October 2007: Kevin Karlson
I started taking pictures because I wanted to freeze the beauty of the natural world on film. In real time, special natural moments are over in an instant, and all you have left is a fading memory. By photographing these moments, you capture them forever, and can revisit them again and again.
About Kevin
Kevin T. Karlson has been a wildlife photographer for 28 years and active as a birder for 30 years. He has traveled from the wilds of the Alaskan Arctic to the rainforests of South America to photograph birds. As an accomplished birder/photojournalist, he has published numerous articles on identification and travel locations to find and enjoy birds. A former photo editor for North American Birds, Kevin currently writes an ID column for Wild Bird Magazine, where he sits on the Advisory Board.
In 1999, Tidemark Press published Kevin’s own calendar titled Birds of the Arctic Tundra, which was endorsed by the American Birding Association. He worked closely with Peter Thayer in creating the CD-Rom The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Guide to Birds of North America as head ornithologist, photo researcher and submitter of almost 800 photos. Recently, Kevin co-authored The Shorebird Guide with Michael O’Brien and Richard Crossley, which proposes a different initial approach to bird ID.
Kevin spent the summers of 1992-95 working as a wildlife biologist in the Alaskan Arctic, participating in research and census studies of the birds that use this fragile habitat. His photo collection from this region is one of the best in the world.
In recent years, Kevin has joined the Birding Symposium and Festival circuit as a keynote speaker and workshop presenter. Recent venues include the San Diego Bird Festival, Central Valley Bird Symposium in California, and the Copper River Shorebird Festival in Cordova, Alaska.
Currently a resident of Cape May Court House, NJ, Kevin is a recently retired 12-year member of the NJ Bird Records Committee. He is the founder and president of Jaeger Tours, Inc., a small birding tour company with an emphasis on a total birding and nature experience. Visit Kevin’s personal website, www.kevinkarlsonphotography.com, to see more of his photos and browse his articles and upcoming workshops.
