Laura Wallace is the human being behind admission@smith.edu, the general inquiry account for the Office of Admission at Smith. She spends her workdays responding to myriad questions, requests, and worries from prospect students, applicants, parents, and counselors. Outside of work, she enjoys kayaking, crocheting and knitting, researching her family tree, spending time with her parents and her two adult(ish) daughters, and exploring and photographing nature.

For as long as she can remember, Laura has been wandering through the woods in an attempt to learn about and observe the wildlife that lives there.  Her love of nature has always revolved around opportunities to “see” nature up close and personal. So, wildlife photography, which she defines as having the single overarching challenge of “getting close to critters,” was an almost instinctive hobby to begin. She has taken photography classes, classes in using Adobe photo processing software, and participated actively in Audubon and other wildlife centered organizations.  But mostly, she has continued to explore the woods and rivers, patiently waiting and watching.

For Laura, it is the elusive nature of her subjects that makes wildlife photography unique and exciting. Animals don’t pose or keep regular hours, and they aren’t always active or out in the open during the hours people are. It has often made her wonder how many people never have the opportunity to observe these creatures in their natural habitats and day-to-day lives.

Laura’s hope in taking and sharing her photographs is that when other people look at them, they see an animal in a way they never have before, whether that is because of the type of animal, her (real or apparent) proximity to the animal, its coloring, its behavior, or even its facial expression.

For this showcase, Laura has shared a few of her favorites, but if you would like to see more, including some from a recent Moose “hunt” in Maine, check out her Facebook page @LauraAWallacephotography.  Enjoy!