Capturing nature, one shutter click at a time

Rich Palzewic

Staff

July 22, 2024

LA CROSSE – Born in Las Vegas and spending the early part of his life there, Nick Walton, owner of Nick Walton Photography, said a move to the La Crosse area in 2013 further sparked his love of photography.

“Everything about La Crosse is stunning – year-round,” the 22 year old said. “It was quite the change moving from Las Vegas to La Crosse, but I’ve gotten used to things.”

A love for photography

Walton, who also works full-time at Goodwill Industries in Onalaska, said his love of photography began in high school.

“I took a photography class, and we used film cameras,” he said. “I wasn’t a huge fan of film. I like more of the DSLR (digital camera) side of photography – grabbing the images right away.”

From there, Walton said he began working for the La Crosse Loggers baseball team – a collegiate summer team in the Northwoods League.

“I worked on their cameras for a little bit,” he said. “That helped me as well. Every time I was behind that camera, I was like, ‘yeah, this is something I can do forever.’”

Walton said he didn’t go to college for photography and all he has learned in the business has been self-taught.

“I’ve learned a lot,” he said. “In this business, you can’t compare yourself to others. You have to be willing to put yourself out there, get into situations you wouldn’t normally get into and be hungry to learn because there’s so much to learn in photography.”

Being self-taught, Walton said he’d write tips/directions on a card and place them in his camera bag.

“I’m past that point and know enough now, but if I ever am hungry to learn something, I’ll look it up and then go put that into my camera and see how it goes,” he said.

Walton said being a good photographer isn’t simply about pointing and shooting.

“There are settings that go into it, the scene and sometimes it’s simply about being in the right place at the right time,” he said. “I’ll walk on a trail with my camera and go with the flow – sometimes you get lucky, and sometimes you don’t.”

Walton said one of his favorite things to do is take photos of downtown La Crosse.

“I’ve done it probably more than 100,000 times,” he said. “It’s always the same pictures, but it’s not at the same time – it’s different in its own way.”

Another recent photo favorite, Walton said, was a shot he took with his drone camera above Highway 33 near County F east of La Crosse.

“I woke up to a dense fog advisory and knew I had to get there,” he said. “As I was driving home from my original flying spot, I was amazed by the fog rolling into the valley – the leading line of the road was perfect. It was a perfect moment in time.”

Though Walton is only getting started in photography, he said he has already developed a bad habit often associated with the trade.

“I buy camera equipment I probably don’t need,” he laughed. “It comes in handy eventually. I have purchased a lot of camera equipment over the years, and things have changed drastically with the technology. If you buy a new camera, it’s outdated in two or three years – then you have to get a new one.”

Walton said working at Goodwill helps fund his business.

“If I’m not at work, I’m behind my camera somewhere taking pictures – I try to stay busy,” he said.

The future  

Though Walton said “I love photography,” he’s also realistic about his immediate future in the business.

“I’d like to eventually take photos full-time, but it will take some time (to get to that point),” he said. “I had an interview with Jostens to be a school photographer to get my foot in the door. And then also with Riverfest La Crosse, I applied for a media pass and was accepted for that, so I’m going to work with them in October here in town.”

Walton said though he only got into photography a few years ago, “business is taking off.”

A quick look online (nickwaltonphotography.com) shows that Walton travels to many different areas throughout the State of Wisconsin to snap photos.

“It’s not easy (deciding where to go),” he said. “Because I’ve been doing photography here for about five years, there’s nothing anywhere in a 50-mile radius I haven’t been to. If I’m thinking about a different area, I’ll look it up, read the reviews and then go and hope for the best. I’ve been to a lot of places I don’t think I’d ever go to in my life, and I’m thankful for those opportunities.”

The perfect conditions

With rain, snow, sleet, hail, clouds and sun affecting photography in a variety of ways, Walton said, “some days are better than others.”

“In my opinion, the perfect lighting for photography is on a cloudy day,” he said. “On sunny days around noon, it’s harsh lighting. If it’s cloudy, you can adjust the settings to get the saturation or the contrast to how you’re looking.”

Regardless of where, when or how he snaps a picture, Walton said he strives to create captivating images that evoke a sense of awe and appreciation.

For more information on Nick Walton Photography, visit its Facebook page.