Larry Selman

Larry Selman writes: Capturing life and documenting it in an artful way. This concept has fascinated me since I was a teenager, shooting pictures with my Speed Graphic camera and developing school class photos in my Cleveland, Ohio basement darkroom.

My first bird photograph (at age 16) was a self-portrait of me with our family Parakeet, Pretty Boy, sitting on the edge of a pencil I held in my mouth. Over the years, I have photographed everything from the glass art I sold in my gallery in Santa Cruz, California, to family reunion keepsakes.

I enjoy photographing wildlife – especially birds – in their natural surroundings, as they go about their business of everyday living. For me, photographing birds is especially challenging, because they remain so little time in one place. One has to study their surroundings, favorite foods, migratory schedules, and quirky habits, in order to have a chance to capture anything on film (or now, on a digital card).

I enjoy all processes of photography, and am constantly endeavoring to expand my knowledge, technique, and subject matter. Whether it be other wildlife, landscapes, or people, I strive to capture the subjects in their familiar, natural environments – at work, at play, or at rest. Mostly, it seems, they are at work.