Wildlife Photographer Extraordinaire Bob Western
Monterey Photographer, Writer, Book Designer, and World Traveler
NOTE: An abbreviated version of this article appeared in the Carmel Pine Cone, April 7, 2023 edition. It can be read here.In order to get the photo, Bob Western has braved shark-infested waters, volcanic eruptions spewing toxic noxious fumes in Hawaii, cramped and foul-smelling bat-filled caves in Baja California, cantankerous horses bent on scraping him off on tree limbs, and belligerent locals antagonistic toward outsiders. He persevered, though, because of the great satisfaction he finds in capturing great images.
Western has traveled all over the country (including Alaska and Hawaii), as well as Canada, Mexico, and Australia, yet the (sea) lion’s share of his most impressive photos have been captured right here in Monterey county.
Yes, we have a world-class wildlife photographer in our midst — and not only that: On his facebook page, this multi-talented person describes himself this way: “Bob Western is a wildlife photographer, writer, and naturalist, based in Monterey, California” — but that list of his occupations doesn’t prepare you for the eye-popping, jaw-dropping impact that viewing his work may have on you.
Born in photogenic Monterey, it’s not surprising that Western became interested in photography at a young age. Western’s gallery of images contains shots of Monarch butterflies and bees pollinating, whales breaching, crabs hiding, coyotes skulking, otters eating, owls observing, pelicans preening, seals napping, dolphins skimming, waves crashing, egrets fishing, raccoons plotting their next bits of rascality, hummingbirds captured mid-beat, and beautiful blue bioluminescence in Monterey Bay — and that’s not all. In fact, if you go to his website, you will see that Western’s images are categorized into marine mammals, birds, other wildlife (including plants), and subcategorized from there. For instance, if you look at his marine mammals photos, you will see them broken down into Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, and Mustelids (which the average non-zoologist would probably refer to as whales and dolphins, seals and sea lions, and carnivorous mammals — such as otters).
Western has been active in the photographic arts and sciences for the past half century — from research photography, industrial advertising and special effects, to motion picture and television production, and of course nature photography — and he's still going strong.
To enumerate just a few of Western’s accomplishments and provide an idea of his range of experience, he has been the personal photographer for former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta of Carmel Valley; His still photography has won numerous advertising awards; Former clients include Chevron, The North Face, Memorex, Gatorade, Sony, the USDA Forest Service, and the California Department of Parks and Recreation; Western’s artwork has been on display at the Monterey Museum of Art and in private collections around the country; His nature and advertising photography has appeared in Germany's Der Spiegel (“The Mirror”) magazine, Time-Life Books, National Geographic Books, Southwest Art, Native Peoples Magazine, Wildlife Art, Natural History Magazine, Runners World Magazine, Offroad Magazine, River World Magazine, Ranger Rick’s Nature Magazine, Scientific American, and Defenders of Wildlife Magazine, and have also been used by The Nature Conservancy.
In 1971 Western was one of the first two members of the University of Hawaii’s Marine Options Program, during which time he worked as a dolphin trainer at the Naval Undersea Research and Development Center on Oahu. The following year, Western was employed as an illustrator and photographer for the Diving Physiology Division of that university’s Biomedical Department. His degree is in Invertebrate Zoology. An early hero of Western’s was Ed “Doc” Ricketts (1897-1945), a Monterey marine biologist, ecologist, and friend of John Steinbeck (1902-68).
Western documented native plants and animals on the islands of Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii. He once spent eight hours per day for eleven days in a blind on a branch high up in a tree, patiently waiting for a crested honeycreeper to get close enough so that he could capture a good image of it. On one of those days, as he patiently waited for a sighting of the bird, he heard a sound below him, looked down, and saw the very species he was after perched on a branch four feet below him, looking up at him quizzically. Although, or rather because, the bird was near enough that Western could practically reach out and touch it, he could not get a picture of it as his camera’s lens was 160mm, a focal length designed for extreme long-distance photography, and unable to focus on an object that close.
In 1976, after receiving his master’s from the University of Hawaii, Western returned home to Monterey and has been involved in several different roles within the photographic discipline ever since: shooting advertisements, photo researcher, graphic artist, and photo acquisitions manager. Around the turn of the century, he migrated from traditional photography to digital.
In 2005, Western turned his attention back to nature photography and digital illustration. If you own an iPhone or iPad, you can find Western’s more recent books by opening the Books app on your device and searching for “Bob Western.”
Living in Monterey and near Pacific Grove (which is also known as “Butterfly Town,” as it is one of the migrating points of Monarch butterflies), it is perhaps serendipitous that Western has an abiding interest in these lepidoptera. His book Monarchs of the West: An Illustrated Natural History is not just a collection of pretty pictures. This nearly-300-page tome contains not only magnificent full-cover photographs, but also charts, graphs, and maps, along with explanatory text. It is a fascinating book which could have been titled “Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Monarch Butterflies But Didn’t Know What to Ask.”
Another book of Western’s you will see after searching on his name is “Nature Photography: Professional Tips” which contains examples of his beautiful photography along with guidance, tips, and principles on how to capture such images yourself.
Western is still at it. You may spot him at the Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary, on a whale watching tour, or roaming the trails of Point Lobos or other local environs. In the works is a book on Sea Otters, which is bound to be every bit as comprehensive and impressive as his other books are.
Bob is currently working on a book about Sea Otters. In order to complete it, though, he will need to replace his obsolete Mac computer and update his Adobe software. If you would like to contribute toward this project, you can contact him via his facebook page.
Here are just a few of Western’s images:
