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Wannabe Naturalist Magazines: Through The Lens of a Photographer

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The Wannabe Naturalist Magazine Edition 2022-1 Video Announcement

Introduction to The Wannabe Naturalist Magazines

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

The nature magazine is hardly a recent invention. Less formal and of a different format than a book, the nature of the periodical is inherently collaborative. Therefore, by design and intention, each issue of The Wannabe Naturalist nature magazine will feature different writers, photographers, and storytellers.

This digital and print photography magazine has a unique focus: the relationship between nature, photography, story-telling, and life. Each issue covers issues and images that matter to anyone that cares about nature, animals and plants. For instance, follow the anole FAQ articles covering the lovable little garden lizards. Through distinct images, conservation photography furthers awareness and action surrounding conservation of the environment, wildlife, habitats, and cultures. The Wannabe Naturalist Magazine was founded in 2015 by fine art photographer and wannabe naturalist Eugene L Brill.

Have you ever wondered: What is a wannabe naturalist? In this digital and print magazine we explore exactly that, with a unique focus: relationship between photography and storytelling, and nature, the environment, and life. Each issue is focused on a relevant theme and covers stories and images that matter to those who care about nature, animals, and plants. The Wannabe Naturalist Nature Magazine was founded in 2020 by photographer, Master Naturalist, Master Gardener, and wannabe naturalist Eugene Brill.

Photography is my passion. I’ve invested unselfishly and without hesitation: time, money, enthusiasm, early mornings, long hikes, kayak trips through the Louisiana swamps. My focus is on conservation photography, including travel and destination photography. I do not capture weddings, birthdays, bar mitzvahs, babies, cute pets, or family portraits. In summary, I prefer the natural world, sans people, in front of my lens.”

Eugene L. Brill aka The Wannabe Naturalist™

Photography has become a powerful medium to enhance and facilitate conservation. Combining nature photography with the proactive, issue-oriented approach of documentary photography, conservation photography acts as an ambassador for protecting the environment and improving life on earth. Through distinct images, conservation photography furthers awareness and action surrounding conservation of the environment, wildlife, habitats, and cultures.

Simply put, by capturing moments in time in the natural world, conservation photography endorses and empowers nature conservation.

Show your commitment to the movement with The Wannabe Naturalist Official Sticker Pack.

Magazine Editions

What can you expect from The Wannabe Naturalist Magazines?

Article Contents

Topics of interest to The Wannabe Naturalist Magazine Readers
Travel Destinations

Editorial Feature: Animal Sultans
Basic Photography Tips
Promoting your photos on Social Media for The Wannabe Naturalist Magazine Readers
Books by Eugene L. Brill
Magazine Feature: Gardeners Know the Dirt
Book Review Feature: What to Read
Partner Profiles
Guest Photographers
About The Wannabe Naturalist Magazine Publisher
Naturalist Resources & Products

Topics of interest to The Wannabe Naturalist Magazine Readers

  • How to Raise Awareness About Sea Level Rise – This is an undisputed fact globally. What is up in the air is the cause. The two primary opposing ideas include: Rising sea levels are a function of natural earth temperature cycle fluctuations; and rising sea levels are due to human caused environmental issues which are impacting atmospheric conditions resulting in global climatic changes. Either alternative, or a combination of the two, do not negate the fact that sea levels are rising.
  • Planting irises at Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge – Iris Seed Collection Event was held at the Bayou Sauvage Wildlife Refuge in New Orleans, Louisiana.
  • And many more stories of interest to wannabe naturalists.

