Camera Hunter: George Shiras III and the Birth of Wildlife Photography

George Shiras III (1859-1942) published a series of nighttime photographs in National Geographic in 1906, featuring leaping whitetail deer, a beaver gnawing on a tree, and a snowy owl perched along the shore of a lake in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Shiras, a congressman and lawyer, joined forces with Theodore Roosevelt and scientists in Washington, DC, to shape the conservation movement during the Progressive Era and passed the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Camera Hunter recounts Shiras's life and craft as he traveled to wild country in North America, refined his trail-camera techniques, and advocated for the protection of wildlife.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 408 pages
Publication date: 15 May 2021
Publisher: University of New Mexico Press

In 1906, George Shiras III, a renowned photographer, captured a series of remarkable nighttime photographs in National Geographic. Using primitive equipment, he documented leaping whitetail deer, a beaver gnawing on a tree, and a snowy owl perched along the shore of a lake in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The photographs, breathtaking in detail and composition, celebrated American wildlife at a time when many species were facing extinction due to habitat loss and unregulated hunting. Shiras, a congressman and lawyer, collaborated with his friend Theodore Roosevelt and scientists in Washington, DC, to shape the conservation movement during the Progressive Era. His legal and legislative efforts culminated in the passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Camera Hunter, a captivating biography, delves into Shiras's life and craft as he ventured into the wilds of North America, honed his trail-camera techniques, and tirelessly advocated for wildlife protection. This biography serves as a valuable record of Shiras's remarkable achievements as a visual artist, wildlife conservationist, adventurer, and legislator.

Weight: 622g
Dimension: 154 x 230 x 33 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780826362742