Wildlife, Culture & Travel Photographer
When I was a junior in high school my advisor asked about my dreams. I told him I wanted to be a photographer and travel the country in a “55 Packard. He probably rolled his eyes so hard it hurt but then he enrolled me on the yearbook staff. I loved it! Recording student life, developing black and white film, and bringing photographs to life in the darkroom spoke to my soul. Two years later it was off to college and a different yearbook staff. With better instruction and equipment my skills grew. I had found my passion.
But life got in the way. Relationships led to family. Travel and photography disappeared under the burdens of work and career. There' was rent to pay and groceries to buy. A Toyota Corolla replaced the dream of a '55 Packard.
Eventually the burdens of life became lighter. Dreams started to resurface. Travel with a camera became an option. Passion reclaimed, I headed out on a new journey, often with my faithful Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Lucy Magoo. I am glad to say my jeep is often happily covered with desert dust and dog hair.
Lucy doesn’t get to go when I travel internationally. But trust me, there is always enough “Swissy Glitter” in my bags to remind me she is waiting at home for our next adventure.
Photography is my journal. My adventures and memories written through the eyes of jaguars, the flowing manes of wild mustangs, and the beauty of flowers. The joke among my group of friends is that we are NOT landscape photographers. And for the most part it is true even though you may find an occasional “environmental portraiture study in support of the endemic flora and fauna” in the galleries. My camera gravitates towards those living beings with either roots or heartbeats. Those are the images that call to my heart and lead me on my adventures.
My journey has been filled with twists and turns, some good, some not so good but always filled with adventure. Each moment, each bump in the road, each new blessing has led me to where I am today. And today is good.
Please join me on this wonderous journey. I promise there are twists and turns to delight.
Tami Jones
Boise, ID
