COVER STORY

Beauty through the Lens of a Camera

by SUE DOUGHERTY — Cascade A&E’s March Cover Artist

Photography has been a heartfelt pursuit of mine for my entire adult life. Just in the last decade or so have I been able to dedicate myself to honing my skills, learning my craft and developing my art. I have spent that time traveling to many places in the world with expert photographers as mentors to learn from.

In the past several years, I have photographed in places as distant as the Arctic Circle, the Galapagos Islands and Botswana, as well as throughout the beauty of the USA. Nature photography and wildlife in particular are what drive my passion. My background as a veterinarian and biologist lend an extra piece of insight, I think, to observing and understanding the essence of the animals I photograph. In addition, as a parent, I can truly feel the amazing bond we witness between animals and their young. Empathy can further help to drive the visual emotional impact I hope to convey. Noticing details and seeing their possibility in visual image making is very important in creating my art.

Siblings Play: Spring Alaskan Brown bear cubs wrestle and spar in the Katmai sunshine.

Photography is my zen, my time to immerse myself in the present and represent what I see, feel and understand. I absolutely love sharing my images with others, and my membership in the Red Chair Gallery has helped with that! I hope that an image will create an emotional connection, and instill in the viewer that the wilderness and wildlife are an integral part of our world and are indeed of existential importance.

Beyond my photography, I have been part of the Central Oregon community for almost 17 years. I am an internal medicine specialist veterinarian, and currently work parttime at Bend Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center to allow time for my photography to flourish. I still love being a veterinarian, and helping my patients and clients.

Botswana Magic: A truly magical evening watching a large herd of elephants color the sunset sky orange with dust in the air. This youngster positioned himself perfectly in front of the setting sun.

First, foremost and forever I have a great little family! I am a mom of two awesome “20-something” kids that grew up in Bend. My wonderful husband, Mark, is my forever partner in life and is so supportive of my adventurous pursuits! My dog Mhiles is my shadow and my buddy on the trails; running, hiking, exploring. Bend is home, and after all my travels I am always happy to arrive home to our little airport, clean air and beautiful mountains!

offleashphotography.net

Icon of the West: A lone bison on a ridge on a sunny and bitterly cold day, the steamy breath revealing just how cold!

Ram’s View: An elder Big Horn Sheep ram shows the near perfect frame to his eye and ear in the spiral of his mature horn. Speak Up!: An interesting encounter with this very outgoing raven allowed me to capture this close and demonstrative shot.