Capturing the Beauty of Nature

One of the best benefits of social media is coming across amazing photographs. It’s possible to appreciate not only professional photographers, want-to-be pros, but also the unknown amateur who takes pictures just for the love it. That last category is how Fort Branch resident, Scott Walden would be classified. He takes incredible nature photos that he shares on Instagram and Facebook.

During the week, you’ll find Scott at Gibson Southern High School where he’s taught Spanish for the last 28 years. It’s no surprise, because of his knack with a camera, that he helps with sports photography for Gibson Southern’s social media accounts.

Although Scott has dabbled in doing a few senior pictures and has made some nature calendars, he stresses that’s not the reason he takes pictures. There have been no art shows or gallery displays; it’s a hobby that he shares with others to enjoy.

Scott remembers, “Photographs and photography are things I always enjoyed from an early age. However, I didn’t start taking photos until my adult years. Photos always fascinated me and I looked forward to seeing them when my mother would pick them up from the local Fotomat. (Kids nowadays wouldn’t understand!) We never had any fancy or expensive cameras, just the cheap Kodak 110 Instamatic or Polaroid instant types. It didn’t matter, I loved seeing the photos, or any photos that the family would have, old or new.” It wasn’t until the mid ‘90’s when his children were born that Scott began taking more photos. That’s when he got away from film cameras and went with the new digital technology. His first digital camera was a Canon point and shoot. He describes it as, “ . . not a professional camera by any means, but it did the job! It felt like holding a small brick and only lasted a few years.”

Today Scott’s “current, and only, camera is a Nikon D850. It is a professional camera with no automatic settings. It is a great camera and allows me to use different lenses for specific situations. I do photography for my church, Vertical in Fort Branch, and it handles lower light situations fantastically. The main lenses I use for nature are a 24-70mm lens and a 500mm lens. The 2470mm I use for landscapes, sunrises and sunsets. The 500mm is my lens when I shoot birds and other animals. It allows me to get a closer shot while maintaining distance from the subject.” It’s the nature photos that he takes in his spare time, as a stress reliever, that are intriguing. Although there are shots of squirrels, deer, and bugs, some of the most unique are of birds. They are also Scott’s “favorite subject because of all the different types and the colors of them. So many of them are unknown to most people around here, so I like sharing what I find on social media to show people what is out there and maybe encourage to get out enjoy what we have. It really is quite amazing the variety we have here.”

So what started this interest? As Scott puts it, “I have a natural love for animals and I’m fascinated by the number of different birds we have in the area! Honestly, what got me out in nature more was television, more precisely that I was watching too much and became burnt out on it. I was watching many sports and just got tired of it all. So I started going out more, and then I noticed more and started taking photos. I love birds, always watched them, and fed them, but the more I got out I began to see many different birds that I wanted to know more about them. I don’t consider myself a true birder; we have many in this area that are great birders. I consider myself a photographer/birder. I love seeing the birds and will learn what they are, but I want a good photo of them first!” Scott admits the most difficult shots are of bugs. “They just won’t hold still. I love getting butterflies but they are extremely difficult to get in flight. I’m still waiting to get an eagle catching a fish, any decent fox photo and would love to see a snowy owl.” His photos catch the expressions of creatures with clarity, but there are also landscapes of farm equipment at sunset, covered bridges and country roads that look like home.