Shooting Wildlife

I feel like I’ve been thrown off a building.  My knees and back ache.  My skin is full of cuts and scratches from myriad briars.  I couldn’t be happier.  I’ve been exploring creeks and backwoods locales lately in pursuit of wildlife to photograph.  A unique blend of exhaustion and pain has historically defined my identity.  I love it.

If you’re new here, let me explain.  I am a wildlife photographer and filmmaker.  I also used to host a wildlife show.  Back when DVDs were relevant technology, I produced a series called Catching Creation, where I slogged swamps and mountain trails in search of reptiles and amphibians.  Think of me as the bargain brand church version of the Crocodile Hunter.  I only filmed with crocodiles once, though.  I was mostly the black rat snake and cottonmouth hunter.  I digress.

My foray into making wildlife videos started sometime around 2002 or 2003.  I had a friend who was a film major, and being an avid fan of Steve Irwin and Jackass, we decided to make a parody series called Steve Dundee the Reptile Wrangler with yours truly as the mullet wig-wearing on-camera personality.  I donned khakis and spoke with the absolute worst Australian accent.  In the show, I caught local wildlife and gave pseudo-facts.  We added pranks and outrageous stunts and skits.  We held DVD premiers with our friends at my mom’s house.  This was long before internet video was an option, and YouTube was a few years away.  It was a wild time.

After the first DVD premiere, I was hooked.  Watching people enjoy my on-screen antics lit a fire in me.  The cameraman/editor I was working with had other obligations, and since I was gunning to go, I taught myself to edit videos and borrowed my dad’s Sony Handycam.  We were off to the woods.

Around this time, my Army National Guard unit was deployed.  I used that opportunity and extra income to buy my first laptop and video camera.  I dropped the Crocodile Hunter parody and started making videos as myself.  Those early videos were heavily influenced by the Jackass spinoff Wildboyz.  I taught my buddies in the unit how to film, and they dutifully followed me into the action with my camera.  I recruited a team, and we would send those DVDs home to boost morale in the barracks.  It was also a way to show our families that we were okay. 

In my downtime between missions, I would read books on wildlife.  I would periodically get newspaper clippings mailed to me that pertained to the onslaught of invasive wildlife in Florida.  My mom sent clippings about Iguanas, monitor lizards, and Burmese Pythons in the Everglades.  I found a book on Florida’s invasive wildlife and wrote every scientist in the back of the book from the barracks.  So, when we got home from Iraq, my best friend—and former sergeant—Daniel and I set off with our cameras on a trip to South Florida. 

We drove for over twelve hours to visit the Everglades, Key West, and the panhandle.  We spent eight days ping-ponging across Florida, filming our adventure.  We interviewed several of those scientists I had written previously.  We had no idea what we were doing.  That documentary still lives on twelve mini DV cassettes and never saw the light of day.  It was an amazing experience.  We had an idea and executed it.  We proved we could do it.

After filming together in Kuwait, Iraq, and Florida, Daniel and I decided to keep going and film our weekend adventures.  We did this for years.  Over the years, those adventures evolved into Catching Creation, which took on many forms.

So, fast forward to the present day.  Daniel and I just got back from the North Carolina sandhills.  We hiked around five miles through briars and brambles, looking for whatever wildlife we could find.  We didn’t film anything.  To be honest, we didn't find much.  The overwhelming feeling we both had was that we were glad to be out there.  It just felt good to feel like ourselves again.  For those moments in the woods, we weren’t cranky old men with the stresses of life weighing down.  We were young again. We were raptured by the wonder that surrounded us. 

I’ve hiked every day this week, just like the old days.  Granted, they may only be short jaunts to the creek near the house or other local spots, but it feels good to feel bad.  My knees are screaming at me, but I’m just glad to be able to get up and go.  I’m falling back in love with my camera.  I take more photos than videos these days, but I enjoy sharing my passion in any way I can.

Speaking of sharing my passion, if you’re reading this the day it comes out—Friday, April 19—you should stop by and see me on Saturday.  I’ll be speaking at the Winston-Salem fairgrounds for their Earth Day event.  I will have a table set up from 10-12 am with some reptiles and amphibians.  Drop by and say hey. 

Here’s a link to the event if you’re interested: Piedmont Earth Day

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Here’s a video we shot a few years ago since we didn’t film this past weekend:

Slow Summer Sandhills Cruising.

Click the picture to play.