A Photographer's Life

CHAPTER 10Patricio—Thinking Big

In October 1993, both Frans Lanting and I each won nine Roger Tory Peterson Awards for our published images. The presentation ceremony was held in upstate New York. Frans and photographers from throughout the United States emerged from their normally solitary lifestyles to celebrate fine photography. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend.

The gathering was a transformative experience that led Frans and several other attendees to form a new photographic group that would leverage common goals and interests for education and furthering professional standards. So it was that The North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) was born. Frans called me immediately upon his return home and excitedly suggested ...