Our lobby display at the DeMott Lane branch currently features the arresting nature photography of John McAuliffe. We recently asked him about his work, his love of wildlife, and his advice on wildlife photography.
Franklin Twp Public Library: How did you get into photography and how long have you been taking pictures?
John McAuliffe: My documentary journey began in the age of real film. Shooting sports events for my children’s baseball, soccer, and football event taught me angles, shutter speed, and aperture settings. I began capturing the excitement within the world of adventure while traveling and bringing it back for friends and family to experience. The essence of nature is revealed through frozen digits of time.
FTPL: What about animals interests you, specifically?
JM: I see a symphony of movement through the lens, capturing the highs and lows in a moment-by-moment excitement that I bring back to civilization. The five canvases of the Animals of the Americas are frozen bits of time of animals living in North America, Central, and South America. My videos expand that snapshot with a moment-by-moment muscle-flexing body refinement. This visual platform allows one to experience not only still frames, but also the action and the life itself as we watch. The Galapagos’ Blue Footed Booby’s devastating dive bomb attack is a crashing cymbal, while a baby Bison runs after mama as the heard lumbers down the prairies of Yellowstone National Park, or Black Bears lunching on Salmon by the stream.
FTPL: Do you have any favorite animals to photograph? Are there any you want to capture but have been elusive so far?
JM: I’m rather fond of winged creatures. The canvas Galapagos Archipelago, Birds of the sky and sea show our foul friends in detail; Pelicans, Great Frigate birds, the Nazca Boobys, the elusive Blue Footed Boobys, the Mockingbird, the finch, and many more. But few animals fill one with a sense of fear more than the Bear. Big and furry, brown or black, weighing over 400 pounds. Experiencing them eating lunch, ripping open fish with their massive paws and claws. Don’t get too close.
FTPL: What are some of the challenges to photographing in nature?
JM: Patience, patience, patience. Animals have a mind of their own and often don’t come out to say hello. At other times, it is difficult to find the right angle for the shot. Sometimes you may be left behind by other explorers in your group. But you have a chance to capture the shot you want, and it is worth it, you will catch up with the group.
FTPL: What advice would you offer someone interested in taking nature photographs?
JM: Procure a guide, perhaps a friend with keen insight into local creature habitats. Luck plays a large part in the lens’s ability to capture the beast du jour. A good time of day to shoot is early in the morning. The cold winter puts some animals into hibernation and they may not be sighted. Spring brings an awakening of abundant exploding life. Bring Bug Spray. Summer is a time of nurturing, growth, and of playfulness. When summer turns to fall, the battle for champions begins. Dominance is tested deciding who wins the territory, future mates, and food. Life and death are on the line but all artists need to be cautious.
FTPL: What else do you enjoy?
JM: I enjoy tinkering around writing bits of life into bytes of video. Gardening gets me outside of the house every once in a while. I’m a past Captain of the Quail Brook Senior Golf Team. NJSGL League. My first historical novel and biography, Uncle Jack World Champion, Unclejackworldchampion.co was published in 2018. It was inspired by my great-grand-uncle the lightweight World Boxing Champion.
FTPL: What is Adventure Gold? (https://adventuregold.net/)
JM: Adventure Gold is a game that brings all the excitement of real-life adventures to a board game. Just like action adventures, players will experience zip-lining Niagara Falls, whitewater rafting through the Grand Canyon, or jumping out of a plane over the Garden State. Players can almost feel the rush of the wind in their hair and the splash of the rapids in their faces. But watch out—there are dangerous animals you may meet along the way!
A smartphone is key to the technical side of this board game, which requires scanning QR codes. Only a Prototype at the moment, the game looks to launch later this summer.
FTPL: Do you have any upcoming travel plans, and if so, what are you looking forward to photographing?
JM: My love, Colleen, our tribe, and I travel whenever we can. We just returned from Israel, and we keep our eyes open as opportunities present themselves constantly.
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The library is always looking for artists, crafters, and collectors to feature on our art wall and in our display cases. For more information, please email events@franklintwp.org with a little about yourself and a link to your website or social media accounts. You can also attach samples of your work. Preference is given to residents of Franklin Township.
Thanks for reading!
George, FTPL
