Jack Carlson: Capturing the Natural World
Jack Carlson stands in front of photographs of his Swedish ancestors. Photo captured by Hannah Hall.
Jack Carlson will never forget the natural, soft light that wrapped around his infant, Greg, in their Glenview living room. A friend photographed the newborn in this moment. “The baby never looked better,” Carlson said. Carlson decided then he would do anything to learn how to capture similar natural images.
Carlson’s beautiful photograph of a soaring bird invites guest into his exhibition “Natural Scenics” at the Andersonville Swedish American Museum. Photo captured by Hannah Hall.
The 74-year-old resident of Glenview, Illinois works as a professional photographer and teaches nature photography at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Last January through March, Carlson connected his Swedish heritage with his profession in his “Natural Scenics” exhibition at the Andersonville Swedish American Museum. The show included 25 international nature and travel photographs, but he can’t pick a favorite – he treasures the experience behind each one. He defines photography as the control of light through time, and he uses the details of shadows and angles to enhance his work.
Carlson’s Swedish grandmother helped motivate his detailed focus. “One of her favorite sayings was ‘make the best of what you have and always look for the details,’” he said. In “Natural Scenics,” photography invites the viewer to imagine any story unfolding on the canvas. “It raises all kinds of questions and answers none,” he said. “The cool thing is you’ll never be wrong, but you’ll never know where you’re right. It won’t matter.”
As winter sheds its ice, Carlson captures the emerging spring beauty. Photograph courtesy of Jack Carlson.
Take his “Look Through Any Window,” shot in Venice. While on a moving water taxi, Carlson first noticed paint peeling from flower boxes. He stayed on the water taxi as it traveled back and forth, attracted to the small detail of neglect that mimicked the deteriorating pedals and building exteriors. “It’s all part of the same story,” Carlson said. “The subject is like the lead vocalist, and everything around it is a backup singer.”
In fact, music was Carlson’s first artistic passion. During childhood in Rockford, Illinois, his mother always played opera in the house. He began with guitar and then played the French horn in middle school, high school and college. While finding it difficult after college to locate orchestra openings, he worked as a national sales manager for a company selling photo albums to professional photographers. Carlson still played the guitar as he distanced himself from the classical arena, but then the picture of his infant son brought a new art form into his life.
For the past 11 years, Carlson has taught photography classes at the Chicago Botanic Garden. With his “see, think and act” program, he teaches how to locate the subject first to increase confidence and skill. His main goal? Prevent point-and-shoot shots that lack defined subjects. “Lots of pictures suffer from being what I call BMD shots,” chuckled Carlson. “Boring Middle Distance.” Carlson urges his students to put the time and thought into a shot before pressing the shutter button. “It’s really enjoyable for me to share my knowledge with people and see how it helps them and gets them excited,” said Carlson. “We bounce off each other.”
A delicate purple flower soaks up the sunshine. Photo courtesy of Jack Carlson.
Now while photographing his six grandchildren, Carlson creates the natural magic he felt looking at that first photograph of his son. “Sometimes you just know that you’ve nailed it,” he added. “You’ve worked hard to make that happen.”
More of Jack Carlson’s photography can be found here: https://www.jackcarlsonphotos.com