“I love the fact that nature is my canvas,” shares photographer Max Seigal.
There is an intimacy evoked in Seigal’s photography that takes the viewer from an onlooker to an active participant as his still imagery comes more alive the longer you linger. His nature and wildlife photography reveals vivid landscapes from the South African outback to ethereal starlit skies in the desert.
You have probably seen his work up close and personal at the St. Julien, Brewing Market or the Laughing Goat. And most recently, his work is debuting at Denver’s boutique Hotel Teatro in downtown where you can read about each featured photograph in the Lower Level Foyer and enjoy a drink at the bar.
As a local Boulderite, he is the quintessential Colorado outdoorsman who enjoys everything from paragliding to rock-climbing. And as an award-winning photographer who has taken first place in multiple photo competitions held by National Geographic, Nature’s Best Photography, and others, Seigal has proven that he can balance both nature exploration and art. His personal and professional travels have taken him across Asia, Africa, the Arctic, and the Antarctic as a researcher with some time spent as an expert naturalist and photographer for the travel company Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic. This is where he gained his foothold in the industry to develop his gift for capturing his lived experiences out in the wild.
“As a nature-lover and a biologist, it’s hard to beat Safari trips in South Africa—those are the most mind-blowing places to visit. It almost brings you to a primal place before humans existed,” expresses Seigal.
His time spent journeying across the Western U.S. on a motorcycle meant camping out every night where he spent days on the same location to wait for the perfect conditions to capture his now famed photos.
“Besides your camera, patience is the only thing you really need,” he says.
What has set him apart is his non-prescriptive approach to shooting some of the most famous locales, including being one of the early pioneers of night time photography. Whether it’s aerial or underwater photography, Seigal explores the world while taking a minimal impact approach to the wild and isolated places he visits. And his favorite subjects to shoot? The unexpecting faces of nature, from rhinos to elephants to polar bears.
“You can take candid photos of animals all day long,” says Seigel. “So for me, I love capturing the moment as it is. I don’t like manufacturing a moment that isn’t a true depiction of what is real.”
While we remain sequestered at home, Seigal’s art seems to be one of the safest ways to see the world, through his detailed captures that reveal the incomparable beauty of nature.
“Any art form has a powerful impact on us. Photography has its own world within that because it depicts real-life places that exist—places that we have traveled, have a personal connection with, and can relate to,” he shares.
In a time where pocket cameras are a mainstay, and we are exposed to thousands of images a day, Siegel stands out as one of his generation’s most innovative creators in the game.
Contact: Max Wilderness
IG: @MaxWilderness
Website: MaxWilderness.com
