Doug LeClair
Nature as a basis for a hobby and a love for the great Pacific Northwest outdoors became a passion upon retirement. Learning and growing in photography became a mission for Doug after guiding elementary and middle school kiddos for years.
Have you ever wondered where a picture was taken, what kind of a flower is that or what kind of a bird? Doug shares all he knows and often times his adventure into what makes the picture you are looking at special. You are welcome to take that information home and place it on the back of the picture for future reference!
My fascination with the natural world began long ago. I attended an elementary school in Bremerton, Washington called, "Olympic View Elementary." Olympic View Elementary was positioned in a manner that allowed for frequent viewing of the Olympic Mountains, getting on/off the school bus everyday, walking to the classroom, recess time on the playground, etc. As a result, I was afforded the opportunity to study the dramatic profile and status of the Olympics: The first snowfall? A snowfall that just reaches the lowest elevations? The spring melt? Summer's major melt? The Olympic's appearance was constantly changing. Fifty some years later, the mountains continue to draw my attention; though I live farther away and the Olympic's visual presence and impact is not as profound from Seattle's vantage point.
My older brother and wife introduced me to the world of hiking, leading to year's of exploration and extraordinary experiences in the Alpine Lakes and North Cascades. I hope to hike into the foreseeable future, though it's a bit more arduous than it used to be. My father hiked into his late seventies. He set a high standard. It was the hiking and remarkable landscapes that led to my fascination with photography and overburdened backpack. Next came the investment in photographic books: Ansel Adams, Pat O'Hara, David Muench, Robert Glenn Ketchum, Galen Rowell, and others. A couple of workshops in the mid-to-late 80s from Art Wolfe and Lee Mann further fueled the fire. Then it was practice, practice, and more practice. I learned that transparency film was not a very forgiving medium.
Young children and a busy life curtailed the hiking for numerous years. Instead, I turned my camera towards kids, photographing them in their various moods and activities, and selling images to small family magazines. They eventually grew up and my immediate subjects/models availability cratered. It became time to see if the world of hiking and western US travel could fill the photographic void. They did.
I was a late convert to digital photography; but once experienced, there was no going back. The immediate feedback in the field, the opportunity to correct errors in real time, and being able to download images to the computer and view them on a back lit screen was irresistable. I was hooked. In recent years I have enjoyed immensely, various journeys to the Southwest; including Death Valley, Valley of Fire State Park (Nevada), Zion, Bryce, and Capitol Reef National Parks as well as other venues. They are all remarkable places. I continue to find magic in the mountains, waterways, and coasts of our region. My wife has opened the world of flowers for me, and when traveling is not an option, I find great pleasure and challenge in photographing a wide variety of flowers.
