In the spring of 2001, I was asked to assist the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) with pre and post field trips. The summit was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I was thrilled to accept the position and soon realized that this new job would allow me to interact with some of the most prominent nature photographers in the world. One of the first calls I made was to a well known bird photographer, Tom Vezo. That one phone call brought into my life one of the best friends I would ever have.

Tom and I worked on four NANPA summits together. He spent hours working on the Photomigrations website, leading one Photomigrations' workshop to Bryce Canyon, and we spent time shooting in South Texas, Arizona and Bosque del Apache, New Mexico. Tom always enjoyed teaching, and he shared his knowledge of photography and business freely. He was my mentor and over the years, I am proud to say, we became good friends.

One of Tom's strong points was his ability to view an image and provide helpful critiques. I listened to Tom critique many of my own images and the images of many others. He was always able to convey his suggestions so that the photographer knew exactly what was right and what would make for a stronger image. I loved listening to Tom do these critiques. He was one of the few photographers I have met that could teach as much during a critique session as he could in the field. Tom's words were always truthful and meant to help; and they always did. It was that truthfulness that made the pats on the back really mean something to a photographer because the photographer always knew Tom didn't mince words to save someone's feelings. He said what he meant, and when the photographer earned an "Oh my God, you nailed it!" comment it couldn't help but bring a smile to the photographer's face each and every time. When those comments came, it was clear that Tom took as much pride in the photograph because he knew his suggestions had been heard and put to practice.

Tom loved to see habitat included in an image. I often heard him tell people that habitat brought more to the photograph, and that it gave a sense of place and time as well as life to the shot. Tom convinced more than one photographer that the more popular sterile type image wasn't the greatest shot to achieve. It didn't take long for me to agree that colorful habitats made all the difference in the world. If you look at his shots, I think you will have to agree he was the master of including habitat. He created his photos in such a way that each image was artistic with a subject and surroundings that told a story. His style was uniquely his own and he was brilliant at creating it.

And create it he did! He controlled his shots and subjects by using his knowledge of the natural world. He was one of the most well-informed nature photographers I have ever worked with in the field. It was actually more than knowledge; it was as if he had an intuition or perhaps a secret sense of what was to come. Yet this control never stood out in his images; it only made the image stronger because he used the rules of nature to enhance his work.

In October of 2003, Tom and Walt Anderson lead a workshop to Bryce Canyon for a group of Photomigrations photographers. I had seen Tom lead workshops for NANPA, so

I knew we would have an excellent learning experience. And that it was! Tom really did give it all he had for the group. I had told Tom that landscape photography had never been my strong suit. That only made Tom more determined to create a landscape photographer out of me. He certainly improved my landscape photography during that workshop along with every other participant.

During that workshop, Tom spent time with each participant. He ran from photographer to photographer stopping to look through our lenses. He always found a better composition and was able to explain why it worked best that way.

It was not only an educational workshop, but we also had fun; that always was a prerequisite for Tom. He always saw to it that everyone had a good time in relaxed company. Shooting with Tom was just like shooting with your best friend. It was easy to forget what this man had accomplished in the few short years photography had been his profession.

Tom took a great deal of pride in his dedication to preserving natural habitat. His most recent project was working with the Defenders Committee of the Friends of Madera Canyon in an effort to preserve the wilderness which he so loved. Tom moved to Green Valley in 2000. He told me he and Dorothy, his wife, had discussed many places to settle. But he said Green Valley and Madera Canyon was a special place to him, and he was very happy he had made the decision to move there.

There are many things I can tell you about Tom's photographic abilities, but what made him special to so very many was the type of person he was. He was never too busy to answer a question or say hello to someone. Tom loved talking to people and hearing what they had to say. In only a few minutes a person felt as if they had known the man for years. Tom was the kind of person that once you were his friend, you could count on him.

Tom didn't hesitate to stand up for what he believed to be right. Quite often that meant going to bat for the underdog. But he always stood by his principles when others might have looked at the situation and would have done the politically smart thing. Tom did the right thing. At times his determination to do what he felt was right caused friction, but those that knew him had to admire his tenacity.

In the years to come, there will be many people that will view Toms' images and be awed and inspired by them. Perhaps they will take the time to even read this article or others that have been written about him. What those that never knew him will miss is getting to know the man and being awed by that person; the Tom Vezo that his friends knew and loved.

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Tom Vezo was an award winning wildlife photographer who traveled worldwide to capture his images. His work is widely published in the U.S. and Europe in many books, calendars, magazines and advertisements. His credits include: Audubon, Birder's World, Bird Watcher's Digest, Discovery, Ducks Unlimited, National Geographic, National Wildlife Federation, Nature Conservancy, Nature's Best, Natural History, Outdoor Photographer, Sierra Club, Travel and Leisure, Wildbird, Wildlife Conservation and many more.

Some of his awards include winner of 1998 and 1999 Nature's Best Magazine's photo contest for "Wildlife" in the professional category and the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 1997 as an honorable mention. He achieved NANPA Fellowship in 2008. Six stock photography agents, four in the US, one in England and one in Germany represent his work.

Visit Tom Vezo Wildlife & Nature Photography to view some of Tom’s extraordinary images.