Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Ramy
Hi Mike, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Born and raised in the Atlanta, Georgia area; I have been an avid Outdoorsman, Naturalist, Scuba Diver and Award-Winning Videographer and Photographer for the better part of my life and enjoy nature with a passion. My childhood and teenage years were a great adventure, as I spent all my summers, holidays and available weekends at my Grandfather’s ranch in Ocala, Florida on the Ocklawaha River or my Great Uncle’s farm in Fort Gaines, Georgia on the Chattahoochee River. These two locations offered nature, wildlife and river life at its best. The Natural World today is shrinking at an alarming rate. Many of the locations that I explored as a teenager and young adult in the 1960’s and 1970’s are no longer the pristine natural environments that I once enjoyed.
I continue my outdoor adventures to this day with photography and river exploration aboard a custom designed camera boat built for the types of waters my clients and I tour for research, photography, bird watching or to simply access unspoiled nature at its best. I have a working knowledge of most all the navigable rivers and lakes in the Southeastern United States. A great deal of effort, planning, expense and countless hours in the field goes into the capturing of the photos in my ‘Nature Galleries’.
My photography affords me the opportunity to convey the ‘Art of Nature’ towards educational pursuits. The proceeds from the sale and use of my images and my Guided River Tours are reinvested into my conservational efforts. I connect with the public through photography competitions, speaking engagements, my gallery exhibitions and donations of my images to worthy causes in an effort to help promote the awareness and preservation of Nature for future generations.
In 2021, I was contacted by a Senior Attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center inquiring if I would be interested in helping start a photography event to bring attention to the mining situation threatening the Okefenokee Swamp and the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. That phone call resulted in my creation of the Wilderness Photography Foundation; a group dedicated to promoting environmental conservation through the art of nature photography. We believe that photography can not only record the beauty of countless ecosystems in peril but also motivate public involvement in protecting these fragile spaces. We are not affiliated with nor aspire toward political opinion or position; however, we believe that a commonsense approach can help directly increase awareness and further impact a complacent society by utilizing the visual power of photography to comprehend the importance of preserving valuable ecosystems. Exposure to stunning, natural imagery will inspire a more personally motivated commitment toward collectively encouraging action to maintain and protect threatened wild places. Photography is the contribution of choice through which to remind everyone that we all share in the intelligent management of our natural world.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The purpose of my photography is to capture and express the beauty of Nature that has been a major influence in my life from childhood till today. Through the years I have improved my photographic skills while developing a particular sensitivity for capturing the essential esthetics and the importance of wildlife. Understanding the importance of nature is key towards reversing the human degradation of eco systems and humanity as an active contributor to worldwide extinction of plants and animals. By documenting and expressing nature’s generosity through images and commentary, it is my mission to awaken a new generation of environmental activist.
I have an extensive background, in my younger days, as an underwater cameraman and videographer. Contracted by independent production companies for various projects, I also turned out my own documentary productions such as “Florida Keys Lobster Mini Season” winner at the 2002 Communicator Awards, “Manatee Adventure” winner at the 24th annual 2003 Telly Awards and “Model Railroading with Jay Cain” winner at the 2009 Ava Awards to name a few.
With the advent change from SD to HD in the videography world and the realization that my age was catching up to me competing at a young man’s game, the choice was made to alter my career path. In 2011, I made my transition into still photography full time and started down a new career path. Photography allows me the opportunity to be one with nature on my photographic expeditions, tours and workshops without all the elements, equipment expense and crew involved with major video productions. This has allowed me to reevaluate my position on what I have to offer as a photographer.
I have come to realize that it is critical to help people move from being ‘exposed’ to nature to being ‘engaged’ with nature and that is the idea for the heart felt, inspirational commentary that is a part of each image we present in our “Interpretative Imagery” exhibitions, it makes the viewer ‘Think’. Another example would be someone taking a picture of a deer along a roadside in a National Park, then jumping back into their car and driving off. This is an example of “exposure”. Engagement is planting trees with sweat dripping off your face, sore muscles and pride, working with others to improve wildlife habitat. Ten years from now, the person may or may not remember taking that photo with their cell phone, but they will wax eloquently about planting trees with a photographic memory of the day and the good they accomplished.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Here is a little about my work as described by Miss Julie Newsome:
When surrounded by the images of Wildlife and Nature Photographer Mike Ramy, you are instantly engaged in an up close and personal relationship with the exquisite detail and compositional skills of this master artist. Not bound by the professional biologist’s mandate of identification and documentation, his photographs freely focus on the unique expression, composition and movement of these subjects. Mike displays his acute sense of lighting, environment and placement in every picture his camera frames.
