Nationally renowned nature photographer, activist, ecologist, educator, adventurer, and one of Colorado’s greatest living treasures… John Fielder
by Matt Kramer
If there were such a thing as a typical wilderness photographer, John Fielder would defy the description. Synonymous with the title of the photographer, it is necessary to add, at the very least, activist, ecologist, educator, adventurer, and one of Colorado’s greatest living treasures.
Whether he’s facing big money interests and defending natural and open spaces or driving 3,000 miles across a Roadless Zambian desert, Fielder does what it takes to get the picture without damaging the environment. Extreme backpackers who travel twenty-five miles a day are amazed when they hear about the remote places he has been.
In conversation, it doesn’t take long before you realize his relationship with nature is not one way – his thoughts and efforts are as much about honoring and protecting the land as they are about coming away with the best possible image. When asked what drives him, Fielder said, “What I stand for: I love cameras and making a living. I’m more a naturalist than I am a photographer. Being an environmentalist, I focus on being an advocate preserving and protecting biodiversity.”
During 30 years of photographing Colorado’s open spaces, Fielder became aware of the legacy of the state’s family ranches that were threatened by numerous economic interests. He learned that, unlike the big agribusiness farms, many of the ranchers use sustainable practices that help preserve their local ecosystems. Economically they were constantly struggling to meet costs and improve the marketability of their ranch products. For some, that work is starting to pay off; much of the organic beef we buy comes from these ranches.
For those who don’t feel a connection between ranchers and the food they put on their table, Fielder brings the message home: “Our ranchers are conscious of holistic ways to bring beef to market. When I was photographing the plains of south-eastern Colorado, I went to a meeting at Fox Ranch where ranchers were learning ways to raise and prepare beef organically, at the ranch, at the feedlot, and in the slaughterhouse. Thanks to the influence and standards of Whole Foods, ranchers can combine sustainable practices and make more money at the same time.”
Since leaving a corporate career to become a full-time photographer, Fielder has published 39 books of his nature and wilderness photos. In 1992, he became a founding member of the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund (GOCO) -(www.goco.org) a non-profit organization that uses state lottery funds to preserve and manage Colorado wildlife and open space heritage. His ability to capture and share the stunning majesty of Colorado’s beauty helped GOCO in its mission to motivate Coloradans to get involved in protecting the open wilderness—one of the state’s greatest assets. According to Fielder, Colorado is the only state in the union to assign 100% of its lottery funds to protect its natural heritage. In honor of the 20th anniversary of the founding of GOCO, two new Fielder books will be published in 2012: John Fielder’s Guide to Colorado’s Great Outdoors: Lottery-Funded Parks, Trails & Open Spaces and a picture book, Colorado’s Great Outdoors, The Best of Our Lottery Lands.
As Fielder travels around Colorado and the nation, promoting wilderness and open space conservation, he sometimes shares the stage with another Colorado treasure, “Zen cowboy” performer and writer, Chuck Pyle. While Fielder’s photos are displayed in a slide show, Pyle sings songs that reflect the message and feelings of those photos. Asked about working with Fielder in performance, Pyle replied, “John is so eloquent, one of the most eloquent speakers I’ve ever heard about conservation. Although his content is serious, he is gracious and has a good sense of humor . . . well, he likes my sense of humor.”
Fielder is happy to share his photography secrets; on his website you can choose from a number of workshops that will take you into the outdoors where his tutelage may help you shoot the best photos of your life. In the process, you will learn how to better understand your equipment, and how to use Photoshop not to artificially enhance your photos but to bring out the reality of the scenes captured within your camera.
Any decent photographer will tell you that a great photo requires an understanding of the nature of light. There probably isn’t a square inch of the Colorado wilderness that has not been photographed by Fielder, not just once but in all the seasons, and through the changing light of those thirty years of days. If you can’t make it to one of Fielder’s workshops, his generosity extends to his website, where he shares more than a thousand of his photos. Begin your journey there – follow the light; it will take you to places you never dreamed you would see.
w w w . j o h n f i e l d e r . c o m
