Colorado based nature and wildlife photographer, Dave Showalter is author and photographer of the award-winning book "Prairie Thunder - The Nature of Colorado's Great Plains". Dave has a lifelong interest in natural history and has been photographing in Colorado and the west for over 18 years. Dave's photographs and articles have appeared in numerous publications, including Outside, Outdoor Photographer, National Geographic Books, Backpacker, Nature Photographer, Crested Butte Magazine, and the Colorado Mountain Club Fourteener Calendar. Dave is also a contributor to the Skyline Press book "14,000 Feet." Dave is the photographer for Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, is an emerging member of the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP), a longtime member of NANPA, NAPP and numerous conservation groups.
Dave and his wife Marla love adventuring, whether it's reaching for a high summit, waiting for golden light on a prairie butte, searching for wildlife, or trekking in a developing country. Together, Marla and Dave have trekked in New Zealand, Nepal, Tanzania, Peru and most-recently Italy. They have summitted Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mount Pisco in Peru's Cordillera Blanca, Kala Patar and Gokyo Ri in Nepal and more than 30 of Colorado's 14,000 foot peaks. We sincerely hope that this zeal and sense of wonder is communicated through Dave's images.
Prairie Thunder serves is Dave's first book and an introduction to conservation photography. The book, and Dave's frequent public slideshows offer opportunities to discuss conservation of important habitat in Colorado. Dave is now working on a new conservation book project in the American west.
About wildlife shooting: With rare exception, I choose to photograph wild animals. The black-footed ferret is North America's most endangered mammal; and I photographed them at the National black-footed ferret conservation center, a captive breeding and relocation facility. They were released into the wild shortly after. Before the release of wild bison at Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR, I photographed bison at private ranches. I choose not to shoot at game farms.
I am frequently asked what equipment I use and maintain that the creative vision is far more important. I shoot all digital Nikon gear and have a number of Nikon lenses from the ultra-wide 12-18mm up to my monster lens - a 600mm that weighs 14 lbs! Coupled with a 1.4X tele-converter, I have a range of over 1200mm. I also use a variety of Gitzo carbon fiber tripods equipped with Kirk heads. The rig that I choose depends upon the vision for the shoot ~ a mountain climb requires just one zoom lens, while wildlife shooting means bring the kitchen sink!