Weldon Lee
Wildlife Photographer, Writer, & Photo Tour Operator

Weldon’s dramatic portrayals of wildlife in their natural surroundings provide viewers an intimate glimpse into their daily lives and is but one reason his images are popular among collectors. His work has been exhibited in the Denver Museum of Natural History and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. A University of Northern Iowa photography professor ranks Weldon among the top five wildlife photographers in North America.

Weldon’s early work focused on wildlife in the Rocky Mountains. His first book, Watchable Birds of the Rocky Mountains, initially published in 1992, contains over 50 photographs depicting a cross-section of the avian species found throughout the Rocky Mountains. Erwin and Peggy Bauer, friends and lifelong wildlife photographers, had this to say about his second book, published in 1996, “No region of North America offers so many opportunities for wildlife photographers as the Rocky Mountains. No one has ever described its wildlife and captured their natural beauty so thoroughly as Weldon Lee in A Guide to Photographing Rocky Mountain Wildlife.”

Weldon’s images have appeared in numerous magazines including Mature Outlook, National Wildlife, Backpacker, National Parks Magazine, Bird Watcher’s Digest, Outdoor Photographer, Petersen’s PHOTOgraphic, and Nature Photographer. In addition, his photos illustrate text and natural history books by Macmillan, Westcliffe, Falcon Press, and Roberts Rinehart to name just a few. Weldon’s work has been featured on all the major television networks including ABC, CBS, and NBC. 

In January, 1995, Weldon was elected Chair of the Education Committee of the North American Nature Photography (NANPA) and served three years in that capacity. In addition to being a charter NANPA member, he is also a member of Rock Mountain Outdoor Writers & Photographers and in 2007 received that organization’s Selected Works Award for Excellence in Photography.

Weldon is actively involved in wildlife preservation and will soon be launching an environmental organization whose focus will be for the protection of bears around the world.

“Wildlife photography, to me, is more than capturing an image,” explains Weldon. “It is the opportunity to preserve on film the drama of a fleeting moment in the life of a particular species. When I am fortunate enough to capture one of those moments, I begin to realize that I am touching something greater than life itself. Many wildlife species are being threatened with extinction. If they are to survive, then we…as humans…must learn to coexist with them. Photography and writing provides me the platform I need to foster an appreciation for the uniqueness of my wild brothers and sisters which, hopefully, will lead to their survival."