Wildlife Portraits during the Pandemic
Sarah Killingsworth is a Marin County-based wildlife educator and conservation photographer. She has been a part-time Inverness resident since 2012. Her wildlife photography endeavors evolved out of a desire to share the encounters with wildlife she had in the Point Reyes National Seashore with a broader community, not just her own family and friends.
The shelter in place orders of 2020 created a unique opportunity to slow down and spend more time photographing local wildlife. By walking and biking into the Point Reyes National Seashore, Sarah was able to observe and photograph wildlife in the Spring of 2020 when few people were in the park. Elusive animals like badgers and weasels were more visible; other animals were more difficult to find than in “normal” times.
In this quieter time sitting with wildlife, Sarah reflected on the concept of communion.
Sitting silently with wildlife is nourishing in a way that can be difficult to put into words. And she wonders about the experience from the animal’s side, particularly ones she has sat with many times. Despite her goal of invisibility while taking photographs, Sarah wonders if they sense within the energy and space between them, her love and gratitude. And reverence. Without acclimating them to humans generally, do animals recognize certain people as “safe”? Because as humans we make it so difficult for other species to thrive, and yet they adapt, are resilient. But only to a point – they need our help. These portraits are a tribute and a testament to that love of wildlife, a quiet communion in the wilderness.
Sarah is passionate about sharing the magic of our wilderness areas with children, both by bringing the wild into classrooms, and in getting our youth outdoors, to learn about their environment. Sarah is a member of the Board of the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin, serves on the NANPA Ethics Committee and is a Wildlife Educator with Project Coyote.
The portraits in this gallery were all taken in the Point Reyes National Seashore between March and October 2020.
Artist Reception with Sarah Killingsworth
This virtual event will feature a conversation with the artist discussing several pieces, followed by a Q&A session. Registration required; register via Eventbrite. This event is free; donations are encouraged. To donate, please visit our donation page here and mention this event by name in the comments section.
Website: www.sarahkillingsworth.com
Instagram @skwildlifephotos
Art Sales
To purchase paper, canvas, or metal prints, check out Sarah Killingsworth’s online print sale at https://www.sarahkillingsworth.com/Dance-Palace-Gallery/ . A portion of the sale proceeds will benefit the Dance Palace.