We would not be able to fulfill our mission without the help of our volunteers, who serve as community scientists, test water quality, pull invasive plants, greet visitors to our centers, and so much more. In 2024, a nature photographer has been volunteering his services at our Fields Pond Audubon Center in Bangor. Wayne Foote has been taking photos of wildlife and habitat at and around the center, providing us with stunning professional photographs. Wayne became a photographer in his retirement, and now has spent time as a self-proclaimed “RV nomad” traveling the country and taking photographs. We asked Wayne to talk about what drew him to nature photography, why he volunteers, what he loves about photographing Fields Pond, and more. If you would like to volunteer with Maine Audubon, please visit: maineaudubon.org/volunteer for more information.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you got into photography.
I’m 74 years old. I’ve done a lot of different things. The latest adventure started six years ago when my wife and I retired from the practice of law and sold our Bangor home. We became RV nomads. We sold our house and wandered with the seasons, living somewhere between late spring and early fall. Our travels took us to many places. We saw many things.
For my 71st birthday my eldest gave me a gift certificate for The Great Courses. I bought The Fundamentals of Photography, a series of lessons by Joel Sartore, a fantastic National Geographic photographer. Two months after starting the course and shooting with my iPhone, I bought my first camera. It was a used Nikon DSLR with an 18-270mm lens. The photography bug had bitten me hard.
It has been 3 years and two cameras since then. In 2022, after several short online photography courses, I enrolled in the New York Institute of Photography’s Professional Photography course and, 60,000+ photographs later, in 2024, I graduated from that program.
What drew you to nature and wildlife photography?
Nature and wildlife photography is a good fit with my experience and interests. My family owned and operated what we in Maine traditionally call “sporting camps”—groups of individual cabins on remote ponds that cater to people who hunt and fish. We provided meals, boats, housekeeping, and guide services. I spent much of the year in the Maine woods, far from towns or cities. I’ve hunted and fished most of my life. I‘ve always been in awe of the natural world around us.
Full time RV living was a good fit with nature and wildlife photography. We traveled to beautiful places. This year’s travel season took us to wonderful cities, state and national parks, lakes, swamps, and forests. Everywhere there are photographic opportunities. Although we ceased our nomadic lifestyle in the beginning of October, there are still a wealth of opportunities here in Maine.
And then there is the serendipity of photography. If you sit quietly with a camera in the wild, amazing things will happen. At dawn one morning I was sitting quietly on a stump by a lake in Florida, waiting for passing Osprey. A Green Heron chose that moment to land at my feet. An instant later it realized something was wrong and flew off, but had landed only ten feet away. I was able to shoot some of my best images of a very shy bird.
When you decided to volunteer your services as a photographer, what made you look for Audubon organizations?
During my NYIP studies I had the pleasure of shooting extensively at the Venice Area Audubon Society Rookery in Venice, Florida. For those of you who’ve not visited the Rookery, it is an amazing opportunity to see herons, egrets, and other birds nesting and raising their young only a few yards away. For a wildlife photographer it is heaven. In speaking with the staff and looking at their materials I recognized that there was a need for better quality images. Whether for fundraising, education, or social media, good photographs were a necessity. I offered to shoot for them. They liked my work. I found it very rewarding. As I shot at Venice it became apparent that shooting for Audubon chapters was a good fit with my RV lifestyle. Audubon organizations are almost everywhere. Next June I hope to shoot at the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center.
What’s the most challenging aspect of photographing wildlife?
Truly the most difficult part of wildlife photography is finding the subjects when the quality and direction of light are right. Generally that is in the hour or so after sunrise and before sunset, or on cloudy days. Finding a particular animal at these specific times requires a knowledge of the shooting area and of the subject’s behavior within that area. It is difficult to go to a location encompassing several hundred acres for the first time, and then find a particular animal at a time when the light is good. There are apps that allow me to understand when and where the light in a particular area will be suitable. But finding subjects is where the assistance of a guide is needed. At Fields Pond I’ve been lucky to have the assistance of David Lamon (Fields Pond Audubon Center Director) and Val Watson (Naturalist). Their help has been invaluable.
Talk about Fields Pond. What are some of the things you’ve come to love or appreciate there? Are there things you’d particularly recommend or point out to first-time visitors?
Fields Pond has a delightful diversity of habitat. There are woods, marsh, meadow, and pond environments to explore. Within those habitats there is a wide variety of animals. Osprey, herons, eagles, ducks, beaver, and loons all hunt or live on or around the pond and marsh. There are three bird feeder stations around the main visitor center. The feeders attract a wide variety of birds including residents, seasonal residents and migrants passing through. The meadow is a great place to spot insect hunters and the occasional owl or raptor. The wooded trails are home to owls and other animals. These habitats and residents change with the seasons. All of these things provide wonderful photographic opportunities.
My recommendation for first time visitors is to come at the beginning of the day. Bring a bit of breakfast and your morning beverage. Try to arrive a half hour before sunrise. Although the Center building is closed until later in the morning, the trails are open dawn to dusk. The wooded trails are probably a bit dark at that hour but the Meadow Trail down to the pond will be well lit. Watch the world waking up in the softest light of the day.
Three tips:
1) Maine has many ticks that carry Lyme and other diseases. Wear insect repellant and tuck your cuffs into your socks. Check for ticks when you get home.
2) Poison Ivy is common in certain areas. Learn to identify it and keep an eye out, particularly along the pond edge.
3) Bathrooms are not available until the Center opens. Check the hours!
