Bringing you inspiration from the world of wild animals.
Hi, I'm Susanna.
I track wild animals and use trail cameras to learn about animal behavior. I learn about how they live together in shared spaces, how they find and avoid each other, and how they communicate. I also explore how they might think and feel, and what drives them to do what they do. Over time, I begin to recognize indivuals: by their markings, through their behaviors and even by recognizing their temperments. Sometimes I am able to watch their families grow up and develop from season to season.
I share my videos online, and I give presentations to audiences from ages 8-100.
I also create art from my videos.
From some of my favorite videos, I select a series of still images that capture the essence of the moments in the video. Just like a frozen zoom screen, sometimes selecting particular moments can magnify what you might see, notice or learn.
From there I create “Animals in Motion” photo blocks, where I hand-mount the photos I’ve chosen and cropped onto blocks, and then I put them together in a series, which tells the story of that animal or group in that particular moment.
The photo series are for sale as complete sets, and they are also available individually, so you can mix and match, or just purchase one that really speaks to you. The blocks can be mounted easily on walls (horizontally or vertically if you are buying a set), and they also can stand up on a desk, dresser or bookshelf.
I find having these animals on my desk and sitting next to them while at work keeps me company in a certain way. It keeps me connected to their presence, to their unique personality and way of being, and also to the beauty of nature. I tend to swap them out, and right now I have Dusk the Coyote next to me.:)
In addition to my photo blocks, I also create greeting card sets, for people who want to enjoy and share my photographs but don’t feel they have a particular place at the moment for a photo block.
A fun addition to my work is that you (or anyone you give my blocks or cards to) can come to my website and look for the animal they have and watch the video that it came from. You can also just come and watch any of the other videos, any time you’d like. The videos are located in the ‘From The Field’ pages.
For more about me and my background, as well as what I think we can learn from animals, you can visit my ‘About’ page.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy watching these animals, and letting my work bring you into the woods and into lives of animals in a deeper and more meaningful way. 🙂
Watch My Videos
One thing I love about trail cameras is that I can share with you exactly what I’m seeing with the animals, rather than just telling you about it. Growing up I devoured books about animals behavior, and it was wonderful to hear what other people had to say about them. But getting to watch the animals for myself, getting to notice their every muscle twitch, every sound that was going on around them (and from them), enabled me to make my own discoveries. So, while I share with you what I’ve seen and learned, I invite you to join me in that discovery.
Also, if you have purchased or was given an animal photo block or greeting card, it is fun to get to see that animal come to life. So go to my ‘Videos From The Field’ page and look to see if your animal is there. If it is, go to its page and you will find a video at the bottom that you can watch. If it isn’t there, come back and check again soon, because I am working to add all the videos from the products I have sold. … So, happy watching!
Shop
Animals are amazing. It feels great to be surrounded their example – of beauty, grace, calm, and focus. If you would like to bring their influence into your life, check out some of my photo blocks and greeting cards that are for sale. The photo blocks can be hung on a wall, as a series or individually, or they can be propped up on a desk, shelf, or dresser. (They come with a little metal bar that can be screwed into the back so they can stand up without wobbling.) Just go up to the menu at the top and select shop, because the button below seems to have disappeared.:)
talks
Audiences from ages 8-100 love my wildlife experience talks. (I would have said 8-80, because it has a better ring to it, but I know that some of my viewers have been in their 90s, and I don’t want to leave them out.:)) I share my videos on a big screen, and I speak about different topics related to how these amazing creatures live their lives together. If you know of an audience that would enjoy one of my talks, just reach out via email at susanna at beyondthesafari.com (I am writing it like that to confuse the bots!) and we can see what we can arrange.