Samantha Fischer is a NYC Board of Education Teacher of 26 years who spends most of her time, outside of the classroom, shooting birds in various settings. Fischer began seriously photographing birds during the pandemic, while viewing the famous Barred owl of Central Park, “Barry,” along with a gaggle of other photographers and onlookers. Fischer has since photographed over 300 different species of birds and various landscapes around the world.

Artist Statement

Being in nature, observing birds and other wildlife, has become a great passion. With today’s stressful climate of screens, noise, and news, birding is an elixir which instantly compels me to focus on the moment. A flash of bright color against the green leaves or blue sky piques my interest, and if I get to capture the bird in my camera, I consider myself extremely lucky. I make sure never to alarm the subject by getting too close or using a flash. When out in the field, my motto is, “We see what we see.” We always see something great! As a teacher, I love the educational aspect of bird photography. I am always learning about new birds and even common birds. There is so much to know, such as migration, adaptation, nesting, their relationship to people, and environmental issues. It is important for me to showcase our winged friends as they are a crucial part of our ecosystem. Learning about birds has made me understand how they are threatened globally and how to help a bird I might come across locally. During post-production, I like to make sure the composition of the photo naturally captures the bird in its environment without manipulation tools such as Photoshop. I hope my images allow the viewer into that ephemeral moment that nature has allowed me to capture. I also hope my images invoke empathy towards the wildlife which surrounds us.