Minnesota-Born Nature Photographer Hosts Exhibit of His Work in Crosslake | Lakeland News
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Mark J. Harlow, a nationally award-winning nature and wildlife photographer from Minnesota, recently brought his extensive portfolio to the city of Crosslake for a community exhibit. As a native Minnesotan, Harlow draws profound inspiration from his surroundings, having developed an early appreciation for the unique beauty of nature while accompanying his father on hunting and trapping trips. These childhood experiences conditioned him to endure extreme temperatures and taught him the discipline required for photography, instilling in him a philosophy to capture images exactly as they appear straight out of the camera without heavy editing or manipulation.
His photographic journey began fifty years ago with target shooting under his father's guidance, where he learned essential skills like breathing control and trigger discipline that directly translated to his artistic practice. While Harlow has spent significant time documenting life within Minnesota, his work also extends far beyond these borders into the unscripted wilds of Montana and Glacier National Park. He explicitly avoids contained environments like zoos or conservation centers, preferring instead to venture into remote parks and capture authentic wildlife moments that reflect the unpredictable personalities of animals such as common loons and winter otters, which have become central subjects of his documentary work.
Harlow shared details about two major documentary projects he has been developing for over seven years each, focusing on the fascinating lives of loons and otters. He expressed deep fascination with these creatures, noting their uniqueness and strong personalities that draw him into their world during every encounter. His goal is to complete both documentaries by the end of August next year, showcasing a body of work that emphasizes ethical image capturing and a genuine connection to the natural environment rather than staged scenarios.
The event in Crosslake provided an opportunity for the community to view this collection of unscripted wildlife imagery, highlighting Harlow's commitment to preserving the integrity of nature through his lens. The exhibition not only celebrated his decades of experience but also reinforced his dedication to documenting animals in their true habitats without interference. Through these efforts, Harlow continues to inspire others with his passion for wildlife and his unwavering respect for the natural world that has shaped his entire career.
Read the full video transcript
One of the top national award-winning
nature and wildlife photographers, Mark
J. Harlow, stopped by the city of Cross
Lake to share his work with the
community recently. Photographer Miles
Walker was in attendance and has more.
>> Mark J. Harlow is a native Minnesotan,
one that has let his surroundings serve
as vital inspiration for his photography
work.
>> I would kick, scream, and holler, and
cry
for my dad to take me with when he would
go hunting and trapping. Got conditioned
to the extreme temperatures and
conditions
right out of an early age, but even then
I was noticing my surroundings
and how unique, you know, nature is and
how fascinating it was.
>> Harlow shot his first photograph 50
years ago and utilizes a minimalistic
photo style, staunch image capturing and
editing ethics, abiding by the motto to
photograph like you will be judged on
your work straight out of the camera.
>> Fast-forwarding to when I was a teen
young teenager and my dad again, we
would go out target shooting with just
.22 single-shot guns, and then he's the
one that taught me how to breathe and do
trigger pull, and concentrate, and take
pride in your shot. That was seared into
my brain way back then, and I carried it
into my photography.
>> And while Harlow has done plenty of
photography work in Minnesota, he has
expanded the horizons outside his
friendly confines, all of which were on
display at his gallery.
>> Early in my career, I I actually did
spend a lot of time out west. I kind of
did it backwards. I would also venture
up into the different parks, you know,
in Montana and Glacier, and I don't go
to contained zoos or conservation
centers or anything like that.
Everything I do is unscripted.
>> Harlow also discussed his documentary
journey with those in attendance,
sharing two of which he's worked on for
over 7 years each. One centers around
common loons, while the other centers
around winter otters, two animals that
have shaped Harlow's love for both
wildlife and nature.
>> The more that I pursued loons,
the more that I was fascinated by them
cuz they're so unique and they're so
unpredictable and have so much
personality. They drew me into their
world just
every time I'd go out and have a great
encounter.
>> Reporting in Cross Lake, Miles Walker,
Lakeland News.
>> Harlow hopes to complete both his loons
and winter otters documentaries by the
end of August of next year.
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