Sharing nature’s gifts through her photography

When everyone on the planet is a photographer with their sophisticated cell phones, how does a true artist stand out? There is no simplistic answer to that question, but for any artist, some things always ring true: consistency, dedication and passion.

Methuen native Nancy Szostak Wright is at her best when out in nature with her camera, discovering whatever comes her way, connecting with moments that move her. It might be the way a single petal falls from a flower, or an insect nestles into the folds of a leaf. Capturing the natural world, from intimate close-ups to larger-than-life dynamic wildlife shots, this artist keenly discovers those perfect moments in time and preserves them for others to appreciate.

There was a time when wandering through the outdoors in search of beauty was not an everyday occurrence for Szostak Wright. As a corporate writer, she spent 20 years in an office environment.

“It wasn’t until my daughter was about 5 years old that I decided to drop out of the corporate world,” she says. “For the next decade, I devoted my time to volunteering in my child’s activities, from sports to Girl Scouts.”

During that time, she always carried a 35mm camera, gifted to her by her mom upon graduating college.

“I became the go-to photographer for every event for friends and family, from birthday parties to sports events,’ she says.
Szostak Wright is mostly self-taught in photography, starting out with a film camera and eventually moving on to digital.

To learn the basics of her craft, she took a few workshops through the years, but one particular one was pivotal in her photographic journey.

“I took a workshop in Rhode Island with a wildlife photographer known as the Owl Whisperer,” she says.

A small group ventured out with the instructor to observe and photograph a snowy owl, as it swooped through the air in search of food.

“Up until then, I had sometimes photographed my backyard flowers,” she says, “but after this experience I was hooked on nature photography.”

Enthralled by the magical connection she experienced with the snowy owl, Szostak Wright signed up for two subsequent owl photo workshops, but soon realized that a group of nature enthusiasts crowding around a natural habitat was undoubtably stressful for wildlife.

“I began venturing out on my own,” she says.

While researching how and where to locate certain animal species, she came across the Seven Hills Camera Club in Worcester, close to her home in Westborough.

“Joining this group pushed me out of my comfort zone,” she says, “but I was exposed to experiences that I never would have tried on my own.”

In 2020, Szostak Wright visited the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill in Boylston.

“I wasn’t intentionally looking for bees, but they seemed to come my way,” she says.

Photographing intimate close-ups of them busy at work on a variety of flowers, she became intrigued. On a subsequent visit to the Acton Arboretum, she spent over an hour shooting several bee varieties in their pollinator garden. The images from these two photo shoots, along with a group of photos that she had captured at the Stevens Coolidge Garden in North Andover, came together to form a cohesive portfolio, which she entered into a photo contest.

“The camera club members were urging me to enter a National Wildlife Federation contest,” she says. “I was uncomfortable with contests in general, but I pulled the images together, did some research, and came up with a theme.
Entitled, “Avoid the Buzzkill: Capturing Bees and Wasps to Keep them Alive,” Szostak Wright’s entry carried a Save the Bees message to plant pollinator gardens, stop using pesticides, help cause-related organizations and share awareness. To her surprise, her entry was awarded first place in the portfolio category.

“It was a huge thing to me,” she says, “giving me much-needed confidence. I had had a little imposter syndrome up until then.”

Since then, Szostak Wright has entered other contests and gained further recognition. Continuing to wander the countryside in search of that unique photo opportunity, she then offers her art for sale as prints online.

“The end goal is to sell large-scale wall art to enhance both corporate and residential spaces,” she says.

Near and dear to her heart is a current exhibit at the Worcester Center for Crafts, curated by Juniper Rag, a group that acts as a bridge between artists and collectors. The Artists on Fire small-works exhibit features a group of eight photographs by Szostak Wright called “Fade to Black,” carrying a powerful message. The extreme close-up and, as she says, “uncomfortably-cropped” images of wildlife are all printed in black and white. The eyes of a variety of magnificent animals stare back at the viewer as if in silent plea for protection and respect.

“The exhibit is designed to bring attention to secondhand rat poison deaths of wildlife,” says Szostak Wright. “When companies, municipalities and homeowners use rat poison to kill unwanted rodents, they put other wildlife at risk. Hawks, owls, eagles and foxes eat the poisoned rodents and most will die from second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning. Let’s save them from fading to black,” she says.

In a world of average photographers who casually capture every waking moment with wild abandon, no judgement here, it’s refreshing to see that there are still serious artists who create consistently well-executed and beautiful images with passion and intent. Add to this, a photographer who shares her images, not only to spread joy, but to help educate and inform others how to preserve the beauty of nature, and it is a job well done.

“When I share my images,” says Szostak Wright, “and see a heartwarming reaction or hear a story of connection or a shared memory with a loved one … there’s no better feeling. Finding happy and sharing happy is why I do what I do.”
out more on Instagram at wrightpixphotos or at the website wrightpixphotogifts.com.

Patricia Bruno is a Methuen native, currently living in Haverhill. A writer and photographer, she is also the owner of The Winged Rabbit gift shop in downtown Haverhill.