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ABOUT SPENCER

I thrive on capturing fleeting moments in time, whether it’s the perfect silhouette, a special bond between two animals, or the excitement of a bird of prey going after its next meal.

I started taking photos when I was a kid - I used my parents’ Minolta SRT-101 film camera.

We had a bird feeder right outside the window of our kitchen, and my parents taught me about all the species that visited. Before too long, I wanted to start taking photos of them. My parents saw I had an interest enough to buy me a 300mm lens to get a closer look. This led to using a pop-up blind in the backyard where I sat for many mornings.

Growing up I found myself more interested in sports and other activities and grew out of photography for a time.

Fast forward to when cell phone cameras improved -- this totally rejuvenated my interest in photography. I was always the friend taking candids at events and concerts. This quickly turned into becoming more artistic with my photos, even with a cell phone. You know what every photographer says, “the best camera is the one that’s with you.” My initial interests were in street and black & white photography. I loved capturing minimal compositions and silhouettes. 

As a result, I decided to save until I could afford a camera. Backed by the encouragement of my girlfriend and friends, I now shoot with Sony mirrorless cameras, and even some of the same Minolta lenses 20 years later.

Then one night I decided to take a photo of the lunar eclipse. I was so amazed by being able to capture such a moment, but it didn’t feel like it was enough. I had to make the jump to 600mm. This opened up a whole new can of worms.

Just like that, all of my original photography interests came flooding back to me. I was taking pictures of birds left and right again. My girlfriend, who was freaked out by birds, couldn’t believe it. Now she sees a photo of a bird every single day. From spotting them along the highway, to finding nests right on my balcony, I couldn’t get enough. 

From here, the next logical step was to start taking pictures of all wildlife. And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing ever since. When I’m not out shooting, I find myself learning as much as I can about wildlife and photography. I spend a lot of time researching how to find my next subject, and along with my intuition, have discovered some amazing animals in their habitats. My dad, a lifelong hunter and nature lover, recently told me he thinks I know more about wildlife at this point than he does. I’m now traveling all across the country to take photos of animals in every environment. 

I hope you can see my story, and my passion, in my work. I’m glad I’ve found an art form that I can do for the rest of my life. I’m always striving for that next shot, a better shot. 

I hope you enjoy my portfolio and I’m always open to working on new photography projects. Thanks for stopping by!