Wildlife Photographer
Shares Wonders of Nature
To spy a red-tailed hawk catching currents overhead, fawns
frolicking on a spring day, or a pair of crimson cardinals against the backdrop
of winter white marks a treasured moment. Most of us enjoy these fleeting
moments from behind the wheel or in the backyard just before the dog sends wildlife
running for cover. Then, in an instant, the image is lost to a busier pace.
For outdoor enthusiast and wildlife
photographer Cody Short from Milton, Pa., these magical moments are meant to be
captured for lasting wonderment and inspiration. Beyond essential photography
skills, successful wildlife photographers carry a deep understanding of our
natural environment and of animals’ behaviors, habitats, and cycles. Cody can’t
rely only on the backyard bird feeder.
“I spend a lot of early mornings in the woods before light
so that when light comes I’m there and not disturbing what is coming into the
woods,” said Short, who works a third-shift job opening up days for
photography. “I spend as much time as possible in the woods. I’m usually up at
3:30 a.m. and try to get in the woods by 5 a.m.”
Cody’s love for the outdoors dates back to being a kid,
dabbling with photography since a teenager. About five years ago, Cody took his
hobby to the next level when a fellow photographer inspired him to invest in
better equipment and pursue the craft.
Today, he’s fostering that same interest of photography and nature
in his 3-year-old daughter, Maura. Maura is developing patience for sitting in
the woods and even received a camera for her third birthday. Trips and outdoor
excursions are often a family affair, and Cody and his wife Leanne find lessons
in the woods with their daughter pay off at home. “We say ‘Use your deer voice,
Maura,’” he joked.
Cody finds deer and turkeys fascinating animals and
favorites to photograph. Inspired by all nature offers, his portfolio also captures
foxes, coyotes, birds of prey and takes us to beautiful landscapes and streamscapes. With his pieces now on the market, he finds birds
and butterflies prove popular as well.
“I started selling two years ago by exhibiting at Gifts of
Art, a shop in Williamsport, and things have grown rapidly since then.” This year he began selling his work at
Artisan’s Shoppe, a contemporary art gallery that opened in March 2007 in
Williamsport, Pa. “It really has blossomed into a great place,” he adds.
“Cody’s a top seller at Artisan Shoppe because our patrons
love his eye and the light he captures, and he always seems to be in the right
place at the right time,” said Wendy Reber, Artisan Shoppe gallery owner. “People
just can’t seem to get enough of his work.”
Artisan’s Shoppe celebrates creativity by featuring a
spectrum of mediums in addition to photography. Exhibits feature oil painting,
water color, gourd art, ceramic, charcoal, and stained glass—just to name
a few. Reber said, “I wanted to open with 20 artists, and we opened with 56.
Now we have 76.”
Reber shares her vision for the
new gallery she opened with her husband, John. “Having people understand the
face behind the name behind the passion of the work is very important to me as
a gallery owner. Built for the artists, it will always be about the artists.”
Her reward is watching people come off the street, settle into the gallery’s welcoming
experience, and take the time to admire each and every piece.
Cody’s decision to exhibit at the new Artisan Shoppe has
been a good one. “I have my own room there and the biggest retail space of
anyone else exhibiting.”
“Cody holds the market on outdoor wildlife photography,” agreed
Reber. “He has some incredible shots like the Jumping Coyote. It is literally a coyote in mid air jumping on a
mouse.”
Cody obviously spends a great deal of his life in the woods.
His alluring photos take us with him deep into the wild, witnessing natural
wonders we’d otherwise never be able to experience.
Cody’s work, The Pair,
is featured on the cover of this winter edition. More of his photos can be
found at the Artisan’s Shoppe in Wellsboro, Pa. and online at www.artisansshoppe.com. Cody will
also be exhibiting at the Brookside Game Calls booth
at the Eastern Sports and Outdoor show Feb. 2 – 10 at the State Farm Show
Complex in Harrisburg.
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