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Eric Bennett
As a full-time nature photographer, author, and conservationist, I hope to share the value that wilderness has in its pure, unaltered state. In a world where we are disconnecting from nature more and more every day, I can’t think of another pursuit more worthy of my time and energy. I believe that if I can capture a scene in the right way, my photographs will inspire others to protect the last few wild places we still have left.
I currently live just outside of Salt Lake City, Utah with my wife and three children. While much of my photography is focused on the incredible scenery near my home, I have traveled to over thirty countries to capture the diverse and remarkable beauty of all different environments.
“Excuse me, what are you taking a picture of?” Startled, I pulled my eye away from the viewfinder to see where the voice was coming from. A woman was stopped along the trail, concentrating on the ground directly below my camera. I had started my hike long before sunrise, but now it was already close to noon, and a train of people was coming up the narrow trail behind me.
I had been in a trance-like state, without any regard for the passing time, as I slowly worked my way up the trail while closely observing the beautiful autumn scenery around me in solitude and silence, stopping to photograph each scene that caught my eye. I was using my large telephoto lens and a setup that to her, probably looked quite expensive and serious, and so she must have thought I should be photographing something serious as well. She had a perplexed look on her face as she repeatedly looked at my camera and then down at the ground where it was pointing, trying to determine what it was that I was photographing. I pointed out the small pile of fallen scrub oak leaves on the side of the trail, which only made her even more confused; perhaps unable to understand how something so ordinary could possibly be worth taking the time to photograph. After a few awkward moments of silence, she turned back towards the trail and continued hiking.