Pixiq

“God provides the beauty, I am just fortunate enough to be there to capture it with my camera.” –Gary Jacobson

Product of Minnesota
Jake is a self-taught photographer who has lived his entire life in the plains, forests, lakes and rolling hills of Minnesota. It is a beautiful state that provides photographic opportunities throughout all four seasons. His earliest memories of photography were from when he was seven years old and photographing the Grand Tetons and Yosemite National Park while on a family vacation. He enjoyed capturing images of the mountains, rivers and lakes while attending a summer camp located deep in the mountains of Montana. Those early experiences in the mountains continued to feed his interest in nature photography.

Digital Revolution
He was truly hooked on photography when he visited a friend’s home and held a 35mm camera for the first time. He was amazed by the clarity that could be achieved looking through the lens on an SLR camera. Anyone who grew-up using film knows that the learning curve was often brutal and unforgiving. All of that changed with the advent of the Digital SLR. He reluctantly jumped into the digital realm by purchasing a Canon EOS 10D in 2003 and has never looked back. Finally he was able to receive instant feedback from the camera and learned to make the appropriate adjustments in the field. He is now on his fourth generation Digital SLR and is excited to see what new functionality will be added the next time he upgrades. He credits online photography web sites like the Digital Image Café for helping to hone his photography skills as well as introduce him to some wonderful photographers he considers good friends.

Composition, composition, composition
His photographer friends often comment on his ability to nail compositions. He admits that he never really knew what the rule of thirds was until just a few years ago, but has always just photographed what looked good to him. That still holds true today, he is simply drawn to the beauty regardless of the subject. He will employ whatever fits his subject, whether it be leading lines, repeating patterns, textures, rule of thirds or even breaking the rules. Composition is used to grab the attention of a viewer, but he also likes to employ dramatic lighting or atmospheric elements for even greater impact.

Common Loon
Jake likes to say, “Some people go hunting with a rifle, I prefer to use a Canon!” He has never proclaimed to speak to the animals, but his calm demeanor seems to be a bit of a magnet for wildlife. He has had many close encounters with various birds and mammals. He is an avid fisherman and can be found exploring the lakes of Minnesota and Canada looking for trophy largemouth bass and northern pike. When fishing his camera is always nearby with and ready to shoot. On several occasions when the fish were not biting he noticed that the light was perfect and that there was a family of loons nearby. He was able to use an electric trolling motor to slowly approach the loon family and photograph some wonderful bird behavior. He has figured out how to get the best shots of these beautiful birds is to herd them towards the best lighting and reflections. His loon images are very popular because of the dramatic lighting and compositions, he also notes that it probably doesn’t hurt that the Common Loon is also the State Bird of Minnesota.

Wild Life Indeed
A fellow photographer introduced him to The Wildlife Science Center, which is a non-profit organization that has the largest private collection of wolves in North America. After his first visit, he realized they had much more to offer than just a variety of wildlife. They also provided educational opportunities for both children and adults where they could develop inspiring relationships with the wild. He recognized the power of his wildlife images captured at the center and knew it could help them with their marketing efforts. Jake joined the board of directors this summer to formalize his commitment to this wonderful non-profit organization. His photography of wolves has been recognized locally as well as nationally. He is planning his first wildlife photography seminar that will include access to some of the most beautiful wolves in North America.

Closer Look
Jake will be the first to admit that he doesn’t really follow any particular artists or trends, but prefers to do his own thing. He has heard from quite a number of people that his flower macro photography reminds them of Georgia O'Keefe. He nodded politely and had to perform a quick Google search when he returned to his computer to see what they were all talking about. He credits his success in macro photography to always paying attention to the details and making sure the backgrounds were always clean. The ability to tightly control the depth of field as well as the plane of focus appeals to his technical side. Macro photography forces you to slow down and think about everything like composition, light, angle as well as camera settings. This is truly where the beauty of nature is revealed, it’s all in the details!

Attitude of Gratitude
When not spending time with his family he enjoys volleyball, hiking, biking and fishing. He has been blessed with a supportive wife, family, friends, and coworkers. They all understand that photography is his passion and that the camera is simply an extension of who he is as an artist. He never could have imagined that he would be given so many opportunities to use his gift of photography. Jake states that he cannot take credit for his photography - God provides the beauty, he is just fortunate enough to be there to capture it with his camera.

Gary’s photographic work can be viewed and purchased through his online gallery: www.frozenshutter.com

Follow his photographic journeys on his photo blog: www.frozenshutter.blogspot.com and on his Facebook Fan Page

Learn more about other resources mentioned in this article; The Wildlife Science Center and on Digital Image Cafe!