Aussie snaps spot at Smithsonian

When Wollongong landscape photographer William Patino was about to leave Yosemite National Park in California last year, he saw a perfect scene and, off a whim, captured it. He had no idea how far it would go.

He entered the photo (“Valley of Solace”) in the American Wilderness Forever competition and received an honourable mention, which lands it a spot in an exhibition held at the prestigious Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. His image will be placed next to other competition winners and internationally recognised photographers such as Joe LeFevre and Rodney Lough Jr.

‘Rodney is a guy I have drawn inspiration from for a while now. When I saw that he was in the exhibition I was so stoked,’ Patino said. ‘Having a piece in the Smithsonian is one thing, but being alongside guys like Rodney is really special.’

The 26 year-old photographer set up his now-retired Canon 5D Mark II with an EF 17-40mm lens and polariser on a tripod and got to work. Photographers can be their own worst critic and Patino is no exception, but it wasn’t long before the shot began to grow on him, especially with the praise he garnered on social media.

Like many others, Patino’s full-time work is not photography ““ he is more of a passionate hobbyist. His trip to the States with his wife was planned with photography in mind, as well as the leisure and adventure that goes with exploring natural landscapes.

Of course, any great picture taken at the Yosemite National Park brings one famous photographer to mind ““ Ansel Adams. On the lead up to Patino’s trip, he studied Adams’ work and was drawn to the American photographer’s philosophy and passion.

‘When I was exploring Yosemite I kept thinking of him [Adams] and all the special moments he would have witnessed in the area,’ Patino said. ‘I don’t feel my photography is similar to Ansel’s, nor did I want to emulate his work ““ I really wanted to capture just one shot that summed up my own personal feelings and thoughts of Yosemite.’

The Wilderness Forever 2014 competition was celebrating 50 years of the Wilderness Act in America, which protects a hundred million hectares of natural environments like Yosemite.

The exhibition is set to open in September this year, and the exposure that goes along with it is sure to boost William Patino’s profile.

Will Shipton |  Pro Counter