Photographer brings the beauty and beasts of the woods back for others

Bringing the beauty and fascinating animals of the outdoors to others, especially shut-ins unable to walk in woods, is a passion for West Milford resident Michael O’Rourke. A retired senior citizen, he enjoys fishing and photography and has an instinct for finding animals in North Jersey woodlands. He waits for hours, if need be, for the animal he seeks to appear in the right background and position for his photo.

While he was still in the work force with the New Jersey Department of Public Works in 1991, he decided to learn about cameras and photography. After his first class, he was hooked. Exciting challenges opened with the opportunity to experiment with new photography equipment as it appeared on the market. About 10 years ago he switched to digital photography.

“Nothing can take away my joy in taking pictures,” O’Rourke says.

He studies his object, visualizing the desired result, focusing on composition and lighting. Then he decides what he wants to achieve in his photo and fine tunes technical details.

Beyond wildlife and woodlands, O’Rourke photographs much else, anything else. He had a fabulous time photographing the balloons at a Quick Check balloon festival at Solberg Airport in Reddington. Any kind of events, weddings to lake sports engage him. He likes the 18-270 lens and has a 7—200 2.8, which he says is great for low light. He shoots with a Sony 77MIII camera, finding it to be fast and color-precise.