Photography by John L. Dengler / DenglerImages.com
Wildlife photojournalist Noppadol Paothong poses for a photo in his blind in southwest Wyoming.
If you’ve ever stared agape at a cover photo of Missouri Conservationist magazine, you’ve probably seen the handiwork of Noppadol Paothong, who’s shot about 160 of them. Born in Thailand, Paothong moved to Missouri in 1993 as a foreign exchange student. He took up wildlife photography and landed a job at the Springfield News-Leader. While on assignment for that newspaper, he became intrigued by grassland birds and has since published two award-winning large-format books on the sage grouse. For the last 15 years, Paothong has been a staff photographer for the Missouri Department of Conservation. In that role, he documents the state’s flora and fauna, both rare and familiar.
Rather than concentrate on the big majestic creatures, you often focus on small things: a leaf, a cocoon, a goldfinch. Why? People know more about exotic wildlife than we know about wildlife in our own backyard. That’s a problem with conservation, that sometimes people don’t know what it is we’re trying to protect, so it’s been my goal to highlight the need to conserve small species—insects, reptiles, amphibians, even some bird species.
What’s the difference between a good photo and a great photo? A great photo has everything that good photos have—good composition, sharpness, light, a sense of place—but it has a little bit extra to it. It tells a story. Sometimes it’s very disturbing. Sometimes it’s beautiful. But [either way] it draws you in and connects with you, and sometimes it won’t let go of you.
Is it possible to take a great photo with a smartphone? Absolutely. I’ve seen some incredible photographs taken with an iPhone. Now, you can’t always use that phone to take a great photograph of wildlife—you sometimes need to have certain equipment, like a long lens or some specialized wide-angle lenses.
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Photography by Noppadol Paothong
Male Greater Sage-Grouse gather on a lek to perform a mating display during spring courtship ritual to attract hens in Carbon County, Wyoming
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Photography by Noppadol Paothong
Males Greater Sage-Grouse gather on a lek near Boar's Tusk to perform annual spring courtship in high desert area in Wyoming
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Photography by Noppadol Paothong
A Mule Deer buck stands on a ridge in Fremont County in Wyoming.
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Photography by Noppadol Paothong
You’ve spent hours alone in a tent blind, waiting for an animal to appear. What’s that like? I have a lot of time to think. You have to think ahead of your animal and about whether the location of the blind is working or what gear you need to get something done. I rarely just sleep.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve done to get a photo? I was hiking in a blizzard to photograph sharp-tailed grouse for my first book. It was in Wyoming. There was 8 feet of snow on the ground. I had to hike in snowshoes with a 50-, 60-pound backpack, and with each step I fell literally to my hip. It got so bad I couldn’t pull myself out. Luckily my guide followed my footsteps and saw me there stuck in the snow. He helped me out. We set up a blind and didn’t get any shots. But we went back the next few days and finally got a photo. It was grouse running in the snow, and snow was just kicking and flying everywhere. It’s a photograph nobody else has. Every time I look at it, I think, Oh, it was worth it.
When you go on vacation with your family, do you shoot photographs? Not at all. I don’t even want to have my camera with me. I’m seeing things with my two eyes instead of looking through my camera lens.
What tips do you have for people who’ve just started in photography? Wait for the decisive moment. Also, don’t come back with bad photographs and let that be the end of it. Ask yourself why and how you can do better.
