2016, and the new 125th anniversary calendar is up, I've taken apart and combined the photos from 2014 and 2015, and in class will have my students tell stories about the photo in the month of their choice.
Even the small 2X3 versions of each month on the back cover of the calendar won't go to waste. I've cut those out and will take them to our university-wide English Corner to use in a variety of speaking and listening activities.
I love that I've been able to share such a special part of my background and hometown with so many Chinese kids, and thought you might like to know that widespread influence your photographs and love of the park have made!
Thank you, and a very Happy New Year to you!
(Name withheld)
So, in answer to Jim's question, it is my love for Mill Creek Park and other natural areas, and my desire to capture the beauty of these places and to share it with others, and the response that I sometimes receive like the message I got this morning from this Peace Corp volunteer serving humanity in China, is why I am a nature photographer. While her email was sent to me, I wanted to share it with you this New Year's Day because I think this is a message that my fellow nature photographers at NPN can relate to as well.
Happy New Year!
Scott
Thanks for sharing . . .
Very nice of this person to let you know. Just plain cool.
Lon
--P