Member Profile- Meet Pam Dorner
We have an amazing group of members and we hope to start a regular series of highlighting the stories of our various members. To kick off this effort I would like to introduce you to Pam Dorner- an incredibly talented wildlife and nature photographer.
Pam Dorner is one of our members who rediscovered her love of nature after becoming an empty nester. While raising her children she managed to also pursue a passion for running marathons. The energy and passion that was once focused on running has now moved over into her photography. After acquiring a camera, and taking a weekend of lessons, Pam knew she had found a new passion. In the seven years since then she has become an award winning wildlife photographer with a fantastic eye.
Pam has lived in Asheville North Carolina and Texas before settling down in Rio Rancho. Pam is lucky enough to have a view of the Rio Grande and Sandia mountains right from her home.
Photographically, Pam remembers being inspired by the photos in National Geographic. These days she feels quite blessed to see wildlife like coyotes, sandhill cranes, eagles, geese, roadrunners, owls, bobcats, etc. all within a short walk from her home. Pam also loves frequent trips to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge to photograph the Sandhill cranes and other wildlife.
As to her photographic style, Pam said in a 2022 magazine article “My photography adventure started only five years ago and I’m learning every day. I don’t know if I have developed a signature yet in this relatively short period. I love all subjects, especially when photography involves the unexpected.”
Pam is fortunate enough to get to travel to some amazing destinations and makes the most out of these trips, bringing back stunning images. As for how she prepares for these photographic journeys Pam says the following: “My preparation for a photo trip depends. When I go to a location on my own, I will google location logistics upfront and have a good understanding of wildlife sightings and habitat. When I go with a professional, I trust that person to get me where I need to go for an amazing shot. If you set the expectations too high, it can be disappointing and ruin the trip. I want to be pleasantly surprised. I do prepare gear wise, think about what lenses to bring, and of course have a back-up camera on hand.”
What drives her passion for photography- “I am driven by moments. I want to continue to have magical encounters whether it be with a Grizzly in the wild or a beautiful sunset on the river. Nature photographers spend countless hours outside usually seeing nothing and then all of a sudden, there is movement and you make a connection whether it be a bird, bear or bobcat… it doesn’t matter…. it is magical. I want to share those experiences with others that for whatever reason might not be able to get to those places themselves.
Pam has a deep and passionate desire to protect the wildlife she photographs. “My internal mantra for photography is do no harm. As a photographer, I believe we have an obligation to the subjects we are shooting, whether it be an animal, flower or petroglyph. We need to protect these special areas and creatures for future generations.”
Her advice on photo contests- To photographers who are thinking about participating I would say just go for it! Don’t get intimidated by the number of participants, believe in your work. Keep in mind that it is fine if a jury doesn’t connect with your image, in the end someone will.”
To read the full interview this profile was drawn from- go to https://tinyurl.com/Pamdorner