Travel Destinations

  • Travel to Alabama and visit Fairhope, Mobile and Bellingrath Gardens. Traveling to Alabama visiting Fairhope, Mobile, and Bellingrath Gardens with my camera.
  • Spending Summer at the Wintergreen Resort in Virginia, USA with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and located on the Appalachian Trial. The Wintergreen Nature Foundation supports and promotes wildlife habitat preservation and environmental education on the resort and surrounding areas.
  • Simply Cuba Tours are passionate about what Cuba has to offer, and trips are designed for exploring, engaging, and being immersed in the real Cuba. It’s a little-known fact that Cuba offers a nature paradise. Lush green jungles, rich bird life, pristine waters, and white sand beaches make it a perfect spot to fine-tune your nature photography skills!
  • Lake Norman in North Carolina. Lake Norman is the largest man made body of fresh water in North Carolina. It was created between 1959 and 1964 as part of the construction of the Cowans Ford Dam by Duke Energy.
  • And many more destinations.

Editorial Feature: Animal Sultans

  • Black-Bellied Whistling-Ducks – A spectacularly marked, sociable, noisy waterfowl. However, this species is highly gregarious, adaptable to using urban areas, and highly recognizable due to its pink bill and legs.
  • The White Ibis – One of the most numerous wading birds in Louisiana, and common elsewhere in the southeast. Highly sociable at all seasons, roosting and feeding in flocks, nesting in large colonies. When groups wade through shallows, probing with their long bills, other wading birds such as egrets may follow them to catch prey stirred up by the ibises.
  • Turkey Vultures. Also called “turkey buzzards,” these large birds are relatively easy to identify. Turkey vultures are black with a bald red head and a pinkish bill. In flight, their body and outstretched wings form a slight v shape. Their name derives from their loose resemblance to a wild turkey.
  • And many more magnificent animals frequently highlighted in The Wannabe Naturalist Magazines.
Black-Bellied Whistling-Ducks

Black-Bellied Whistling-Ducks

Basic Photography Tips

  • Landscape Photography – Landscape photography featured in The Wannabe Naturalist Magazines exposes natural spaces, vast or minuscule, within our world. Landscape photographs typically highlight the essence of unsullied nature, but they may also feature man made elements or disturbances of the environment.
  • Nature Photography and Shutter Speed. Nature photography – adjusting shutter speed for motion effect.
  • And many more photography tips.

Promoting your photos on Social Media for The Wannabe Naturalist Nature Magazine Readers

  • Tips for posting eye-catching images on Instagram – Instagram is a visual medium, so the photographs must speak for themselves. You don’t need to be a professional photographer (phone cameras work just fine), but your photos and videos should abide by the photography basics to be post-worthy: they need to be sharp, well lit, well composed, and in focus, at the very minimum.
  • The Importance of Color on Instagram – Spring flowers on your Instagram feed add color and engagement. Are you looking for more engagement on your Instagram posts? Add color! And nothing is easier than featuring spring flowers for unforgettable and attention-grabbing splashes of color.
  • And more social media tips.

Books by Eugene L. Brill

  • Summer of 2020: Walks at Lafreniere ParkSummer of 2020: Walks at Lafreniere Park Coffee Table Photography Book. Located near New Orleans, Lafreniere Park features several large playgrounds, complete with benches, picnic tables, restrooms, and roofed shelters. Much of the park comprises man made water elements, including a small island with a large pavilion in the center of the park. Large man made hills, built up in contrast to the sea-level altitude of the park, surround some fields, with other fields wide open for various outdoor activities.
  • Lovable Little Garden Lizards Fine Art Photography Book Featuring Green and Brown Anoles. Generally Green and Brown Garden Lizards (Anoles) are most abundant in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana but now are found in almost every southeastern state. This is their story. Learn more about anole lizards here.

