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About Cliff Nietvelt
I was born in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, a suburb outside of Toronto. I became exposed to the natural world as a young child making trips to the "cottage country" north of the city. In high school, my interest in the outdoors and nature, and ultimately photography, became stronger by making trips to Algonquin Provincial Park during all seasons, canoeing, skiing, snowshoeing and hiking.
My "exposure" to photography came early, when my sister lent me her Praktica camera at the age of 9. Both my father and sister were avid photographers. I still have a beautiful Contax camera system that my father got from my mother as a wedding gift in the late 1950's. In high school, I bought my first serious camera, a Pentax ME-Super, which I still have today. I took that camera everywhere on all my trips and adventures. My step into the realm of serious nature photography came from my brother in-law Ken, who got me turned on to great photographers such as Art Wolfe, John Shaw and Galen Rowell. It wasn't until 2000 that I wanted to pursue nature photography at a much more serious level: that is to sell my work.
Career wise, I decided to pursue the academic route. I obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology from the University of Toronto (Toronto), and a Master of Science degree in Ecology and Environmental Biology (Department of Biological Sciences) from the University of Alberta in Edmonton. I have worked as a wildlife biologist for over 10 years, in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and in Wyoming on a variety of studies. My work is and has been varied from coyotes and small mammals in Ontario, to elk in Banff National Park, Alberta, to roads and wildlife interactions near Jackson, Wyoming. It has been one of my life ambitions to pursue nature photography and popular writing. Currently I'm trying to balance a career between wildlife biology, photography and writing. My goal is to help better save and protect our natural world through science and the media. Both science and photography are powerful tools in making people aware of our natural world and environmental problems. If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail me: Take care and good shooting! Remember to tread lightly and have respect for our natural environment. Cliff's Equipment: What do I use?
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