By MATTHEW SOCKOL
Correspondent
SAYREVILLE – The Sugarloaf Crafts Festival will feature the work of a Sayreville resident.
Appearing at this weekend’s festival is Brett Klaproth, a wildlife photographer who will be one of approximately 250 artists from all over the country at the juried exhibit. Klaproth said that this will be the biggest show he has been a part of.
Klaproth has been a photographer for 10 years. He commented that his interest in wildlife began at an early age and neighbors would often bring injured animals to him.
“I was always involved with animals when I was a kid,” Klaproth said.
Klaproth photographs a wide variety of animals, ranging in size from insects to whales. He has traveled to various locations in New Jersey, including Cape May, which he considers to be arguably the best birding location in the country.
“I’ve spent three months shooting in Cape May,” he said.
He has also taken two trips to Florida, one of which was to photograph a bobcat.
Klaproth considers ducks to be his favorite animal to photograph, despite the difficulties in snapping pictures of them.
“You have to lie on the ground for hours in the freezing cold,” Klaproth said. Photographers must do this when shooting ducks because they typically need to be at eye level with their subjects. Nevertheless, Klaproth believes ducks make great shots.
To Klaproth, photographing wildlife requires patience, standing still, remaining quiet and most importantly, luck.
“Sometimes you get lucky and you get a personality shot,” he said. “That’s what people really like.”
Klaproth explained that personality shots tend to be unique and humorous images of wildlife. They occur by chance because the animals are simply residing in their habitats; they are obviously not trained to perform any actions. He cited a picture he took of a raccoon that appeared to be smiling as an example of a personality shot.
“Obviously people respond to the beautiful shots,” he said. “But they like the personality shots.”
He also noted that mammals are typically the ones that provide personality shots.
Klaproth hopes that his work will help others develop an appreciation for their environment and the animals that live in it.
“You want to inspire people to respect animals and the environment,” Klaproth said.
Klaproth’s work will be available for purchase at the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival.
The festival will take place at the Garden State Exhibit Center, 50 Atrium Drive, Somerset, March 11-13. Tickets are $10 at the door and can be purchased online for $8 at www.sugarloafcrafts.com. The March 11-12 showings will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 6 p.m., while the March 13 showing will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free admission is provided to those under 12.
