Daniel Cox

December 1, 2008

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Master Photographers Tell You How

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Daniel Cox

Photographer of the Great Outdoors
Capturing the Beauty of a Snowy Day

by Carl Iseli

Article rating: 8.83

Nothing is more evocative of the winter holiday season than snow. Even if you live in a balmy area where a flake on your shoulder says more about your shampoo than the weather, pictures of snow-covered fields inspire strong mental imagery. And few photographers have more experience with the fluffy white stuff than Daniel J. Cox, one of America’s most eminent outdoor and wildlife photographers.

Cox grew up in the frozen climes of Minnesota, trekking the forests and fields with his father as a self-described “hunter-gatherer.” By his mid teens, Daniel’s choice of weapon began to shift from rifle to camera, and he began to amass a credible portfolio of lush scenic and animal photographs. After a series of false starts trying to sell his work to local and regional publications, Cox took the advice offered by established nature photographer Pete Czura and headed for New York City, where many of the national outdoor publications reside.

Tis' the Season!

A lot has been written about the difficulties in dealing with New York publishers. Perhaps Cox’s experience confronting fierce beasts in the wild took some of the fear out of approaching major-league editors in the Big Apple. In any case, Daniel said that he had few problems getting his portfolio seen by the right people. Some photographers engage agents to present their work to publications; Cox prefers using his own shoe leather. “Nobody’s going to work as hard for you as yourself,” he commented. As a result of Cox’s superb photography and marketing efforts, he was soon being published in such prestigious periodicals as Field and Stream, Outdoor Life and Sports Afield

Nothing is more evocative of the winter holiday season than snow. Even if you live in a balmy area where a flake on your shoulder says more about your shampoo than the weather, pictures of snow-covered fields inspire strong mental imagery. And few photographers have more experience with the fluffy white stuff than Daniel J. Cox, one of America’s most eminent outdoor and wildlife photographers. Click here [LINK TO: TIPS] to see some of Daniel’s photographs and tips on how to improve your wintertime pictures.

Cox grew up in the frozen climes of Minnesota, trekking the forests and fields with his father as a self-described “hunter-gatherer.” By his mid teens, Daniel’s choice of weapon began to shift from rifle to camera, and he began to amass a credible portfolio of lush scenic and animal photographs. After a series of false starts trying to sell his work to local and regional publications, Cox took the advice offered by established nature photographer Pete Czura and headed for New York City, where many of the national outdoor publications reside.

A lot has been written about the difficulties in dealing with New York publishers. Perhaps Cox’s experience confronting fierce beasts in the wild took some of the fear out of approaching major-league editors in the Big Apple. In any case, Daniel said that he had few problems getting his portfolio seen by the right people. Some photographers engage agents to present their work to publications; Cox prefers using his own shoe leather. “Nobody’s going to work as hard for you as yourself,” he commented. As a result of Cox’s superb photography and marketing efforts, he was soon being published in such prestigious periodicals as Field and Stream, Outdoor Life and Sports Afield.

Photo: Daniel Cox

White-on-white: a polar bear frolics with her cub

Daniel’s projects keep him on the road for eight to ten months of the year, but it is clear that his continuing love of the photographic “hunt” keeps his pace and the conditions he sometimes must endure from being onerous. Otherwise, “onerous” could easily be a word describing a schedule like the one Cox recently began a National Geographic project to photograph Snowy Owls. He trudged the tundra from 10pm to 4am, day after day, in quest of his elusive subject. “Good wildlife photography means studying, then capturing, the characteristic movements and gestures of the animals,” said Cox, “and you find that on their schedules, not yours.”

Characteristically, a wildlife photographer will embark upon a thematic “project” that – hopefully – will result in saleable images, as opposed to being sent “on assignment” by a specific publication. According to Cox, “I probably haven’t had more than a dozen ‘assignments’ in all my years of professional shooting.” Daniel’s projects have resulted in a collection numbering more than 200,000 photographs. His work can be seen in numerous publications, and an astonishing number of them can be viewed by browsing his Natural Exposures website at http://www.naturalexposures.com. Set aside some time for this: it’s a fascinating site.

Photo: Daniel Cox

As if continually expanding his extraordinary body of photographic work is not enough, Daniel Cox has authored five books about favorite creatures and their habitats: White Tail Country, Mountain Lion, Black Bear, Elk and his latest, Bear: A Celebration of Power and Beauty, which explores these beautiful behemoths through history, legend and folklore.

If you would like to be guided in your own outdoor and wildlife photography, Daniel conducts occasional workshops. One scheduled for spring, 2002 will afford participants with an opportunity to photograph big cats and other wildlife indigenous to the Monument Valley and Arizona Slot Canyons. How can you be sure that you will be able to get pictures of these extremely reclusive animals? Because Cox has arranged for one of the film industry’s premier wild animal “wranglers” to bring them! Is that cheating? “Some might say that,” said Cox, “but since the area has become populated, finding and photographing theses animals in the wild has become a virtual impossibility.”

Watch for an upcoming article here at TakeGreatPictures.com.

While many people head for their warm homes when the weather outside is frightful, Daniel Cox heads for the woods and fields with his camera. Take a look at some of his results and follow the tips and techniques for great winter weather pictures and you’ll be singing, “Let it snow; let it snow; let it snow!”