Mike is actively involved with the Georgia Nature Photographer’s Association (GNPA), North American Nature Photographers Association (NANPA) and Nature Photographer’s Network (NPN). His work has been invited into numerous juried art competitions, consistently winning awards from prestigious galleries such as The Hudgens Center for the Arts in Duluth, GA, The Bowen Center for the Arts in Dawsonville, GA, The South Cobb Arts Alliance in Mableton, GA, The Booth Western Art Museum, an affiliate to the Smithsonian Institution, in Cartersville, GA, Gilmer Arts in Ellijay, GA and The Cultural Arts Center in Douglasville GA. Mike’s images have also won awards and recognition on a National and International level. Winner at the NPN 2015 Editor’s Pick Awards / 1st Place in the Environmental Photojournalism Gallery. This competition represents the ‘Best of the Best’ in Nature Photography. Only three images in each of the ten categories are selected from thousands submitted worldwide each year to the Nature Photographers Network for this prestigious annual competition. The winning images have to compete and win in several preliminary stages to even be eligible for the ‘Pick of the Year Award’. Winner at “Your Favorite Animals” GuRu Shots Competition in 2019, with 1,247 photographers worldwide entered, Mike placed 2nd overall behind the Top Photographer Winner, Tamas Bakos from Hungary. Tamas received the most votes overall for his 4-image set. Not to be outdone however one of Mike’s 4 images was the Top Photo Winner with the most votes overall for a single composition.
It becomes apparent that he is intrigued by an innate curiosity when it involves the beauty and inherent wonder of the natural world. Each animal or scene Mike clicks in his view finder goes through a discriminating critique, and only after every aspect of a shot has been processed with a standard of excellence in mind does it receive his signature of approval. Mike conveys a deep personal love and appreciation for nature and the environment. His ‘NATURE’S GENEROSITY’ solo exhibitions at Galleries such as the Villa Rica Arts Coalition, Blue Ridge Mountain Arts Association and the Winterville Cultural Center of over 70 works is a testament to the dedicated focus and devotion he has for sharing his awe and amazement of what remains out in the wild for all of us to enjoy, learn from and to help preserve for future generations.
Mike’s commitment to both environment and conservation advocacy and education is obvious in his active participation through various photographic contributions for such venues as The Peace River Wildlife Center of Punta Gorda, FL, a wildlife rehabilitation center established in 1982. Operation Migration out of Green Lake, WI, established to re-introduce the eastern migratory route for the almost extinct Whooping Crane population. The St. Johns Riverkeeper in Jacksonville, FL, an independent voice that defends, advocates and activates others to protect and restore the St. Johns River and connecting waterways in Florida. The South Carolina Picture Project “SCIWAY”, an internet information highway via a website for the state which is the most comprehensive directory for South Carolina’s Department of Tourism. Georgia Forest Watch, Dahlonega, GA, advocating for Georgia’s National Forest.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
The real awaking in my life as to the true worth and purpose of my photography as well as my dedication towards making a difference came with the chance meeting of Miss Julie Newsome from Athens Georgia. From our very first conversation, it was obvious, this woman and I were soul mates with regards to Native American History and all things concerning Nature. Julie is the youngest of two sisters whose Father was a lifelong outdoorsman, hunter and fisherman. He ran one of the original Sportsman Outfitter Stores during her childhood up until his retirement. He instilled in her the competitive spirit, tenacious – take no prisoners attitude and the love of the outdoors that she is appreciated for by anyone that knows her. She was a hopeless ‘Tom Boy’ growing up exploring the woods and rivers of Southeastern Georgia and had rather been out collecting and cataloging bugs than playing with dolls any day. As our friendship grew, it also became obvious that her skills as an artist with paint, pastels and pencil as well as a stain glass artist and an accomplished writer were going to help my development as a photographer. Furthermore, her background and education with the business side of the art industry would prove invaluable towards the partnership that would soon develop. All I would bring to the table was a passionate, adventurous spirit and the knowledge of accessing the wild and remote opportunities. Julie’s written commentary of my images brings them to life with a better understanding of what they represent.
It appears that our chance meeting now offers an exceptional opportunity for a combined learning experience. This collaboration will utilize our strengths as experienced artists. We’ve taken on a new challenge with the establishment of the Wilderness Photography Foundation (WPF) to stretch beyond those personal plateaus all artists reach and can grow complacent in. We have brought together top-tier nature photographers in this collected body of extraordinary photography that makes up an incredible WPF venue with which to hopefully impact those who see it. We work in unison with our team designing the framing, format, and presentation of the images displayed for exhibition. We knew this had to be shared as a statement to the necessity of environmental and wildlife protection advocacy and to have our colleagues contribute additional worldwide diversity through their work toward a WPF Touring Exhibition. By experiencing the intensity of dedication and loyal commitment to documenting and exposing the exquisite wonder and endless beauty of the biodiversity of wildlife, we are both awed and humbled by what has been entrusted to our keeping with this miraculous creation we’ve been blessed to live in. Life itself is Art, and we are compelled to offer a renewed conscious awareness and personal commitment as our contribution toward ensuring that future generations will experience as much wonder and amazement from the natural world as I have been privileged to know. Art, through creative expression, can inspire wonder, promote conversation, challenge assumptions, connect diverse thinking, help imagine new solutions, and motivate action for positive change.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wildernessphotographyfoundation.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084899127067
- Other: https://www.mikieproductions.com
Image Credits
Mike Ramy
Julie Newsome
