Editorial

While Maxis Gamez may be the newest moderator in NatureScape's Birds Forum, he's no stranger to bird photography. A self-taught photographer, Maxis “got serious” about shooting just five years ago, but already his beautiful bird and landscape images have been published in magazines such as Audubon, Shutterbug, and Outdoor Photographer. In this interview, Maxis shares how he found his love of photography and why his homestate of Florida is one of his favorite places to shoot.

1. How did you get started in nature photography?

While in grad school in the US, I worked full-time at the Missouri Botanical Garden as public exhibits coordinator. One of my duties was to source rainforest photographs for a large exhibit space attached to the Climatron®, the geodesic dome that is home to the Garden's sizable tropical plant collection. I became interested in the types of photos I saw, and when I returned to Costa Rica to do my doctoral research (on the politics of ecotourism), I took a Canon Elan 7 camera plus some lenses with me and tacked a couple of photography days onto each of my research field trips.

I sold some photos to Lonely Planet and bought new gear (remember the Canon 30D, the first Canon DSLR?!). I sold a few more pictures, bought more gear, sold a few more, and the nature photography addiction was too strong to overcome. After working in conservation in Costa Rica for a couple of years, I decided to start my photo tour company, Foto Verde Tours, and to dedicate myself full-time to photo tours and my own photography for stock and prints.

1. How did you get started in nature photography?

I've been into photography since grade school, when I received a Kodak Instamatic camera for Christmas. My interest in nature subjects grew as I started traveling more and exploring some of the beautiful places this planet has to offer. Landscapes, scenics and flowers were my favorite subjects to start with.

I took local classes and seminars to learn more about photography, and then did my first photo workshop in Glacier National Park. I fell in love with the park for the scenery and the animals, and it remains high on my favorite spots list. A George Lepp workshop in Mono Lake led to a Baja California trip for Whales, where I met Joe and Mary Ann McDonald and was introduced to wildlife and birds in a big way. There's something about the adrenaline rush of this type of photography that is addicting! Today, my primary focus is on birds and wildlife.

Alaska. The name itself stirs emotion in the hearts and souls of all who have visited. Destinations within Alaska are virtually endless. Well known photography meccas such as Denali, Katmai and Nome come instantly to mind. But what about Barrow, AK as a premier bird photography destination? If you have never heard of Barrow, you are not alone. I had barely heard of Barrow when I started my research looking for new and undiscovered photo destinations in the great state. The plan was simple enough. I wanted to photograph high arctic nesting birds and I wanted to do so in a town with an infrastructure to make the logistics at least manageable.