Laura Power
Northern News Services
Published Monday, September 3, 2007

NORMAN WELLS - Nels Walker didn't know how long he'd be staying when he first moved to Norman Wells six years ago. He began taking his camera to the surrounding areas to capture the beauty of the landscape, the Northern lights and the lifestyle in photos.

Nels Walker of Norman Wells exhibited some of his photographs at the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik this summer. Walker focuses much of his work on Northern subjects such as ice formations and Northern lights. - Laura Power/NNSL photo

Years later, Walker is still working at the Esso job that brought him to the community. He is also still working at his photography, which while still a hobby, is becoming a more active part of his life.

"Photography is a good excuse to go out and camp," said the outdoor enthusiast, who said often he takes photos of people taking part in outdoorsy activities such as sitting around a campfire.

During the year he moved to Norman Wells, he said, there was a "spectacular" breakup which left 30-foot piles of ice in some places. Ice has since been one of his favourite subjects, along with the ever popular Northern lights.

"I like the Northern lights, I like the ice, things that are normal up here but are different (for people) everywhere else," he said

During his six years living in the area, Walker has spent many a night out in frigid temperatures waiting for the right shot. He said often he would sleep in the evenings, go out during the late night and the early hours to take photos of the Northern lights, and then go home for a nap before getting to his day job.

"You have a lot of nights where you sit and drink tea and look the other direction," he said. "Northern lights don't always co-operate."

Luckily for him, on other nights the sky lit up just right. Now he is able to sell his photographs at events such as the Great Northern Arts Festival, and his work is displayed at the Norman Wells Historical Centre.

Looking to take his hobby one step further, Walker is planning on starting his own one-man business. He is also looking into the possibility of starting up a web page, but said he would like photography to remain something he enjoys instead of letting it feel like a job.

The photographer, who has never had any formal training, learned to take a good picture 20 years ago when he travelled the world with a friend. He said he still experiments with film, but has since taken a liking to digital photography.

His advice to photographers starting out is to follow their interest.

"If you're interested in it, you can self teach yourself and it really works," he said. "If you have an interest in something, that's all you need."

Walker believes the old saying that a picture is worth 1,000 words, especially when that picture is from your own mind.