They wade with the gators and snakes in the black water of Louisiana's swamps. They thrive in the frigid temperatures of New Mexico's high desert and dive headlong into the depths of the world's oceans. They haul their gear shoulder-to-shoulder with their male counterparts and push themselves to their physical limits for their passion. They do these things for one reason: the chance to be face-to-face with North America's wildest animals. Meet four of America's finest female wildlife photographers:

Imagine raising two daughters, teaching yourself photography, starting a business, writing a book and becoming financially independent doing what you love. It sounds like a dream for any aspiring, family-oriented nature photographer, but Jan Allinder has done it and boy, has she done it well. She is committed, determined and passionate about what she sets her mind to, and fortunately for the wild inhabitants of North America, Jan has chosen photography as an outlet for her many talents.

As a brand new photographer, I remember being extremely impressed with Jan's dynamic action and behavior shots. When I discovered that "Jan" was a woman, I was dumbfounded. I thought only men carried those huge lenses and photographed wild grizzly bears and bald eagles. When I looked at her images I felt like I was experiencing the same exhilaration she must have felt behind the lens. Jan's work is one of the inspirations for this article and I was thrilled when she agreed to participate. Learning about her for this project was as fun and inspiring as browsing through her many beautiful photographs in search of just the right ones.

Jan's photographs are a reflection of the joy and sense of awe that she feels when observing her subjects. She spends a lot of time reading everything she can about wildlife behavior, and talking with biologists, experts and other photographers. I believe it's her devotion to understanding wildlife behavior that has allowed her that magical perfect-timing that is evident in many of her wonderful photographs.

Growing up in the south gave Jan the opportunity to explore the natural areas of her woodland playground and get to know the creatures who dwelled there. She would often take her camera on adventures of the natural areas around her southern home and at an early age Jan felt a natural desire to record her experiences on film. Although her schedule now pulls her in different directions, and time is always in short supply, Jan returns as often as she can to that which gives her energy and inspiration, photographing and learning about her wild subjects.

Jan is ambitious in every sense of the word. After devoting herself to raising a family, she decided to pursue nature photography full time eight years ago. Although she attended several photography classes, Jan has essentially taught herself the craft of photography. She was influenced by the work and industry expertise of many talented individuals and photographers, but has also managed to develop and nurture her very own style: a style that captures the essence of a wild animal, in a beautiful and dignified way that stirs something deep inside the soul. Jan is one of the best at capturing this type of photograph.

As she devoted herself to her family in the beginning, Jan now devotes herself to her photographic endeavors and her subjects. She spends her time educating those who share her passion about the importance of understanding and protecting the wild co-habitants of this beautiful country.

As if Jan weren't busy enough, she also designs websites specifically for nature photographers who wish to showcase their work. She just completed her new e-book about the subject: A Photographer's Guide to Web Site Design, which can be found at www.guidetowebsitedesign.net. Jan is also on the staff of the web's popular nature photography website: Naturephotographers.net, as a columnist on web site design for nature photographers.

To see more of Jan's beautiful work please visit her website at: www.wildlifephoto.net .

As a child I remember watching the nature show The Underwater World of Jacques Cousteau and being intrigued by the bizarre and unusual life found just beneath the surface of what, to me, seemed like big, dangerous pools of salt water. I was impressed that people could function with all that gear, manage to stay focused on their purpose, and have their wits about them enough to stay safe! The underwater world has always held a special fascination for me, most likely due to my enormous fear of deep water. When I learned that another woman not only put herself into situations that would be no less than terrifying to me, I found that she took pictures to boot! I had to learn more about Deb Barker and her work.

Not only does Deb sport many pounds of scuba and photo gear, and dive deep into unfamiliar waters, she manipulates an entire camera system while doing it. I don't know about you but I, for one, am immensely impressed with Deb Barker and the images she brings out of the depths of our glorious oceans.

Deb has always had an interest in wildlife and earned a degree in Zoology from the University of Florida in 1972. Deb's incessant desire to study wildlife keeps her out in the field about 10 hours per week photographing terrestrial subjects, with frequent day trips to the Gulf of Mexico for her beloved underwater subjects. Today Deb's interest in photography remains secondary to her desire to study and learn about the wildlife around her.

