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AboutMark MelvinWith the Founding of WildScapes, Mark Melvin turned a lifelong passion for the outdoors into a full time career. As a child, Melvin spent countless hours exploring the woods and creeks surrounding his Mississippi home, and once filled a wheelbarrow with water and pushed it for over a mile so he could show off his prize catch, a 10-pound catfish, to hismother – without killing the fish. As he matured, Melvin’s passion for the outdoors expanded to include backpacking, camping, and virtually any experience that allowed him to immerse himself in magnificent, natural scenery. During his backpacking adventures, Melvin discovered photography as not only a way to bring home his experiences, but as a means of self-expression. Melvin developed his nature photography based on a premise offered by the great photographer Ansel Adams, "All art is a vision penetrating the illusions of reality, and photography is one form of this vision and revelation. " Nature imagery is the medium through which Melvin expresses his feelings about a subject, and often his perspective on life as a whole. Melvin uses his artistic talents to capture one perception of God’s beautiful world in the hopes of providing others a medium through which they might better observe and appreciate their own unique surroundings. Melvin’s distinctive presentation separates him from other photographers. While many photographers illustrate their vision by reflecting what they actually see, Melvin uses the photographic process to express his vision as artistically as possible without compromising the integrity of the image. His creative use of composition, color, lighting, filters, and peak moments enhances the viewing process. Melvin used the same fresh style and unique perspective to establish a successful portrait business while continuing to build his outdoor photography files. In 2001, his desire to celebrate the inspirational power of wildlife and nature photography led Melvin to found WildScapes Photo Art. "My approach to photography is based on a belief in the vigor and values of nature. No matter how grand or minute, it is truly an honor to use the language of light to communicate experiences, emotions and abstract thoughts. " Melvin says. "My photography reflects my efforts to perfect my personal vision, and to share it in my own evocative way. " But while his unique vision and photographic talent cannot be denied, nature is still Melvin’s foremost passion. "Photography enhances my time in the outdoors by sharpening my observation skills, and opening my eyes to details I might otherwise have missed, " Melvin says. "It improves my view of every day life and this stunning world we inhabit. Photography is a gift that makes each day a blessing for me." Outdoor photography has become a grown-up Mark Melvin’s version of a water-filled wheelbarrow – a way to capture nature’s stunning beauty and bring it home to others. Stephen kirkpatrickStephen Kirkpatrick has been chased by grizzly bears, attacked by alligators, and nibbled by piranha. In the process, he’s captured some of the world’s most beautiful and exciting nature and wildlife photography. Kirkpatrick’s appreciation of nature and wildlife began in childhood, when he divided his time between caring for a menagerie of unusual "pets" and operating a snake farm in his parents’ backyard (admission 50¢). His fascination with nature became a full time career when his father gave Kirkpatrick his first camera in 1981. Since then, Kirkpatrick has published more than 2,300 photographs in books and magazines, including Delta Sky, Skin Diver, Audubon, Gray’s Sporting Journal, Natural History, Ducks Unlimited, Outdoor Photographer, BBC Wildlife, National Wildlife, and Sports Afield. His work has earned international acclaim, garnering awards in several national and international photography competitions. Most recently, Kirkpatrick’s coffee table book Romancing the Rain was a winner in the 2003 International Self-Published Book Awards and the prestigious Benjamin Franklin Publishing Awards. The book Extreme Exposure, a true-life adventure story based on Kirkpatrick’s disastrous 1995 expedition to the Amazon, was also a winner in the Self-Published Awards. Kirkpatrick’s coffee table book Wilder Mississippi was named the winner of the 2002 National Outdoor Book Award and the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association’s 2002 Book of the Year. Kirkpatrick has twice been named a winner in the prestigious International Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition held in London, England. Kirkpatrick is in demand as a featured speaker for national conferences and conventions. He has appeared on the syndicated program "Wild Things," the Christian Broadcasting Network’s "The 700 Club, " and on several PBS specials. Kirkpatrick hosts a recurring feature segment on The Outdoor Channel’s "Adventure Bound Outdoors. " Kirkpatrick has published seven pictorial coffee table books. His latest, Romancing the Rain, A Photographic Journey into the Heart of the Amazon, was shot over nine years in the jungles of Peru. Kirkpatrick’s near-death experience on an ill-fated 1995 Amazon expedition is recounted in the gripping book Extreme Exposure, The True Story of a Photo Expedition Lost in the Amazon. Both Romancing the Rain and Extreme Exposure were written by Kirkpatrick’s wife, author Marlo Carter Kirkpatrick. The Kirkpatrick’s current projects focus on tropical locations and underwater photography. Stephen and Marlo Kirkpatrick live in Madison, Mississippi. Stephen’s sons, Sean and Ian, share their father’s enthusiasm for the outdoors. Works by Stephen Kirkpatrick Coffee Table Books: Other Books: Audio Visual Presentations: |
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