ABOUT THE ARTIST

ABOUT the Artist... Micah "Doc" Daugherty

• My nickname is "Doc."  This comes from the Gaelic pronunciation of his ​surname, "Daugherty", which is pronounced DOC-HER-TY

• I grew up in West Virginia, but have lived in Florida for 25 years.

• My love for photography began during my teenage years.  Today my professional photography career is focused on wildlife and landscapes; however, I started over 35 years ago by shooting athletes and sporting events.  I have also worked in events photography (such as weddings) and some portrait photography.

• My travels have taken me to over 30 countries, 49 of the 50 states (have yet to visit Hawaii), and 51 of the 63 U.S. National Parks.

• My full wildlife portfolio includes images of over 250 species of birds from around the world.

• When asked, "What is your favorite place that you've been?"  I can honestly answer that I don't have one.  For me, it's a combination of the destination and the experience.  Horseback riding in Patagonia, swimming with the sea lions in The Galápagos, an unexpected personal and pleasant encounter with local photographers and birders in Shanghai, and hiking the Skyline Trail to the glacier of Mount Rainier are some of my top experiences and hiking Angel's Landing ("The Chains") in Zion National Park are some of my favorite experiences.  But there are many more, yet I cannot say that any one is better than the other because they were all different in their own way.

 

My mission is to share the beauty of the natural world with others through the lens of my camera, while providing education about nature and the importance of preserving the world we live in.  "Photography is art, painted by the eye through the lens of a camera."  Every photograph tells a story by capturing that ONE moment in time.  This is what makes landscape and wildlife photography so special... nothing is staged.  Nature as a subject is unpredictable.

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I grew up in West Virginia where it was hard not to love the outdoors.  I spent much of my youth exploring and learning what I could about the natural world.  Today, I live in South Florida and close to one of the most unique and diverse ecosystems in the world, The Florida Everglades. This has brought me closer to nature and fueled my passion for landscape and wildlife photography, as well as the conservation, education, and advocacy to protect our planet's natural beauty.

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The Bird's Eye Gallery website is a collection of some of my favorite photographic work from around the globe.  "The Gallery" pages highlight scenic views of U.S. National Parks and global landscapes, stunning sunsets and sunrises, and amazing shots of wildlife in their natural habitats. Along the way, I've gathered some candid shots of me, my team, and the people and cultures of the various regions I've visited, many of which are shared on the "In The Field" page.

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"What's In My Bag" - EQUIPMENT 

For over 35 years I have been a "Canon guy."  Currently, I am using 3 different Canon bodies for my work: the Canon EOS R5 mirrorless body (my "go to" body), Canon EOS 7D Mark II, and Canon EOS 5D Mark IV.  As for the lenses, it really depends on the subject that I am planning to shoot and the location.  At any given time in my camera bag you'll find one or two Canon telephoto zoom lenses (for wildlife), wide-angle lenses (for landscapes), and some fixed "prime" lenses for various uses.  For landscapes, I use a variety of filters.  My "go to" filter for landscapes is the Hoya NXT Circular Polarizer.  This helps cut down glare, while accentuating the vibrance of color in the scene.  And finally, I use an old Slik tripod that provides stability when shooting at slower shutter speeds or in low-light.  

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QUALITY of the Artwork

All of my work displayed on "The Gallery" pages is available for purchase.  Over the past couple of years I worked closely with several printers to come up with the best formats and mediums on which to showcase my photographic art.  As a fine art photographer, I chose to have my work printed on high-quality, high-definition aluminum sheet, which is lightweight, durable, scratch-resistant, and resistant to color-fading over time.  The processing used to capture my images ensures my works of photographic art will last a lifetime.  The standard size for prints purchased through the website is  based on the format in which the image was created. There is no frame, as this is the full-size of the print; and each print comes with a floating mount and ready to be hung on your wall.  Other sizes (and medium) are available upon request.