Today we’d like to introduce you to Joseph Hamner.
Hi Joseph, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey into photography actually started with running, not a camera. In 2014, I was training for the Grand to Grand Ultra, and I picked up a point-and-shoot just to document the experience — I wasn’t thinking of myself as a photographer at all. That changed in 2020, when a trip to Jackson Hole put me in front of landscapes and wildlife that made me want to actually capture them well, not just snap a photo. That trip pushed me to upgrade to real gear built for wildlife and nature work, and I’ve been shooting seriously ever since, starting in early 2021.
Since then, wildlife and landscape photography has become the center of what I do. I’m drawn to capturing nature in a way that goes beyond a quick snapshot — the kind of image that makes people stop and really look.
My work has been recognized in photography contests, including a win in the EPA’s national contest for the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. Today, I speak at photography events, lead wildlife and nature photography workshops in Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone, and other locations, teach photography one-on-one, and offer fine art prints of my work on my website.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been fun, but not always easy. Running a small photography business largely on your own comes with a lot more than just taking pictures — you’re building and maintaining your own website, handling every piece of putting together and running workshops, and managing all your own marketing. It can feel overwhelming at times, especially when you’re trying to do all of that while still making time to actually get out and shoot.
But when I think about the struggles, they’re easily outweighed by what I get in return — the chance to get out into nature and witness things most people never get to see, and then share those moments with others through my photography. That’s what makes it worth it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in wildlife and landscape photography, and what drives me is capturing moments most people will never witness firsthand — the split second before a bird takes flight, the quiet stillness of an animal that hasn’t noticed you yet, the way light hits a landscape for only a few fleeting minutes at dawn or dusk. Getting that image often means being in position hours before sunrise, sitting motionless for as long as it takes, and being willing to get dirty, cold, or wet if that’s what it takes to get the shot. Fine art prints of my work are available, and I teach photography one-on-one and lead wildlife and nature photography workshops in places like Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone.
What sets me apart is patience and persistence — treating a single frame as worth hours, sometimes days, of waiting. That mindset comes partly from my background as an ultra runner, where I learned to stay focused on a distant goal through real discomfort. It shows up every time I’m out in the field, refusing to settle for the easy shot when the real one is still out there.
Some of my proudest moments actually aren’t the shots I get myself — they’re watching a workshop participant come away with an amazing photo of their own, or teaching someone a skill that changes the way they see and capture the world around them.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Most people who know my photography today have no idea I spent years touring the country playing in indie/punk bands before I ever picked up a camera. Long before wildlife photography, music was my creative outlet. That chapter eventually gave way to ultra running, and it was while training for multi-day stage races like the Grand to Grand Ultra across the desert and the Mauna to Mauna Ultra across the Big Island of Hawaii where I first got my interest in photography — carrying a point-and-shoot camera just to document the experience. I had no idea at the time that it would eventually turn into what I do now.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.josephmarcphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josephmarcphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josephmarcphotography
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-hamner
