Nature Photos by Janet Markman on Display in West Caldwell Library

Janet Markman, whose name has become synonymous with Nature Photography - especially of Avian / Bird Photography, is the “Artist of the Month” for May at the West Caldwell Public Library, 30 Clinton Road.

 Though raised in New York, Janet has been a resident of Caldwell for more than 17 years. While she has always been fascinated with nature, and relatively recently that she realized her true creative passion: observing and photographing birds - her art has expanded to include other flying creatures - notably picturesque butterflies and moths, not to overlook her beautiful photos of trees, flowers, landscapes, as well as other animals.

 Janet Markman’s particular interest in birds and their behavior can be traced back to when her husband Bob, found and “adopted” a stray young parakeet which he named “Hasbro” on Sept. 9, 2004. “Three months later we got “Hasbro” a partner, “Freckles”. I was so fascinated by their behaviors and antics that it motivated me to start observing birds out in the wild.  So, I joined the Montclair Bird Club, and began going on bird walks. In April 2005, I purchased my first digital camera and started taking pictures of the birds I saw in the wild”.  The rest is history.

 To date, Markman’s photos have won numerous awards and continue to entertain viewers. In 2010, she placed 1st in the Annual Essex County Nature Photography Contest”. Markman has an uncanny knack for capturing the personality, the disposition, the true essence of her subjects. You would think they knew they were being photographed and were simply “mugging it up” for the camera. If a picture is worth a thousand words, Janet Markman’s nature photos speak volumes. As Janet Markman puts it, “I hope that through my work, people will better appreciate the natural world and the beauty that is out there. I really enjoy sharing with others the variety of nature’s beauty that I experience through my camera lenses”.

 Besides being an active member with the Essex Photo Club, the Essex County Nature Photographers Club, the Montclair Bird Club, and the New Jersey Audubon Society, Janet Markman has been appointed Official Photographer for the Borough of Caldwell.