Since her introduction to underwater photography 20 years ago by dive buddy Linda Roubos, Deb has visited some spectacular places around the world including the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, the Turks & Caicos, Los Roques, Belize and Cozumel. One of Deb's most memorable experiences was a trip to the Galapagos Islands where she had the opportunity to photograph and swim with schooling hammerhead sharks, sea lions, turtles, a variety of rays and other creatures that can be found only in that unique habitat. Pleasantly surprised at the abundance of wildlife in and around the Galapagos, and their famed lack of fear, Deb took advantage of the ability to approach these animals closely and photographed flightless cormorants, marine iguanas, herons, eagles, seabirds, penguins and more.

As her wonderful green sea turtle with remora image above exhibits, Deb's images are razor sharp, perfectly exposed and beautifully composed. This is a feat for any wildlife photographer but for an underwater photographer, I imagine it takes a special ingredient that I can only admire from above the surface. Deb generously credits much of her inspiration to well-known underwater photographer Cathy Church and her wonderful imagery of underwater life and landscapes.

In 1999 Deb found herself with time to explore other areas of photography and turned her attention toward terrestrial wildlife. With the help and guidance of friend Debbie Ferrell-Smith, another wonderfully talented wildlife photographer, Deb now produces stunning images of Florida's wildlife including the big beautiful waders shown below. Deb gets out as much as she can to photograph wildlife and produces images of birds that many, myself included, would love to have in their portfolio.

Deb's beautiful photographs have been on display at the Packinghouse Gallery and Nature Photography Resource Center in Largo, Florida. She is also on the staff of PhotoMigrations, an online nature photography community. Deb is exceedingly generous with her assistance and is always happy to answer questions about underwater photography. Stop by PhotoMigrations if you get a chance!

Marie Read is one of our most accomplished professional bird photographers. Marie's 16-year career in nature photography is sprinkled with achievements and experiences that would make many nature photographers want to toss their gear into a lake and give it up. In addition to being published in magazines such as BBC Wildlife, Living Bird, National Geographic, National Wildlife, and Ranger Rick, Marie is also a respected author on bird behavior, nature and photography. You can find her articles in Birder's World, Outdoor Photographer, Women in the Outdoors, and Wildlife Conservation to name a few. In 1998 Houghton Mifflin published Common Birds and Their Songs, a book she co-authored and photographed with Lang Elliott, and today she has more books on bird behavior in the works.

A self-taught artist, Marie discovered photography more than 20 years ago as a lab technician in Ithaca, New York. She explored black and white fine art photography until an opportunity to study the social behavior of bee eaters swept Marie and husband Peter Wrege to the wilderness of east Africa in the early 1980s. Surrounded by birds and wildlife in Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya, East Africa, Marie turned her attention and lens toward the beautiful nature and wildlife found there.

While she thrives on the challenge of observing and photographing wildlife, what really excites Marie is capturing rarely seen or recorded animal behaviors. Her wonderful Chickadee and icicle photograph received a Nature's Best Highly Honored award in 2002, and Marie has the distinct honor of being one of a few people in the world to photograph the Long-tailed Manakin in courtship display in Costa Rica. These tiny, colorful birds are known for their elaborate and acrobatic courtship displays, and Marie's rare photographs of this natural spectacle have been widely published.

Marie's ability to photograph common birds in ways that show off and enhance their natural beauty has come to be the hallmark of her style. Her images are not simply records of birds in their habitat, but what the artist within her sees. They are moments in time that blend Marie's passion for her subjects, her photographic mastery, and the natural beauty of the bird or animal. This level of communication is something I strive to achieve in my own work, and I have a tremendous amount of admiration for Marie's ability to consistently create such meaningful images.

