Visions of Nature: A Photo Journey with David Olson

His travels take him to some of our continent’s most majestic wilderness in search of elusive wildlife. Explore some of the latest work by this award-winning photographer as you’re transported to the quiet and awesome scenes of our natural world.

David Olson Photo

I am so blessed to be able to witness the wonders of nature in my career. The beauty in our natural world does wonders for the heart and soul of us all. We need to break away from our electronics long enough to see the world. Once we do, we will find life is a much more exhilarating and memorable place.

We are fortunate here in the Midwest to experience the full four seasons. Varied climates can make for creating beautiful images year-round. This past year I traveled thousands of miles to photograph and document our vastly decreasing wild lands. Our wild-living neighbors are finding it hard to cope with mankind’s ongoing growth and destruction of forests.

My commitment as a professional wildlife photographer is to bring awareness and caring through my photography for the species and world we should protect, not destroy. I always hope my images enlighten, educate and give hope to those who view them.

In 2020, I will be leading photography workshops to some of my favorite locations as I teach others the art of nature photography. We are now booking a variety of Hi-Def presentations of imagery with surround music.

Let’s get outside, and I hope to see you on the wild side.

“Walk on the Beach,” Alaska While leading one of my photography workshops in Alaska, we focused on a bear who was walking the shallows looking for salmon. I had hoped for a great sunset silhouette; we were all delighted to see our results.
“Growing up Black Bear,” Minnesota This past spring my adventures took me to the far reaches of northern Minnesota, where black bear cubs and their mothers were emerging from their dens and exploring the world. Photographing and viewing bear cubs is particularly fascinating. The cubs are experiencing everything for the first time. Soon this adorable cub will be the largest predator in the Midwest.
“Battling Bison,” Wyoming Snowy winter day, below-freezing temperatures and a heated argument.
Moraine Lake, Alberta, Canada This is one of the prettiest places in the world to hike and photograph. This lake’s color is azure blue, a brilliant hue that’s a result of glacial silt reflecting light.
David Olson

Being skilled in one field of the profession is good. But very few photographers can be prolific in so many aspects of professional photography like David C. Olson, his wife Adrienne Olson, and the staff at Olson Photography in Rockford.


The Olsons’ team specializes in contemporary, high-end studio photography for businesses, schools, weddings, portraits and more. When David isn’t in the studio, he can be found in some of North America’s wildest locations, photographing elusive creatures and gorgeous landscapes. His images of our natural world have been seen worldwide in books, calendars, National Wildlife Federation and National Geographic. With more than 25 years behind the camera lens, degrees in photography from the Colorado Institute of Art, and research in animal studies, David maintains a diverse portfolio of people’s lives and memories, as well as moments in nature very rarely seen.


“Each day, I wake up knowing there are images that need to be created,” he says. “I would like my images to provoke a relaxing and healing feeling for the people who view them.”


For more on David Olson, check out davidolsonphoto.com.