Magazine Feature: Gardeners Know the Dirt

  • Growing Camellia, Daffodils and Cosmos Flowers. Camellias – are evergreen shrubs or small trees up to 20 m (66 ft) tall. Narcissus (Daffodils) is a genus of predominantly spring-flowering perennial plants of the amaryllis family. Grown easily from seeds, cosmos can survive in poor soil conditions.
  • Take a closer look at the pink evening primrose, a species known by several common names including pinkladies, showy evening primrose, Mexican primrose, amapola, and buttercups.
  • A closer look at pollinators – most of the world’s plants and crops depend on pollinators. Here is a closer look at these important contributors.
  • Dahlia flowers come in several spectacular colors that include peach, red, lavender, white, yellow, orange, pink, and bi-color. Flowering splendor, form, and color great for late summer and fall gardens.
  • The Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly. The pipevine swallowtail, or blue swallowtail butterfly, is found in North America and Central America.
  • And many more gardening tidbits in this magazine.
Pollinators bees on yellow flower

Pollinators

Book Review Feature: What to Read

  • The Falcon Thief by Joshua Hammer. A true tale of adventure, treachery, and the hunt for the perfect bird.
  • The Complete Gardener: A Practical, Imaginative Guide to Every Aspect of Gardening
    by Monty Don. Book review of a practical, imaginative guide to every aspect of gardening.
  • Nomadland by Jessica Bruder. Nomadland by Jessica Bruder explores the lifestyles of transient older Americans traveling around the United States in search of seasonal work.
  • Where the Crawdads Sing by Dahlia Owens. Where the Crawdads Sing by Dahlia Owens is the story of a born naturalist, the ‘Marsh Girl’ that lives in a lush, wild habitat while being suspected of murder by the local authorities.
  • Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: The Definitive, 4th Edition by Betty Edwards. Like reading, drawing is a skill that can be taught and learned.
  • And many more book reviews…

Partner Profiles

  • BlueHour Photo Ventures
  • Zack Smith Photography New Orleans
  • And many more.

Guest Photographers

  • Craig Underwood — Jewelry Designer, Nature, and Landscape Photographer. Craig Underwood, a prominent jeweler in Fayetteville, Arkansas, is an enthusiastic and very talented nature photographer.
  • Adam Graham — Jeweler and Phenomenal Amateur Nature Photographer. Adam Graham is a prominent jeweler and amateur photographer. Nature photography is his passion and hobby. Thanks for sharing, Adam!
  • Glacier Photo Guides with Sarah Ehlen and David Marx. Glacier Photo Guides and Workshops with Sarah and David. Visit Glacier National Park, the Oregon Coast and Redwood National Park and participate in hands-on photography workshops.
  • And many more guest photographers are featured in the magazine.

About The Wannabe Naturalist Magazine Publisher

EUGENE L. BRILL is a landscape, travel, nature, and wildlife photographer and author. He is a wannabe naturalist and one of the original OG digital nomads. His passion is conservation and wilderness photography through the lens of an amateur naturalist. Eugene does not hold a PhD in environmental science, botany, or another scientific field. He earned an MBA in business/marketing and is a mentor to startup entrepreneurs.

However, he is a dedicated student of nature and nature magazines, as well as an avid gardener, sustainable landscape designer, and photographer. He does not speak with the vocabulary of taxonomic groupings, species, and genera, but can communicate clearly with “Joe Public” in language easy to understand.

Eugene is constantly improving his photography skills and his ability to translate science into plain English. He loves to share knowledge and his photography, and he believes that Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD) is real, agreeing that “forest bathing” (fully clothed, of course . . .) makes us happier, healthier, and more creative. Me loves reading nature magazines.

I truly hope you enjoy what I have to share. Do not hesitate to reach out to me with ideas, comments, concerns, questions, or just to say hi.

“Feeding my curiosity for history and my interest in photography, I further developed my love of the natural world that has since become the primary focus of my life. That makes me a Wannabe Naturalist”

Eugene L. Brill aka The Wannabe Naturalist

Articles of Interest

Anole FAQs

Hours of research went into writing about anoles. For more than three years I followed the life-cycle of our backyard lodgers. This article covers FAQs from the book The Lovable Little Garden Lizards by Eugene L Brill, photographer, and author.

What is a Wannabe Naturalist?

A wannabe naturalist is someone that aspires to be an amateur naturalist. From birdwatchers to gardeners, they care about the natural world and want to preserve it. Someone that cares about nature so much that they want to study and preserve it.


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