Name: Capturing Moments in Nature
Start: 2025-04-10T18:45:00-05:00
End: 2025-04-10T20:00:00-05:00
Location: Mines of Spain Recreation Area & EB Lyons Interpretive Center

6:45 PM Social/Sharing Time
7 – 8 PM Program
Have you ever wondered how the wildlife photos you see in stores or magazines are taken and where they come from? The National Wildlife Refuge system is made up of wonderful places around our country that are often the sites for the pictures you see. In his program “Capturing Moments in Nature,” Stan Bousson will share photos that have been taken in many locations along the Mississippi River near his home in Illinois. Also included are photos taken at wildlife refuges and national parks from other areas of the country. He will discuss photographic equipment and techniques used to shoot those images and share information about where to look for wildlife you may want to observe or photograph.
Stan's Bio
I have always been interested in photography and wildlife. As a child growing up in Michigan, I gained an appreciation for nature. As an adult, I took whatever opportunities I could to take photos.
At the end of 2002, my wife and I retired. That allowed many hours of time to devote to nature photography. We have repeatedly traveled to several national parks and wildlife refuges to observe and take photos of a wide variety of animals and birds. Being retired also allowed for time to volunteer for U.S. Fish & Wildlife at several national wildlife refuges, including the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife & Fish Refuge. I also presented photo programs to local & National Audubon Society groups. Another activity that I have done is volunteer photography work for the Corps of Engineers and county conservation departments.
I have presented many photo programs to a variety of audiences and have won numerous awards in wildlife photo contests. In 2012, I was fortunate enough to have a photograph in National Geographic Magazine and also some video footage in a National Geographic TV program about Mississippi River wildlife.
Living near the Mississippi River has helped create a great interest in photographing bald eagles. Always looking for new types of photos of eagles, I developed ways to photograph baby eagles in their nest. The behavior of nesting eagles is very interesting to watch, even though success each year is not guaranteed.
Over the years, I have learned many aspects of the technical knowledge for photo equipment and computer hardware & software. This allows me to share my knowledge of taking photos of wildlife with any interested photographers.