Excerpts from an E-Cards Interview with freelance photographer Theresa Husarik:

What kind of work/accomplishments have you done in the world of photography?

I am currently teaching "Digital Imaging" and leading various nature workshops. I am working on a children's picture book about baby animals. And I like to think I am helping a lot of people who write in from my web page asking questions about how to get started, or how did you get that picture, etc. I've volunteered my services in many ways from free seminars about photography, to creating web sites for various non-profit groups.

Why the interest in Nature photography?

Just being out in nature is what keeps me going. And the ability (or luck) to be able to capture a special moment on film to be shared is something I can't put into words.

How many years have you been taking photographs?

I've been taking photos all my life, but started getting serious in the early 80's. I turned the interest into a business in '94.

Has anyone been a particular inspiration to you in your pursuit of photography?

I've been inspired by many people from viewing their work , to reading their books, to taking classes from them. Probably the 3 most influential people have been Tom Mangelsen for his stunning wildlife work, Jerry Uelsman for his "before-digital" compositing, and Rodger Newbold, a local photographer and teacher extraordinaire who helped me to "see".

Do you do this full time, and if not, what else do you do?

Not full time - yet. I also work as a Software Engineer. My day job has actually helped foster my interest in photography, and give me new ideas for expressing my creativity. I've been around computers most of my adult life, and now with the exploding popularity of digital imaging and the WWW, I finally found a perfect match for my left brain/right brain interests.

What do you hope to accomplish through photography?

I hope, through trying to capture the innocence and subtlety of nature in my wildflower, wildlife and landscape images, I can help increase awareness of the fragility of nature, and the need to protect and nurture it. So many of our treasures are disappearing before our eyes, and if care is not taken, generations to come will not have the experience of sitting in a field of wildflowers, or watching a sunset over a mountain lake, or observing young wildlife frolicking in the woods. If our natural treasures are perceived as something precious and perishable, we will be more apt to want to protect them. We protect what we value, and we value what we understand. I hope when people see my images, they are reminded to be kind to Mother Nature, and that when one ventures out into the wilderness, one is, after all, a guest in her home.

Did you ever have any formal training in photography?

For several years, I was part of a class with a "club-like" atmosphere. The same core group consistently enrolled in the class, and we molded the curriculum around whatever we were interested in. We learned about all aspects of photography, but with a slant toward portraiture (ie: lighting: studio, natural, flash, posing, etc). There were no mountains in my backyard back then. When I moved to Utah in '87, I was "hooked" by the spectacular beauty of the natural world. Once in Utah, I took a few classes in the "Zone System", B/W printing, creativity, portfolio creation and presentation. I also read a lot of books, anything I could get my hands on. But mostly, I just got out there and practiced.

What can a visitor to your website expect to find?

1. Besides the stunning photography ;-) my site also has information on what, when and where to shoot in and around Utah, USA. That's where I hang out most of the time, and I am willing to share a lot of the information I've come up with in my travels.
2. I have produced and am marketing a screen saver that one can get information on by visiting the site. The screen saver is a collection of 40 images accompanied by music and nature sounds. It is meant to reminded us of the natural treasures that share our world so that 1) we will do our part to help preserve them, and 2) experiencing them (by seeing and hearing the screen saver right on our desks) will bring a little beauty and relaxation to our often hectic work days.

Have you won any awards for your photos?

I've won numerous awards, both locally and internationally. I'm currently published in "Photo Techniques" magazine for 1st place in "Color Photo Contest" with "Walking Pine", and "Confidence".