Art Show: Kaleb Friend
Local photographer Kaleb Friend will be debuting his solo photo art show Air Space: Finding Connection and Peace with Wild Birds here at Black Bird on Friday, May 3rd!
“Birds ... perform these feats that we certainly could never do, and I think they’re good representatives of the struggle that our environment faces right now.”
Kaleb’s path to professional bird photography was circuitous. He found himself spending increasingly more time hiking outdoors, eventually volunteering for local national parks. He started taking photos of birds he saw on his outdoor excursions for solely documentary purposes, later comparing them to the field guides he had at home. He picked up the ‘birding bug’ and, eventually, his photos took on a more artistic quality.
“Taking a moment and seeing how many birds there really are I think is a gateway to seeing more of what is there in nature.”
His goal is to document birds in their habitats as a way of championing their conservation and showcasing their amazing feats. To Kaleb, observation is a powerful tool, providing insight into our relationship with the environment.
Today, in addition to photography, he writes about bird conservation and works to educate others about the role birds play in the environment. He is an ambassador for the American Bird Conservancy, where he shares his expertise, engages others, and takes action to benefit birds.