Photographers (in alphabetical order) -- Not all of them deal with nature and wildlife, but they all offer some strong images and particular styles. In most cases, they're also active on various newsgroups and can be counted on to provide knowledgeable advice in those forums.

Some sites also contain pages of hints, tips, and guides, which can be a valuable resource for photographers of any level.

So bookmark them, and poke around every once in a while - new galleries and additions always happen along, it's what we strive for.

Gene Anderson, http://www.designsinlight.com -- Gene likes strong color and sweeping vistas, and produces some stunning landscape photos. He also uses his talent to help support various nonprofit humanitarian organizations, and there can never be too much of that.

Matt Clara, http://www.mattclara.com/index.html -- Not only does Matt have a great eye for crisp photography, but a creative streak for 3D graphics as well. I'm partial to his B&W work the most, but stop by and see what strikes your fancy. Matt has also provided some of his 3D models available for download, for those who are interested in pursuing this branch of graphics work.

Rob Holland & Skip Pudney, http://bellsouthpwp.net/o/u/outdoorphoto -- Rob and Skip are both photographers and writers, and specialize in the deep woods, mostly in the Carolinas, and in the western states. Take a deep breath while viewing some of their forest images, and you'll swear you can smell the leaves and water.

Lisa Horton, http://www.lisahorton.net -- While some photographers (like myself) try to get into natural areas to find beauty to photograph, Lisa believes we are surrounded by it; it's only a matter of isolating it. To this end, she usually reduces her subjects down to essential characteristics, rather than taking them as a whole, and the result is often surprising. She is also the creator of the Shoot-In, linked below.

Al Jacobson, http://www.aljacobs.com -- Al's site is one of the best resources for any aspiring wedding photographer (and probably quite a few experienced ones!). He's put years of experience into his guides, and he tells everyone what to expect and how to handle it. A must-visit if you're considering the wedding trade, or even if you're planning your own wedding. And don't miss his gadget section.

Steve Kramer's "PhotoEnvisions", http://www.photoenvisions.com -- Steve lives in Thailand but travels extensively, and presents his subjects with an eye towards culture and journalism. And it's clear from many of his portraits that he relates well to the people he meets. Steve has put this to good use as both a teacher and a feature photojournalist, who admits to being delightfully busy.

Lewis Lang's "Lewisvision", http://members.aol.com/Lewisvisn/home.htm -- Okay, Lewis defines "unique", and he dictates his photography to express his vision. To this end he will seek out a particular image rather than let it strike him as many of us do. You're not likely to see one of his 'scenes' in your travels, and if you do, you should probably be worried. But Lewis does more to tailor his images for a particular message, while still leaving the message open for interpretation, and impact is foremost.

Tony Parkinson's "Photocountry", http://www.photocountry.photoshot.com/index.html -- Tony is another photographer with varied interests, and applies his style to all of them. Tony's images tend to give a softer, often dreamlike impression. Also check out his guides for digital work and emulating B&W from color images.

Bert Sirkin, http://www.PhotoBert.com/page1.asp -- Bert is another one of these people who have traveled extensively, and many of his images show off the grandeur of the western deserts and Alaska. Bert's images often remind me irresistibly of meticulous paintings. He also hosts some pages of tips, links, and excellent cheatsheets for the Nikon line of cameras.

Tony Spadaro's "Chapel Hill Noir", http://www.chapelhillnoir.com -- Tony admits to enjoying teaching, and it shows clearly once you get a peek at the various guides within his site. But he also provides a unique approach to his photography -- sometimes experimental, sometimes surreal, sometimes journalistic. His site is a trip, and you're not sure what's around the corner. It's more fun that way.

And last but not least, the Shoot-In at http://www.pbase.com/shootin. Open to all participants within the rec.photo.equipment.35mm newsgroup, the Shoot-In has proven to be a popular photographic exercise. One subject is chosen per week by one of the registered participants, and everyone who has an inclination then has 9 days to provide an appropriate image, oftentimes open to their own interpretation. Definitely worth a look to see the different approaches each week. Commentary can be found on the rec.photo.equipment.35mm newsgroup, look for [SI] in the subject lines.

Reference and just-plain-handy sites:

Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center, http://florida-keys.fl.us/flkeyswildbird.htm

North Carolina Zoological Park, http://www.nczoo.org/index.html

Callaway Gardens (west Georgia), http://www.callawaygardens.com/

North American Nature Photography Association, http://www.nanpa.org/home.html

Nature Photographers Online Magazine, http://www.naturephotographers.net/

Nature & Photographic Links, http://www.reflectiveimages.com/photo3.htm

Wildlife Watcher, http://www.wildlifewatcher.com/index.phtml

Cradoc FotoBiz photographers' software, http://www.cradoc.com/

B&H Photo/Video, http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

Plotting the rising and setting of the sun and moon, http://www.40-below.com/sunmoon/index.html

Seeing what's happening in the night sky, http://www.heavens-above.com/ (don't let the registration bother you).

Info:
Equipment is shown in the photo specs. In addition, I use a Canon 380EX flash, often with a custom bounce card, and a pair of PG-15S mini slave flashes, excellent for macro work -- just strap them onto the lenshood. Everything is carried in belt packs, with the exception of the tripod -- straight down my back with two straps, weight balanced and distributed. I have a lot of esoteric and homemade accessories -- I modified both my flash and camera handgrip to take an external battery pack, for instance, able to be stuffed inside a warm jacket in cold, battery-draining conditions.

Film is mostly Fuji Provia 100F and Velvia, because I can depend on the results, but I'll try out anything. Kodak E100VS and SW have their uses, as do Fuji Astia and Sensia -- all of these are slide films. For print, I often use Fuji Superia 400 and occasionally Reala.

Digital Work is primarily accomplished through a Minolta Dimage Scan Dual film scanner and Photoshop 5.0. For a few weeks in the summer of 2004, I had a borrowed Sony DSC F-717 digital camera, which was used for many images on this site.

This website was created over a large period of time, using several different programs, by a guy (me) that knows very little html. At any time you may notice changes in format between different sections, and this is simply growing pains. The curse of making a large site -- you end up remaking it all when you see the previous mistakes ;-).

Newsgroups are a great source of info and networking -- check out rec.photo.equipment.35mm and rec.photo.technique.nature. Ignore (or killfile) anyone that is too terminally bored to be useful, but don't let it discourage you from an excellent resource -- many others on the groups are knowledgeable and helpful.