I asked Marie if she had any tips for aspiring photographers who dream of her achieving her level of success in bird photography. Eagerly awaiting her response for my own benefit as well as for this article, I learned that her best advice is summed up in one word: persistence. Marie suggests that when you have your subject in your viewfinder, don't take your eye away unless you absolutely must because once you do, the bird will inevitably do something cool and unusual. Marie also recommends patience and long-term determination. Revisit the same scene and animal until you can predict its rituals and behaviors. Persistence and dogged determination are well-known requirements for any wildlife photographer, but Marie takes things a step further than the average hobbyist. The magnificent Eastern Bluebird photograph above is the result of three weeks spent in a freezing blind in the snow.

One of Marie's main goals is to use her photography to help raise awareness about the significance of all birds from the rarest to the most common. She strives to photograph birds in ways that will make people stop, take a second look and feel compelled to help in their protection and conservation. Marie is a nature photographer's nature photographer.

It is with a twinge of sadness that I end this section of the article, as I could learn and write about Marie all the day long. She is far and away one of my favorite female bird photographers and I feel honored that she agreed to the article. I only hope that I am someday able to achieve with my photography, all the wonderful things Marie has done with hers.

To see more of Marie's beautiful work, please visit her webpage at: http://www.agpix.com/mari or email her at: mpr5@cornell.edu

Her work can be found in newspapers, books and calendars. She's got three magazine covers under her belt and in 2001 she snagged Best of Show in the fiercely competitive Heard Natural Science and Wildlife Sanctuary photo contest. She took first place in the Louisiana Outdoor Writer's Association youth photojournalism contest, she writes poetry, and is following her desire to teach by conducting photographic presentations at local schools. She has been featured on television, her work has hung in galleries and personal collections throughout Louisiana, and she is having articles written about her. She is 18 years old and her name is Erin Martin.

Erin hails from the bayous of Louisiana, in a landscape as beautiful and serene as her photographs. When I saw Erin's work for the first time on the internet, I knew I had to meet the young photographer who creates such thoughtfully composed images. I happily accepted an invitation to visit, jumped on a plane and headed for the swamps of southern Louisiana.

At lunch in a little town east of New Orleans she sat giggling with her boyfriend as we waited for our fried catfish and gumbo. She bickered playfully with proud papa Charlie Martin, and took every opportunity to poke fun at friend and mentor Mark LaGrange. She laughed a lot and seemed a normal, happy, healthy teenager.

In the field this young lady is another story. When she sees a photographic opportunity, she is transformed from a bubbly, fun-loving teen into one of those surgeons you see on the Discovery channel. She handles her gear like an old pro, but shoots with the heart of a child, always searching for something interesting and unique. One of Erin's greatest strengths is her ability to quickly isolate intimate yet striking compositions from complex scenes.

Erin's serious approach to photography is nicely balanced by her playful nature and sense of adventure. As we cruised the swamps in an airboat, she yelled "look daddy, a peck-o-saurus!" (that's Cajun for Pileated Woodpecker). Just as I was thinking how sweet and innocent she seemed, my jaw dropped as I watched her thrust her entire body over the side of the boat! She reached deep into the snake and gator infested water in an attempt to grab a bullfrog with her bare hands!

Just when I thought I couldn't be any more impressed with her, I sat down to interview Erin. I learned that her passion for photography is surpassed only by her love of this dark and tranquil place that she calls home. It is the circle of life in this unique habitat that gives Erin her strength and drives her photography. She is deeply concerned about the delicate balance of life in her beloved bayous and uses her photography to educate others as to the importance of their conservation.

Erin has her eye on a fine arts degree and already knows that she wants a career in photography. She's setting her sights high and if she goes after a career with the same enthusiasm she gives her photography, you'll be seeing a lot more of Erin Martin in the very near future.

I asked Erin what bit of advice she would give to an aspiring photographer and she said to "shoot from the heart." I won't attempt to summarize her work any better than that. She pours her heart into every shot and after watching Erin shoot, I know that when I look at one of her images, I am looking at a reflection of the artist herself.

To learn more about Erin please visit www.cajunimages.com or email her at ememphot@bellsouth.net

There are many wildlife photographers who deserve acknowledgement for their commitment to the protection of our wild brothers and sisters who don't have a voice. I am grateful that Jan, Deb, Erin and Marie are out there working hard to tell their stories and with this article would like to say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Text ©Gloria Hopkins Nature's Glory

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