We all have a common passion for capturing images, and while each of us has different subjects in mind, all subjects are of or are in the natural world. We escape the everyday world by "getting outdoors" or "getting into nature". We long for the available time to reach that special place which will take us to a peaceful state of mind.

While some are fortunate enough to live in a place where all you have to do is walk out your back door to reach a special place, most of us do not. For the most it is a lengthy drive just to reach one of these few areas. Over the years, I have noticed that it gets more and more difficult to find that special natural place with no hand of man present. This makes me wonder; how long will it be before there is no longer a truly natural world?

I know it is a redundant question, but have you ever truly thought about it? Any day-trip I take for photography never really gets me out where I cannot hear the buzz of a city or see some sort of tower piercing the blue sky, or see fences that insinuate ownership of land. At some point there will be a generation that will take "ownership" of all land, and we will no longer have wild places to explore and "get away". At what point will the majority of the human race wonder this same question and decide enough is enough?

What does this have to do with you or your "Given Passions"? Well, we have all heard the statement "they have a God given talent" or "they were born with it". I am a believer that no one was born with talent. Just ask any professional athlete or your favorite photographer just how much time and work they have into their so-called "God given talent". However, on the flip side, each and every one of us was given a passion, and that passion is so deep that we will spend each and every moment thinking of it.

I consider myself fortunate to be given a deep passion for the natural world. It consumes me, and that is what brought me to photography. I first wanted to capture moments of outdoor experiences so I could relive them when I was not there. Now, I want to utilize my passion of the outdoors and my passion for photography to create awareness and importance of preservation.

In a day and age where we ourselves and our government are more interested in the economy and social welfare than nature, we who were given that passion for nature must quit being armchair activists and actually stand up for what we love - Stand up for what our passions are fueled by, for what gives us those special photographs. It seems to me there is an abundance of talk but a deficit of action. It seems there are large majority of people who love to portray themselves as some sort of, for a lack of a better word, "activist". Is it not weird that the word "activist" itself suggests some sort of progression, yet progress seems to be a strong stretch of reality?

The objective here is not to point out others lackadaisical attitudes towards making a stand for something they truly believe in, for I myself fall short. This is simply a call to challenge ourselves to respond to others who may express interest in areas that match our "given passions".

So, what do you do or will you do with your given passion? Some of our greatest photography pioneers utilized photography to save parts of the natural world. Are we still as passionate and concerned for the natural world as Ansel Adams, was or are we just interested in getting that next photo published or snapping a shot that would look great framed? In my opinion, Mr. Adams was out there taking photos to create awareness first, and second as his job. When will you give back to nature what it provides you?

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Brent Stovall began his nature photography avocation within the past three years. His main purpose is to capture the natural beauty of the world around him and to bring awareness to the public regarding animal cruelty and destruction of their habitat. His life passions are studying the Lord's Word, being surrounded by animals and spending time in the outdoors backpacking, cycling and canoeing. He resides in Edmond, OK where he and his wife run a residential appraisal firm.