Daniel D’Auria’s photo will hang in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.
“Shock and awe” are the words Daniel D’Auria used to describe the typical reaction to his photograph titled “BladeRunner.”
This particular image will be one of approximately 60 selected photos, out of 26,000 entries, to hang in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.
With his image being selected as “highly honored” in the Polar Passion category of the Windland Smith Rice International Awards, his photo will be displayed from Oct. 29 through September 2019. According the Nature’s Best Photography website, the presented images are viewed by millions of visitors each year.
The Tabernacle resident expressed his gratitude by saying it is an unbelievable honor to be recognized among other talented photographers.
As for the image itself, D’Auria took a trip to Schaffer Lake in Canada and spotted an arctic fox holding “what appeared to be the shoulder blade of a caribou” — as described by D’Auria.
“It was one of those moments when you know this is going to be an incredible photo,” D’Auria said. “The light was great, the animal was beautiful and the contrast of color was truly amazing.”
He stated he prefers to use a technique of getting eye-level with the animal, and in this instance, the fox got within 100 feet of him, allowing D’Auria to capture the perfect shot.
He believes there are many stories to be told within one image, and “BladeRunner” tells a tale of raw nature and the circle of life.
D’Auria’s interest in photography began when he was in junior high school, spending time in the darkroom to develop his images. During his studies to become a physician, he didn’t allot much time to photography; however, he re-sparked that interest in photography in 2010, when he ventured out on a photography workshop in Wyoming. Since then, he has gone back three times to capture new perspectives of nature.
“I love going some place where I’ll have that one-on-one experience where I can sit back and watch what [animals] do and how they interact with each other and how they interact with their surroundings,” D’Auria said. “I think the observation of animals helps you figure out people, we’re not all that different from them.”
Khurram Kahn, fellow physician, photographer and close friend to D’Auria, encouraged him to submit his photographs into the Windland Smith Rice International Awards.
His wife, Kimberly Martin, also acts in constant support of D’Auria’s photography.
“It’s his real passion. I love that he gets to do what he loves,” Martin said. “To be able to be recognized for his photography from such a prominent institution is pretty amazing.”
D’Auria’s talent doesn’t stop at the images themselves, as he has gone on to write 14 children’s books using his photographs, with several national parks carrying his books.
D’Auria’s books are available under DrDADBooks on Amazon, and he frequently shares his photography on his Flickr account at www.flickr.com/photos/drdad.
