Summary Even as a kid growing up in rural Arkansas, I was interested in photography. To me it was some sort of magic. Our parents encouraged us to take turns with the family equipment, but I have to admit that back then it was nothing very special. I started taking still photos for the family album with this old Brownie box camera. Next came home movies in 8 mm, in the backyard, and then in the nearby woods. Before I knew it, I was spending the summer in Alaska, and making a documentary about the wildlife. The 16 mm Arriflex equipment that I use today has come a long ways from this 8 mm Kodak camera, but that's not really the camera's fault. You see at one point this telephoto lens was broken off, and I glued it back on. It never was the same after that, for some reason. But some of my fondest memories are of the old days, when I was just starting out. And, I love to hear from people who are in that same position today. I get some funny questions, though. One young man wrote and asked, "If I'm in the woods, lost and very hungry, is it okay if I eat tree bark?" Well, I advised him that I didn't think it would be very nutritious. Somehow people have the impression that a wildlife cameraman is a cross between Euell Gibbons and Daniel Boone. But most of the letters that I receive are people asking good, solid questions: "How can I become a wildlife photographer?" Well, it's an important question and I'd like to give you a quick, easy answer, but there really aren't any. The answer is pretty complicated, but I'm going to try to answer it. So, why don't you come along? I'd like to show you some of the scenes that I've been lucky enough to capture on film, and I'd also like to share with you some of my secrets for "PHOTOGRAPHING WILDLIFE".

• Documentary
• Family