Craft Roots Featured Artist: John Fox, Nature Photographer

Incredible works of art and science are on display at Craft Roots.

Much like our talented local craftspeople who have helped us with our restaurant’s buildout, we’re fortunate to have developed amazing friendships and partnerships with talented local artists in the South Valley. ​

If you've been into Craft Roots since our soft opening, you’ve seen the stunning nature photography hanging on our walls. And if you haven't, you really ought to pop in and take a closer look at these incredible works of art and science by nature photographer, John Fox.

A naturalist at heart, John is drawn to studying the earth and it’s solar and lunar cycles and wildlife. As often as he can, he ventures into the backcountry around the South Valley and greater Bay Area to create his works of art and science. In these areas are where he captures those special moments where natural elements and his subject matter align in purely magical ways.

But it’s not all magic. It has taken five years of study and diligent experimentation and optimization to achieve the stunning visual effects and level of detail in his work. ​

John Fox shooting from the water in Santa Cruz, CA.

Favorite subjects for John are landscapes, surf photography, the moon, the night sky, wildlife, and birds of prey - particularly raptors, owls, and hawks. Which can be challenging. John is sensitive to the fact that he is the visitor when out on a shoot, and explained, “I’m always most concerned about the safety of the bird or wildlife. I’ll only shoot with natural light and never push for a wild animal to the point where it is affecting its well being. You never want to stress out the animal. Etiquette in nature photography is very important.”  ​

In the Trenches by John Fox

Whether his intended shot is of a barn owl, the perfect wave, or the Milky Way, his subjects can be elusive. Most of his photoshoots take a great deal of research, preparation, planning, and most of all, patience. ​

The hunt for the perfect shot includes studying moon and milky way alignments, meteorology and weather patterns and taking into account atmospheric conditions such as the angle of light in the winter months vs. the summer months, sunrise and sunset times, and other environmental elements.​

Moonrise Over High Peaks by John Fox

To achieve the level of clarity and detail in his work John will often take multiple shots of the same subject and composition but at different exposures and with different focal points. He’ll then blend them together in the photo-editing process back at his studio, a style known as focus stacking and exposure blending.

The results are truly amazing photographic compositions that align elements in nature in magical ways. We’re so glad to be able to share these incredible works of art with our diners. ​

To view more works of art by John Fox:

 Take a peek at John’s online portfolio on Flickr and follow @omnitrigger on Instagram.