Keith Manser – The Lookout

Light the SPARK: Emerging Artists Exhibit
SPARK Photo Festival Exhibit

Peterborough Public Library; lower foyer
345 Aylmer St N
Peterborough
705 745.5382
www.ptbolibrary.ca
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Hours
Mon to Fri: 10 am – 8 pm
Sat & Sun: 10 am – 5 pm

Light the SPARK: Emerging Artist

Keith Manser

Instagram @keithmanserphotography

Keith Manser’s exhibit is sponsored by Griffin’s Greenhouses

Moments with Birds

When I was ten years old my family immigrated to Canada from the UK. It was pretty traumatic to leave an urban setting where even the countryside seemed completely managed and manicured, to arrive in a land full of wilderness and untamed places. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with the land, its wildlife and nature, its various landscapes, and its opportunity for adventure.

The choice for my post secondary schooling was an easy one and I enrolled at what was then known as Sir Sandford Fleming College, in the Fish and Wildlife Technician program. Recreational time was almost always camping, canoeing, and at that point in time, hunting.

I think I was in my early 20’s when I purchased my first SLR camera and while the selection of lenses gave me some photographic flexibility I underutilized the camera, shooting exclusively in “Auto mode”. The preferred subject matter was then, as it is now, anything to do with our natural world.

Several decades and SLR cameras later, two things had happened. I had finally learned to use the camera in a fully manual mode utilizing settings to help me achieve the kind of mood I wanted to present with the image. I also retired from work life and finally treated myself to some nice camera equipment! Today I’m shooting with a Canon R5 mirrorless and most often a 100-500mm Canon zoom.

Wildlife photography has allowed me to ground myself and provides me with a perspective that is outside of the human existence; one that opens my eyes to other existences. A bird is no longer just a bird but another being making its way through a life. Close up images of birds, reveal expressions, postures, and intimate details that we are unable to see with the naked eye. Traces of soft down on a young Green Heron, the alarm posture of a Brown Thrasher, these are things we miss were it not for our ability to capture the moment.

Being a naturalist, I always try to convey my appreciation and respect for those other beings with whom we share our world. I use Instagram (@keithmanserphotography) to share my work and as a portal to share interesting information on the subject matter be it plant or animal. I prefer darker, moodier images to intrigue the viewer into taking a closer look at the subject. It is my hope that by capturing a viewer’s interest, I have the opportunity of nurturing their appreciation of the natural world.

Keith Manser

Please scan my QR code to find my Instagram gallery and “follow” for my most current images.

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