Eric Patdu

I grew up in the Philippines, and some of my happiest early memories are of simply being outside, listening to birds. My first camera was an inexpensive point-and-shoot, but it opened up a new way of seeing. It gave me a way to hold onto fleeting moments, and to look at the world far more closely than I ever had.

Today I'm based in Omaha, Nebraska, though my camera rarely keeps me there. It has followed birds across the plains and mountains of the West, all the way to the forests where I grew up in the Philippines, and there are always new places calling. Wherever I am, the work is mostly patience: long, quiet hours in the field, waiting for the light, the moment, and the bird to come together. Those few seconds make all of it worth it.

More than anything, I hope these photographs offer you a moment of quiet, and maybe a reason to look a little more closely at the birds that share your own corner of the world. Thank you for being here.