A picture perfect day in the park

Green Valley State Park Ranger Alan Carr invited photographer Tom Danilovich to talk briefly with visitors about his photography Tuesday at the park office before the crowd of more than 30 individuals loaded onto a bus, made a short trek to the campground and hiked back for the first hike of 2019.

The hike, known as the “First Day Hike,” was part of a nationwide effort by America’s State Parks to encourage individuals to start the new year by getting outside and exploring their state parks. This year, 28 Iowa state parks, including Green Valley, hosted hikes.

Danilovich is the postmaster at the Clearfield post office, but he spends his spare time shooting photographs of the wildlife and landscapes around Green Valley State Park.

Born in Georgia, Danilovich moved to Iowa 21 years ago. He has loved the outdoors since his father took him fishing for the first time when he was 5-years-old.

Danilovich said the jobs he has worked have afforded him the time to spend on outdoor activities, including hunting and fishing. He still fishes, but he said after he picked up a camera and started looking around him, the only hunting he does these days is bird hunting.

“I’ve got labs and that’s one of the things I really have a passion for,” said Danilovich. “Other than that, wildlife photography, landscapes, the character in the old barns — those are things that I kind of brought with me as I transferred from Georgia over to Iowa.”

Danilovich, who is a self-taught photographer, said he always took pictures, but 10 or 12 years ago he began to work on pushing his skills to the next level.

He started by experimenting with the settings on his camera and learning what each does. He also studied tutorials on YouTube for extra help and encourages others to do the same.

“YouTube is so full of information and it’s there when you want it,” said Danilovich. “Talk with other photographers. I don’t mind talking with other people.”

Danilovich shoots mostly with a Canon digital camera, but he doesn’t want people to think they need to go out and buy expensive equipment to get the best shots. He said he’s seen some shots taken with nothing more than the camera on a cell phone.

“Cameras get kind of pricey, and the lenses can get real pricey,” said Danilovich. “Don’t get burnt out on it. Photography should be fun. Don’t think that you’re just going to go out and take great pictures because it does take a little bit of time. You’ve got your (rule of) thirds, your cropping, your white balance — all that has to be just right. My LG (cell phone) — I’m surprised it had all that. It’s easier to use the white balance on my LG because it’s on a slider.”

“You’ve got to be interested in capturing the moments,” Danilovich said. “You’ve got to understand that the moments you capture — you froze that moment in time. That’s something that will always be with you.”

For more information on the First Day hikes visit stateparks.org. To view or purchase Danilovich’s photograpy work, visit fineartamerica.com/profiles/thomas-danilovich.html or find him on Facebook or Instagram.