In more ways than one, Sam McCormick is doing his part to ensure that future generations see the beauty of nature. Through his photographs, McCormick captures the stark beauty that exists in West Virginia. And, through his advocacy and involvement in conservation groups, he works to preserve the world for generations to come.


McCormick, an audio-visual technician at West VirginiaUniversitys School of Medicine, recently published a book of his work, West Virginia Wilderness: Capturing the Magic .


“A great shot is like a treat for the eye,”McCormick said.”It makes you want to explore.”


When people look at my photographs, I hope that they want to go out and to see nature for themselves, he said.


But for those who cant, it gives them the opportunity to see scenes they couldnt experience otherwise.


“When Id return from camping, Id tell my mother about the beautiful places Id been,”he said.”I started taking pictures and showing her the things I thought shed like to see.”


He had enlarged and framed prints of outdoor scenes, and some friends wanted to buy them.


When others began to express interest in purchasing his prints, McCormick began to think that maybe he did have talent. In fact, two of his Coopers Rock prints hang in Sen. Jay Rockefellers office.


“I thought that I could use that talent to show West Virginia wilderness areas and at the same time protect and preserve it,”McCormick said.


He originally started taking pictures as a child when his parents gave him a camera while in grade school.


“I used it to record daily life in my neighborhood,”McCormick explained.”But, while film was affordable, developing was not, and I had to be picky. Id wait and wait for just the right shot because I didnt want to waste film.”


That choosiness and precision has endured.


“I enjoy taking macros (close ups) of flowers and insects,”he said.”You need to have a good eye to find them and patience to wait for the perfect shot.”


The perfect shot may not always be easily seen though.


“To get many shots, I go to the back of the woods,”he said.”I go where the wild stuff grows, where most people dont go. I want to show the beauty that exists off the trail.”


McCormick credits painting with watercolors with helping him to visualize shots. When taking pictures photographers also need to have a good eye toward framing and depth perception, he said, and painting trains you to think about perspective, depth and lighting.


“Photography has really broadened my horizons,”McCormick said.


The learning process extends beyond learning the aspects of photography. While he has experimented with lighting, used time-lapse photography and developed his own black and white photos, additional knowledge comes through identifying photos of flowers and herbs and working with others to find out what he can do to help preserve and protect the environment.


“The great thing about photography is that I can mix my two loves�€capturing images while hiking, camping and flyfishing in the beautiful West Virginia wilderness,”McCormick said.”But many times once beautiful spots are destroyed by abuse and contamination.”


Natural resources are ruined by mining and logging industries and other businesses and abuse, he said.


“Water is contaminated, animals are killed, native species are decimated, and once gone, never come back,”he said.”Future generations may want to see what many now take for granted.”


McCormick is a journalism student at WVU and hopes to become a photojournalist. He is the president of the WVU Sierra Club and is involved with conservation organizations state and nationwide. He actively supports environmental causes and belongs to a variety of organizations including the West Virginia Chapter of Sierra Club, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, Coalition for Responsible Logging (CORL), the RaptorRehabilitationCenter, Friends of Blackwater, Friends of the Potomac Highland and the Friends of Cheat.


“As a member in the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, I lobbied in D.C. to help protect and preserve the Red Rock Wilderness, because a lot of the problems here are the same in other states,”he said.


To see McCormicks photos, go tohttp://www.mountaineerphotoart.com. His book of photographs is available at the WVU Health Sciences Bookstore (293-4849). He will sign copies during WVU s”Campus Author Celebration”Wednesday, March 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the WVU Bookstore downtown location. For more information on the celebration, call 293-7467.