Photographer Tim Mayer is one such explorer who, for the subjects of his photos, summons the courage to make regular stops at places others choose to drive past. Thus, he happened upon a warm story weaving mentorship and wisdom, gathering the sum of its threads to engage our curiousity
I have lived in the City Park neighborhood in Appleton, WI, for ten years. It is a historic area that includes Lawrence University and many of the city’s historic houses. In late December, owls can be heard making their mating calls at night. This year I came upon people in the park looking up at a large tree, and I instantly knew what they were gazing upon…young owlets, three of them! I had been out that day photographing the Gibbons Moon coming up in the early evening over Lake Winnebago in Menasha, so I stopped, grabbed my camera, and got a few shots. Unfortunately, it was dusk by this time, so I was limited to just a few pictures in the oncoming darkness.
I returned over several days to shoot more, but the weather was not cooperating as Wisconsin weather can be unpredictable at any time of the year. Then, on Friday, the sun appeared and I took the short trip from my home and photographed the owlets and both adults. I was aided by television news reporter and cameraman Eric Peterson from Fox 11 News in Green Bay, who pointed out the male in a nearby evergreen tree. Eric asked if he could interview me, and I accepted his offer and ended up on the five o’clock news! It has been many years since I’ve seen owls in the wild; it was as a teenager in Smith Park in Menasha. Photographing wildlife is not something that I often do, but I recently purchased a Tamron 200-500—mm lens, and it creates more opportunities to get those tighter shots. Things worked out for me on this day. Some fine images of the entire owl family and a TV interview too!
Timothy Mayer Artworks & Photography recently spent several weeks on the road to photograph the Art Richardson farm in Waupaca County. The Richardson farm is rich in the agricultural history of Wisconsin. It hosts the oldest know silo in the state and has been in the family for several generations. The farm is nearly two hundred years old.
Art and his wife Rhetta raise livestock as has been the most recent history of this farm. Their property is scenic and reminds many of western Europe with hay and corn bales placed in the farm’s pasture’s for livestock feed. Rock wall formations which have been created from clearing pastures for grazing and act as fencing add to the bucolic landscape.
The fall scenery and landscape is what drew me to this farm. I had viewed the scenery of this particular area for several years as I regularly drive along the many roads in beautiful Waupaca County photographing. I always ask permission to enter a farmer’s land. I consider it good professional policy. I introduced myself to Art back in September and, he graciously allowed me to take as many photographs as I wanted but, I don’t like roaming about his or, any other farmer’s fields without instruction or at times, chaperoning. Cows are friendly and quite curious but bulls can be aggressive and during breeding, very dangerous.
I was most interested in photographing the scenery of the Richardson farm but, Art was insistent that I meet some of his livestock so he introduced me to some of his animals. They are known as Angus-Limos and range from 300 to 1,500 pounds and I, with careful guidance from Art, was able to get close to these beautiful animals and very carefully photograph them.
Over a couple of weeks in late September and early October I motored the forty or so miles to Waupaca County being mindful of the time of day a few hours before sunset. This is known to photographer’s as the “Golden Hour,” as it creates dramatic lighting for capturing breathtaking images.
I hope you’ll enjoy these!
I love to take what I call photographic driving excursions. My schedule as an artist permits that. Weekdays or weekends, it doesn’t matter, if I can squeeze time into my schedule, I grab my camera and my tripod and out the door I go!
Wisconsin’s scenic beauty is never far away, as a trip of even 10 to 12 miles in northeastern Wisconsin can reveal some of the most beautiful landscape opportunities for photographing that can be found anywhere in the world as far as I’m concerned.
I live in Appleton. The metropolitan area, also known as the Fox Cities, is home to about 250,000 people. I grew up in this part of the world but, as a young man at the age of twenty I moved to Chicago and lived there for over twenty-five years. I’ve been back in the Fox-Cities for over twenty years and going out into the countryside to photograph Wisconsin’s scenic landscapes is something that I love to do. I have recently come upon the town of Vinland just west of Neenah. Here, there is ample farmland and an abundance of fields with beautiful scenery which I am able to photograph, often times just off of county roads without stepping on to anyone’s private property. As a professional photographer I always ask permission before stepping onto someone’s land. This can be quite the undertaking when out in the country, as it is not always readily apparent as to whose property it is and, it can often take several hours, sometimes, many days to find out whose land that is that I wish to photograph. So photographing along the roadway is often the best option.
Please contact Timothy Mayer at timothymayerartworks@gmail.com if you would like to purchase these photos.
