Nice to Meet You
I suppose I should start this with an introduction about myself and who I am. Maybe then you will be able to actually understand where I am coming from, and we may connect on a deeper level rather than you just simply liking my photos.
As you are likely aware, my name is Todd DeWald. I am originally from a small town in Pennsylvania about an hour north of Philadelphia. I grew up working outdoors helping in my parent’s many gardens. Through middle school and high school I worked on a local farm. I had the privilege to be able to travel with my parents to different national parks in the American West. I think these trips west is what first sparked my love for the outdoors. You do not realize how small you are and how large the world is until you go out and travel to a different part of the country or world. Out west, I was able to see different animals like elk and bison and these sights amazed me.
As chance would have it, I did not pursue a career in the outdoors, well not exactly. See growing up we were at war. September 11th happened when I was in elementary school so every memory I have are scenes of war and violence on the nightly news. I decided I wanted to grow up helping people and ultimately studied criminal justice at the University of New Haven. I graduated in 2014 and got a job that year working as a police officer in a small town in Connecticut.
I had worked for 5 years to become a police officer and now that I was in the uniform, I hated it. Sure, there were times that were fun and exciting, but most of the time I dreaded going to work and couldn’t wait for my shift to be over. I worked at the department for a few years before I decided I had had enough.
I had the chance to run a small coffee shop that my father-in-law owned and I jumped at the opportunity to be my own boss and do anything other than law enforcement. Turns out, running a coffee shop wasn’t really for me either. The customers were a drag, I found I really wasn’t much of a people person, and I hated being cooped up inside all day. I left there and opened a craft business where I began to do etching in glass of animals and designs. I then started to do etchings of people’s pets on glass and framing them. This was the first instance of me using art and animals together. This was still 5 years ago now.
Money was tight so I opened a remodeling company. I was always good with my hands, and I am a skilled carpenter and craftsmen, another thing I learned from my dad. I spent a few years making custom cabinets and furniture for people as well as remodeling kitchens and bathrooms.
Then the pandemic happened.
People didn’t want strangers in their house, and I didn’t really want to go in their house either. I got a grocery position at a local Whole Foods store and put my time in stocking shelves through the pandemic.
I still had no idea what I wanted to do with myself.
Then my wife suggested I go back to school. She said “you love everything outdoors so why don’t you study something that will put you outdoors”. That is when I looked into Oregon State University. I saw they had a major in fisheries and wildlife science. It was a perfect fit. I applied for the online program and started the journey of going back to school.
My ultimate goal though my photography is to connect people back with nature.
It did not take long for me to begin to explore the world of photography. I got my first camera and telephoto lens in the summer of 2020 and the rest is history. I became obsessed with the camera and learning how it worked and how to take better photos.
My first photos were not good at all. I had only a basic understanding of how the thing worked and how to properly expose and image. But I kept at it and kept researching and learning.
In the summer of 2021, I got a job as a forest ranger at a game refuge in Connecticut. There I was able to carry my camera around with me on all my hikes and daily activities. I was able to see more wildlife, and this only made me more obsessed with the process.
I began to get more serious about my photography and decided to upgrade to the Canon R5 to allow me to take video as well. I purchased a photo blind and learned how to track and interpret wildlife behavior. This allowed me to begin to create photos that I was actually proud of.
My ultimate goal though my photography is to connect people back with nature. I hope that my photography will better assist in conservation efforts to protect the wildlife and habitats that they depend on. Together we can make the world a happier and healthier place for our wildlife.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
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-Todd
Find me on Instagram, Facebook, and coming soon, Youtube! @todddewaldphotography
