Jason Chings Bristol Bay.
The young scientist Jason Ching combines his love of photography with his profession: as a fisheries biologist he works for the University of Washington and is involved in its project to protect the salmon of Alaska.
Born in a suburb of Seattle, raised in a family that worshipped nature and also spent spare time fishing for salmon, Jason developed an early interest in the animals of his native country and especially in the underwater world. He devoured animal books and magazines, watched documentaries on television and his greatest heroes of the time were Jacques Cousteau and Sir David Attenborough.
Jason explained to us that this passion eventually led him to begin his studies in water and fisheries sciences at the University of Washington. And that was exactly what marked the beginning of his career.
While working in the wild nature of Alaska, Jason perfected the work with his camera solely through autodidactics: he read books and standard works on photography, collected cameras and experiences, until he learned and refined various techniques that distinguish his spectacular photos today.
Jason captures the subtleties of the untouched ecosystems of Alaska in his pictures, whether with the help of an underwater housing or an installed photo trap. Jason remarked that it is important to him to be able to achieve a popular scientific benefit with his work: He wants to provide education and inspiration that awakens people’s understanding of the importance of preserving untouched nature. Ultimately, the wild animals that are protected also profit from this.
Jason Ching takes us on a trip to Alaska’s Bristol Bay, a region where the wild salmon can still spawn largely undisturbed, where active nature conservation goes hand in hand with research and science, but also gentle tourism helps to bring the love of nature into harmony with these diverse interests. Thank you Jason for sharing this paradise with us!
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