Gray Crane Studios

t I receive from sharing these images with others is only surpassed by the true joy I get from communing with the land and the animals. Photographing wildlife is a true passion for me, but it is a challenging endeavor. First, there’s finding a fairly clean backdrop, and finally, the most important photographic element, finding the right light – which is everything to the photograph. Sometimes I get lucky and find all three of these elements together, and when I do, it is very rewarding, almost magical. My desire to be a professional wildlife photographer came easy to me, but choosing where the photograph wildlife wasn’t. I felt that to get the best possible images, I would concentrate on North American wildlife. It is familiar to me and I feel a connection to it through shared habitat. Even though I was raised in an eastern state, I was always fascinated by the books I read and tales I heard about bison, bears, eagles and moose. All of these experiences have led me to explore where to find these amazing creatures, and to know for myself their habitats and characteristics – how they really live. The more I grew to know them, the more I became aware of some of the perils they face. The number one priority is preserving their habitat from encroachment. As Chief Seattle once said, “What befalls the wild creatures will also befall the sons of man.”

It is my hope that in viewing these images, there will be instilled in us, who share this continent with the wild creatures, the need to preserve enough space for all of us to continue to live together.

-Gary Crandall