Monday Must-Have - Nature Nomad

**Due to the Monday Must-Have, the giveaway winner will be announced tomorrow.**

Today marks a new installment of my Monday blog series titled Monday Must-Have. Each Monday I will feature a fellow talented Etsian and his or her phenomenal work. Each featured artist will have his or her own online Etsy shop where you can peruse and admire his or her one-of-a-kind body of work. Hopefully you will find new favorite artists and artisans whose work you MUST HAVE. :)

Today's featured artist is Nature Nomad.

Who are you (actual name/and or shop name)?

I’m the Nature Nomad.

What do you create?

I am more an observer of nature than a photographer. Many of the things I would like to photograph don’t always develop because Mother Nature has a different plan than mine so I am left without the image. When all things come together (nature, patience, silence, trust, etc) then the photograph happens.

When did you start creating?

I have had a camera since I was in high school but have been in love with the beauty of nature since my childhood.

Why did you choose your shop name?

Nature Nomad says it best for me. On any beautiful day (and even the crazy weather ones) I am usually wandering around with my camera. This can include a starry night trying to photograph the planet Saturn millions of miles away or examining the intricacy of a February snowflake or walking across a South African National Park and wondering where the lions are sleeping. There is always something to marvel at.

What inspires you?

Nature, nature, nature! Every time I look closely at a photographic image of nature I am reminded how I am just a tiny piece of a much bigger picture. The photographic image can only embrace a single moment in nature. It cannot adequately depict her grandeur, complex simplicity or unending beauty.

What is the most time consuming part of your craft?

The most time consuming part of my passion is wandering around. I can be gone for minutes, hours or days at a time. (And you can guess how my wife feels about that with plenty of chores to do at home!) It makes running a business challenging but I don’t want to ever feel as if I’m not spending enough time outdoors. For me, to really develop at what I am doing, I need to spend as little time indoors as possible. This is a bit odd for a business plan.

What is your favorite place to visit in your hometown and why?

That’s an easy answer. My favorite place is my backyard (the woods, the creek, the field.) I can spend a part of each evening watching a mother hawk raise her babies...


or a tiny frog resting on a Zinnia.


I am blessed to have great neighbors who call and say “Hey, come quick and take a look at this interesting moth so there is no shortage of things to photograph.


What is your most popular item that you create (and why do you think it is so popular)?

I don’t know that there is any one thing. People do seem to respond best to those images that make them laugh, reflect or feel a connection with nature.

What's your next project going to be?

I am working on a book of photographs paired with reflections. This is going slow because I’m finding self publishing with text and color images to be expensive, and truth be told, it is not my area of expertise. If any of your readers have any suggestions please let me know.

What types of things do you do to turn first time buyers into repeat clients?

I always work at giving a little bit more to people who purchase my images. An example of this is my photocards, which come from my photographs. I often put one of these little pieces of art in the mail to customers as a thank you note. Some people tell me that they still have them years later pinned on a bulletin board or under a magnet on their refrigerator. That’s great!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Yes, I am often out wandering around so if you contact me I will respond to you but please be patient. Thanks!


Please be sure to check out more of Nature Nomad's fantastic photography in his Etsy shop. He will be out wandering around this week capturing more phenomenal subjects with his camera so if you have any questions, orders, or thoughts for him he will give you his full attention when he gets back.

If you're interested in being featured in future Monday Must-Have segments, please feel free to convo me in my Etsy shop or email me. Have a wonderful day!