to influence others to develop their artistic technique and develop a message of nature conservation , and in turn , they will influence the many .
As a child , Mike ' s father gave him an Exacta VX 35mm camera with a 50mm f1.9 lens , which he used to photograph cityscapes , mountains , and deserts . Later , Mike developed Kodak Plus-x and Tri-x film in their bathroom darkroom , printed his contact sheets and images . In 2017 , he transitioned from his computer programming career to pursue photography full-time , and soon opened a portrait studio . During the beginning of the
COVID-19 pandemic , Mike decided to switch his focus to nature photography , and began traveling the Southeast with his wife Cheryl and dog Maggie , camping in state parks in their fifth wheel . His day would include hiking , photographing the area , then developing his images surrounded by nature .
Mike ’ s curiosity led him to seek out knowledge about what he was photographing . One day while shopping for native plants , a UF / IFAS Master Gardener told him about UF / IFAS . After a quick internet search , Mike found the Florida Master Naturalist program , which in turn led him to environmental interpretation certification ( NAI CIG ), and finally to ASU to pursue a degree in Conservation Biology and Ecology .
You can find these images and more on Mike ’ s website , www . MikeFultsPhotography . com .
" No one will protect what they don ' t care about , and no one will care about what they have never experienced ."
Sir David Attenborough
PORTFOLIO MAGAZINE 61