Joe Fuhrman's Biography, Published Work, Photo Gear
Thanks for visiting my website. I have been a birder for over 30 years and a photographer longer. I was born & raised in Los Angeles. I graduated in 1979 from The University of Southern California with a B.S. in geography/geology.
I have always had an appreciation for nature, especially after joining the Sierra Club at age 20. Numerous backpacking trips in the Sierra Nevada Mtns. propelled my interest in mountaineering and nature photography. In 1983 I climbed my first 20,000’ peak in Nepal, Lamjung Himal. Three years later I climbed the 8th highest peak in the world, Manaslu. During this time, I primarily photographed landscapes. My birding & photography combined in 1989 when I purchased my first super telephoto lens, a used Nikon 500mm f4P. Once I could get close up images of birds and animals, my direction moved primarily towards animals.
After college, I worked for approx. 25 years in the outdoor lighting industry. I was involved in manufacturing light fixtures & posts for projects like sports facilities & stadiums, auto dealerships, shopping centers, & roadways. I am now retired and currently reside in the Mar Vista area of Los Angeles, with my wife Adrienne & daughter Mallory.
Southern California has some of the most diverse geography in the world, which provides excellent opportunities for photography. Coastal, mountain, and desert habitat are nearby or within reasonable driving distance. It is why Los Angeles County typically has more bird species recorded than any other county in North America.
I have been fortunate to travel all over the world. By age 27, I had already been to all 7 continents. The Mojave Desert in Southern California and the tropics of South America are my two favorite locations.
One of my most memorable experiences occurred in 1981-my first photo published, in Sierra Magazine. I won first place in the annual Sierra Club Photography Contest. My King Penguin photo from South Georgia Island, near Antarctica, was selected from over 5,000 entries. Since then, my images have been published in a variety of media. I am represented by two photo agencies, and also keep my own stock photos. Some of my photographic credits include:
Published Work
Magazines:
Sierra Magazine, Birding, Birder’s World, Bird Watcher’s Digest, Bird Watching, Alaska Airlines, National Wildlife, Outdoor & Travel Photography, California Wild, Wildbird, Birds Illustrated, Photo Answers, Birdscope (Cornell Univ.), Western Birds.
Newspapers:
Los Angeles Times, The Oregonian.
Catalogs:
Limosa Holidays, Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (VENT), Field Guides.
Calendars:
Mono Lake Committee, Page A Day and Audubon Wall Calendar (Workman Publishing).
Books:
Guide to Birds of Alaska by Robert H. Armstrong (Graphic Arts Ctr. Pub. Co.), Smithsonian Field Guide to Birds of North America by Ted Floyd (Collins Pub.), National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Birds of North America by Edward Brinkley (Sterling Pub.), Wild Birds of California by David Lukas (Companion Press), Birds of the Southwest by John Rappole (Texas A & M Press), National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds (Western & Eastern edition-Alfred A. Knopf Pub.), Shorebirds of North America by Dennis Paulson (Princeton Univ. Press), Handbook of Birds of the World Vol. 12 (Lynx Edicions, Enjoying Woodpeckers More (Bird Watchers Digest), The Biological Legacy of Lewis and Clark, The Backyard Bird Field Guide (Rodale Inc.), Gulls of America: A Photographic Guide (Pt. Reyes Bird Observatory), Bird by Bird Gardening (Rodale Inc.), Jewels on the Water: Lake Superior (Linder Pub.), Field Guide to the Birds of Quebec by Jean Paquin, Birds of the Mid-Atlantic Region (Johns Hopkins Univ. Press), Penguin Book (Scholastic), BIRD (Dorling Kindersley U.K.), Birds of Eastern North America, A Photographic Guide, Sterry & Small, Princeton University Press
Museum: Brigham City Museum-Gallery-Wild Bird Photography Exhibit, 2000.
Audio:
North American Western Bird Songs-pocket PC.
Magnets:
Magnetic Bookmarks.
Photo Gear
In the spring of 2004 I switched from film to digital. My current photographic equipment that I haul around:
Canon 7D camera
Canon Mark IV camera
Canon 17-40mm f4.0 AF lens
Canon 70-200 f4.0 AF IS lens
Canon 400mm f5.6 AF lens
Canon 500mm f4.0 AF IS lens
Canon 600mm f4.0 AF IS lens
Canon 1.4 teleconverter
Canon 2x teleconverter
Canon 25mm extension tube
Canon 580 EX flash
Canon 580 EX II flash
Quantum Turbo SC battery
Gitzo GT3530LSV carbon fiber tripod
Wimberley WH-200 gimbal style head
Leica Ultravid 8 x 50 binoculars
