Field and Forest: What inspired you to pursue nature photography?

Greg Summers: It was nothing more than a wish to get out more - at least, that's how it started. I began with an Olympus D600L and wanted some photos for a brochure for my Insurance Agency. I went out one early November day in 1998. It had snowed the night before and the sun came up on a clear blue sky morning. When I saw the grandeur of the Flatirons (west of Boulder, Colorado) printed out on my inkjet, I was in love. I suddenly saw the world through my own eyes and I was surpried to find such beauty as I had never imagined. From that point on, I began to go out every day to find little piece of beauty. Each day, my love of nature grew. I really had no choice but to continue.

Field and Forest: How has your nature photography effected your life?

Greg Summers: Seeing such beauty for the first time in my life made everything look different. I noticed details, I noticed colors in the sky and every day has become an exciting voyage of discovery. I was at the stage of life where I was beginning to ask "Is that all there is?" The answer was a profund no! I woke up at before sunrise and knelt in the snow waiting for first light. I waited for the Canada geese to stir on mornings the cold made my fingers ache. In the evening I went out and watched the sunset. I learned more patience than I wanted to learn and I began to learn the rhythms and cycles of nature and thus, my own.

Field and Forest: You have spent a great deal of time photographing this locale - Sawhill Ponds. Why do you feel a passion for this subject instead of others?

Greg Summers: Sawhill Ponds is located just east of Boulder, Colordao in the middle of gravel pits and cement factories. Two miles west, a steady stream of small planes buzz ino the air from the Boulder County Airport. In this one place, Sawhill Ponds, is a sanctuary that is home for 100's of different birds and other wildlife. In the summer, the ponds are glassy smooth and reflect the colors of the sun as it sets over the Continental Divide. It's an oasis of peace and tranquility. The patterns of shape and color in the clouds mesmerize me. In the morning, the time when "Good Morning Sunshine was taken, a thick fog hung over the ponds. In a moment I can only describe as magic, the world was blotted out and streaks of light and color flooded in. My yeart raced as I hurried to record the show. I could go on, but you get the idea.

Field and Forest: What are some of the difficulties you've had to confront since you began documenting this area?

Greg Summers: My biggest problems were total lack of knowlege of natue, it cycles and rhyhms, and photography. I was a beginner in every way. It was like my classroom. Along with my lack of knowledge was lack of patience. I learned to stay still and wait far longer than I ever ad before. I waited through mornings and evenings of disappointment to get the few gems that keep me going back.

Field and Forest: What do you hope to accomplish in the coming year which you were unable to accomplish thus far in documenting this subject?

Greg Summers: I hope to get closer to its essence. Considering I have no idea what exactly that is, I don't know how to do it. I want to redo Good Morning Sunshine, but that would take a miracle. I'd like to capture one of the Bald Eagles on film, but that would take an even bigger miracle.

Field and Forest: Lets talk about your winning photo entry, "Good Morning Starshine" for a moment. It's a stunning photo. What were you thinking when you raised your camera and saw this image in your viewfinder?

Greg Summers: I was thinking, Oh, Oh, how do I do this? It's so beautiful. What should I do? Where do the trees go? Will it look like that? Where do I take a light reading? What's happening next? And then it was over and I was laughing out loud. I had no idea what was in the camera.

Field and Forest: Photographers are often their own best or worst critic. We want to know, how do you feel about your winning photo?

Greg Summers: I left the slide to sit for almost a year before I submitted it to anything or showed it to anyone. I saw the grain in the darker areas and almost decided not to scan and yet, there was something about it. I decided it was about emotion and moment, not about technical merit. It was about awe and wonder, but I decided to submit it only after several other photographers on a feedback forum reacted to it. Even now, I am surprised every time I look at it.

Field and Forest: What are your top three tips for shooting better nature photos?

Greg Summers: