Marc Del Santro

Marc Del Santro specializes in wildlife and nature photography, in which he combines his photographic skills with his passion for the outdoors - creating thought provoking and emotionally stirring images with the hope of increasing people’s awareness of and concern for the environment. Marc’s work is a regular feature in Georgia Backroads magazine and selected pieces have been accessioned into the permanent collection of the Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta, Georgia.

His love of nature began at an early age growing up in northeastern Pennsylvania, where through many adventures, mishaps and a few hard lessons, he learned to respect nature, to tread lightly, and to leave nothing behind.  He also learned to be still, to sit quietly and to watch and listen. Through this Marc began to appreciate the subtle and unexpected treasures nature always provides for us, and to take in more deeply all that he saw.

"As I grew older I began to realize that I was receiving my greatest lesson of all - to move with nature, to listen closely, and to follow her lead."

Marc's strong intrepid nature and desire to escape his city surroundings, led him to explore farther and farther into the wilderness and also helped him understand better his deep spiritual connection with nature and all things wild.  This connection is evident in his writing and photography.

Marc's interest in photography was sparked at the age of twelve when he found his Father’s camera from his days as a soldier.

"It was a mechanical camera, an old rangefinder, I had never seen any thing like it before. I spent many days investigating the workings of every button, dial, and lever, until I figured out what everything did and how it all tied together.

It wasn’t long before I set off on my first photographic expedition – my destination, a partially frozen lake where a pair of ducks had chosen to winter over. I slowly walked out onto the ice and started taking pictures of the wary ducks. Although I was aware of the potential for danger, I felt somehow protected. I also felt the risk I was taking was worth the adventure and decided to carry on. For better or for worse, this is a character trait that I possess to this day.

When I saw the developed prints from that day, something awakened inside me. I realized I had a means to bring home with me and to share with others the incredible magic of what I saw and felt when I was out in the wild. It was at this point that my interest in photography turned into a passion."

Marc's professional experience also includes corporate, fashion, advertising, industrial, and architectural photography with a client list that includes IBM, NASA, Southern Company, Georgia Power Company, Georgia Resource Center, Atlanta Regional Commission, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and The Nature Conservancy.