Photographer's Statement:
“Invariably the uniqueness and beauty of wild lands always manage to move me. I’m awestruck by their diversity of texture and essence. Therefore, it brings me great joy to share those sights photographically and to nurture a sense of wonder of and devotion for their protection and preservation.” – DST
A native of Indiana, Deb Tappan received concurrent degrees from Indiana University in both Telecommunications and Environmental Studies. Involved with newspaper production for many years, she “retired” from the University of Tennessee where she had served for 15 years and advanced her academic pursuit. Deb now is dynamically engaged in her other life’s passions namely, natural history photography, ecology and environmental protection. Since 1990, Deb Tappan has hiked in and explored many of our national parklands. Through her photography, she has attempted to “transport” the magnificent topography, life forms, and natural history from wherever she finds them. “Invariably the uniqueness and beauty of wild lands always manage to move me. I’m awestruck by their diversity of texture and essence. It brings me great joy to be able to share those sights photographically and to, hopefully, nurture the same sense of awe and devotion to their protection and preservation.”
Deb’s interest in photography was kindled when she was quite young. “It is a gift from my Dad. He was the one who introduced me to photography and black and white printing. Using the furnace room of our house as the darkroom and an old projector as an enlarger he showed me the magic of print making and capturing those moments of time.” Deb’s photographic skills have continued to evolve. She maintained a wet darkroom (in a closet) initially and subsequently moved to digital. Three digital SLRs rounds out her equipment. Not foregoing film, she uses a high end film/slide scanner. In the spring of 2003 Deb launched this website which showcases her photographic work. Currently, Deb’s photographs hang in homes and offices across the country. In 2016 she produced a Blu-ray featuring a selection of her images, “Nature’s Moments: vol. 1”. In January 2019 she published her first photo collection book.
In addition to her photography, she is involved with the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and other academic pursuits and environmental causes. She is a former Contributing Editor and Q&A Board Moderator for Digicamhelp. “Life isn’t static.”
EXHIBIT: Deb's photography was on display as part of a special exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. This special exhibit, “Lieutenant Ronald Reagan and the U.S. Cavalry” ran from June 18, 2005 through July 5, 2006.