{Discover.Photograph.Life}

Animals are the reason I became interested in photography as a child of the 80s and 90s – they were my singular obsession – and I spent as much time as I could at the world-renowned St. Louis Zoo. I voraciously consumed and memorized facts from books like The Complete Animal Kingdom, magazines like National Geographic, hardback encyclopedias, TV shows with personal heroes like Jack Hanna, and Jeff Corwin, and any source I could find. One of my very first Internet searches in 1995 was for “jaguars.”

After biology and photojournalism degrees and many years with a camera as a constant companion, I began to document animal “ambassadors” in responsible, high-quality zoos that I often visit alone. Putting platitudes about captivity aside, zoo animals are the only wild animals most people will ever encounter. As the world shifts from a rural to primarily urban population density, zoos provide rare access to wild animals and preserve a connection to our recent biological past. Watching the ambassadors stirs something deep in my soul – the physical and spiritual connection we humans have to them and the responsibility I feel we bear to be good stewards on their behalf is something I will support creatively, intellectually, and financially throughout my life.

We live on a singularly magnificent and fragile world. The universal beauty animals in zoos and the wild embody and symbolize inspires me to take actions, big or small, which might contribute to their survival as well as our own enrichment and enlightenment. Since many of the most familiar and iconic creatures on Earth – as well as those most people never hear about or don’t know exist – are being pushed toward the twilight of their existences, I seek to capture in my images a sliver of their splendor in captivity so that others are similarly inspired to take action as I have been.

All photos from zoos, 2008 to present.

Once again at Sidsmums I get to relax and think. I read an entire book in two days. I haven’t done that in over a year. In fact, that was the first book I finished since last January.

In the last 3 days we have:

-visited one of the world’s great medieval fortresses, La Cité de Carcassonne,

-bought all our food at a thrice weekly market in Place Carnot,

-spent an entire day reading (Bill Bryson’s “The Mother Tongue” for myself and “The United States of Asparagus” or Arugula, or artichokes… or something… for Alexa),

-made new friends from Ireland, Germany, England and elsewhere,

-spent a few hours next to a lonely French river napping,

-gone for a walk through the vinyards of the Cathar region of France

-taken a few photos

-and played with Georges and Jim.

A month ago I was grading papers and worrying about where my next paycheck was coming from – that hasn’t changed, unfortunately – but it all felt so high stress. Sure, this is only 25 or so days of (expensive) freedom, but it was a much desired reprieve for both Alexa and I. Soon we will be back at the grind and this will be seen as the best break possible.

I would never, ever have given myself this kind of freedom at home, and I know Alexa is even less likely than me to do so as well.

This pace of life is something that I miss, cooking fresh, affordable food, and making time for what feels right. It makes the Wanderlust build up inside me again.

I am very thankful that Sidsmums still exists in much the same way I left it three years ago. Nine months ago I thought it would be sold off and gone forever… so I am glad I had at least one more chance to return and enjoy the pace of life here: there is always tomorrow.