How One’s Hobby Has Gained The Attention And Respect From A Community

Diane Crookham-Johnson during the opening of her photography exhibit at the Oskaloosa Art Center on March 30th, 2022.

March 31st, 2022

Oskaloosa, Iowa – Bird photography enthusiast Diane Crookham-Johnson found a great way to relax and unwind one day as she began to focus her lens on a group of bald eagles.

Diane had already spent many years behind the lens. She picked up a camera as a child, eventually photographing her children and their friends as they progressed through school, and now her nest was empty.

Her husband is away from home due to work often, and work can be stressful some days. So nature proved to be a positive for her. Something Diane and her family still wonder about since she wasn’t a nature fan before.

“My family cannot believe I go outside to do this,” says Diane. “It’s calm and quiet, and sometimes it’s just nice to get away.”

“It also helps remind me I’m just a little cog in this whole big universe, and things are going to be okay,” added Diane.

The time studying and photographing birds became a hobby that soon gained her a large amount of attention, and her art show at the Oskaloosa Art Center is a testament to how far her work has progressed.

“I never expected I could identify more than ten birds,” laughs Diane at the idea that she’d become the defacto bird expert locally.

Her first-day photographing birds was below the dam at Lake Red Rock, and the bald eagles were often there.

Diane says that the eagles were a great way to get introduced to photographing birds due to their size, making them easy to spot.

As the eagles departed Red Rock for the season, Diane was greeted by a new set of birds, and her interest continued to grow, as did her skill in capturing images of them.

She talked about the apprehension of taking her camera off ‘automatic’ and beginning to explore the capabilities the camera could provide.

YouTube videos, trial and error, and the understanding that she would get another chance to capture images helped Diane grow as a photographer.

Many of the images Diane has captured are from within Mahaska County. Those images have helped spark an interest in the wide variety of birdlife and animal life that calls this area home.

She’s shared images and given talks with various groups like Mahaska County Conservation in the past.

From an albino deer to a rare breed of bird feasting on crawfish at local locations, or sunflowers in the evening, she’s been able to share those special moments with the community.

For the next person that picks up a camera and looks around, wondering what to take pictures of, Diane says to start with something you enjoy. “Keep trying. That’s the miracle of digital photography. We can take as many pictures now as we want and delete the bad ones. We didn’t have that when I started with film.”

Using the camera you have, such as the one on your phone, is a great place to start. “I think the camera on most people’s phones is really good,” Diane added.

You can see the art show at the Oskaloosa Art Center until April 20th, 2022.

You can find her work and helpful information on seeing birds and other critters on her website – https://birdsandstuffia.com/