A Gathering of Bears: Photographer John Fast
Posted on: February 25, 2024 - 5:06pm
Join photographer John Fast at the Raymond Library on Thursday, March 21 at 6:00 PM for a wilderness adventure of a lifetime to McNeil River State Game Sanctuary in Alaska, home to the largest congregation of brown bears in the world. Visit the falls with him as fifty to sixty bears fish, fight, eat, nurse cubs, nap and just hang out. During the presentation he describes and shows what makes McNeil River a special place, as well as what it takes to apply for a permit and the preparations necessary for undertaking the adventure.
Before or after the presentation, view John's photographs, on display now at the library.
John Fast Artist Statement
As long as I can remember photography has been a part of my life. I have snapshots of me at six or seven with a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye in my hands. As many other interests including fly fishing, flying, amateur radio and wood working entered into my my life and faded, I realized that in some way, I managed to weave photography into each of them. Only photography has endured. My passion for wildlife photography began with trips to Alaska and along with scenic photography of the natural world define my interests today.
I am often asked about the source of my patience for photographing wildlife. Quite simply it is the anticipation of the unexpected behavior which can keep me for hours on end watching animals be they moose, a bear or a bird. A similar anticipation holds for scenic photography as I watch the light play over the landscape waiting for that special moment of light and shadow that beckons me to capture it to share with others. These unique moments of animal behavior or landscape display exist only for me at that instant and it is my hope that I can create an image from them so that others can experience and share with me a moment otherwise lost to time.
The Raymond Library is located at 840 Main St., East Hartford. For more information about library programs and services, and to register for a reminder, visit our website: www.easthartfordct.gov/library