When the October issue of the Missouri Conservationist magazine arrives this month, it is certain to contain interesting and important information, but most noticeable will be the spectacular photography of Noppadol Paothong.
From tiny thumbnail shots to panoramas that fill the pages, the images of outdoor wonders from our state will tell many stories of their own. An upcoming program at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center in Kirkwood will offer the opportunity to see those photos on a theater-sized screen and hear from the man behind the long lens.
“Conservation in Focus: Lessons from a Life in Photography” will showcase Paothong’s work from 7 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9. The program is free but advanced registration is required at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/oxR. Only 200 seats are available for the presentation.
I was able to see a similar program by Paothong in 2020 when the auditorium was filled for two consecutive nights. Like the guarantee that there will be great pictures in every edition of the Conservationist, this program will be “sold out,” so do not wait to make reservations.
Paothong is an associate fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers, a group of the best wildlife, nature and culture photographers in the world. His pictures have been published by National Audubon, Ranger Rick, BBC and Nature Conservancy.
He also has two award-winning books, documenting rare and endangered species over the past 15 years, primarily grassland grouse and their shrinking habitat. The large format photography books are Save the Last Dance from 2012 and Sage Grouse, Icon of the West in 2017.
Paothong’s will share his photo gallery on the giant video screen at Powder Valley. Nine interlinked 55-inch LED screens display images that will seemingly come to life. He will share lessons from mistakes he’s made, and he will talk about new technology, how his style and approach have evolved, and how those changes continue to influence his work.
The nature center’s doors will open at 6 p.m. to allow visitors the chance for a meet-and-greet session with Paothong prior to the program. He will also visit with attendees after the program. Children must be at least 9 years old to attend and anyone 15 and under should be accompanied by an adult.
Paothong will offer an exclusive look at projects he is working on, along with the stories behind the images. He will also provide practical, hands-on advice for anyone who wants to use their own camera, and their own voice, to become a conservationist, the conservation department press release said.
Powder Valley is at 11715 Cragwold Road in Kirkwood, near the intersection of Interstate 270 and I-44. For more information call the nature center at 314-301-1500.
Not all the pictures in the October Conservationist magazine will be images by Paothong. The department’s other photojournalist, David Stonner, also will contribute compelling scenes he captures, and many reader-submitted shots make it in the publication every month. Still other photos on the pages will come from the library of pictures taken by long-time photographer Jim Rathert.
The September edition included a tribute to Rathert who retired in 2006 after 36 years with the department, including 22 years as a staff photographer. Rathert died on July 2 this year.
“Jim taught generations of Missourians ho to truly see what was around them,” Paothong wrote in the story that accompanied more than a dozen of the 100,000 images Rathert produced for the department. “He set a standard at MDC that quietly became the reason someone like me could even dream of doing this work.”
John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 35 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine.
