Nature Photographer Greg Lessard will present his latest photography exhibit, “Snowy Owl - Soul of the Arctic” in Vine Hall Art Gallery at the South Shore Science Center in Norwell, Massachusetts, from January 4 to February 8, 2015. The public is invited to a “Meet the Artist” reception on Saturday, January 10, from 2:00-4:00PM.
The exhibit will include nearly thirty images of snowy owls that were made during the record setting irruption of 2013-2014. In addition, the exhibit includes the stories behind the images. One image is a life sized panorama of a snowy owl in flight!
Mr. Lessard started this portfolio in November of 2013 on Thanksgiving weekend. He states, “While everyone was standing in crowded lines, looking for the best deals on Black Friday, I quietly snuck out to a coastal park to look for my first owl of the season. Arriving at dawn, I was thrilled to locate a beautiful, darkly barred owl. The owl was perched on a fallen tree in some tall grasses. It was wary of me, so I kept my distance, making a beautiful landscape that included a snowy owl.”
Creating this portfolio was a challenge. Mr. Lessard spent countless hours in sub- freezing weather waiting for the owls to reveal themselves in a photogenic moment. He often walked more than five miles in the dark, with thirty pounds of gear to find the owls in remote locations. Not wanting to disturb the owls, Mr. Lessard would spend hours sitting patiently, observing these visitors from the arctic. His effort paid off with many outstanding images of truly magnificent creatures.
This is the second exhibit that Greg has featured snowy owls. His previous exhibit, “The Year of the Snowy Owl” was a resounding success. Mr. Lessard has been fascinated by snowy owls for more than a decade. Over the last four years, he has photographed dozens of owls and written numerous articles about his experiences.
Greg Lessard is a landscape artist with a passion for capturing profound moments in nature. Largely a self-taught photographer, Greg picked up a camera in his early twenties with the simple hope of sharing his discoveries with others. Through years of dedication and devotion to his craft, Greg has become an artist with a unique vision and talent. He is able to engage the viewer and evoke powerful emotional responses with his art.
Mr. Lessard is highly sought after as a teacher of photography. He is a photography tour leader with the Massachusetts Audubon North River Sanctuary and the South Shore Natural Science Center. Mr. Lessard has recently become sponsored by Hunt’s Photo and Video.
In his photography classes, Mr. Lessard emphasizes the importance of ethical nature photography. He encourages all of his students to think of nature and wildlife first and the image second. Respecting the owls and their environment is more important to Mr. Lessard than making a great image. His approach of sitting quietly for hours at a time has frequently resulted in fantastic images.
For more information on Greg Lessard and his photography, visit his website at http://greglessardphotography.com or his blog at http://blog.greglessardphotography.com/
About South Shore Natural Science Center
The South Shore Natural Science Center, a South Shore YMCA organization, is a non-profit environmental education center serving the south shore and beyond. They are located at 48 Jacobs Lane in Norwell, less than one mile from exit 13 off Route 3. For directions, or more information, please call the Center at 781-659-2559 or visit their website at www.southshorenaturalsciencecenter.org
