It was an early morning in autumn and Luc Viatour (User:Lviatour) was on a nature path with a naturalist friend well-versed in the habits of deer, when he chanced upon this red deer (Cervus elaphus) stag running through a field. “The hardest part is the approach,” said Viatour, emphasizing the importance of keeping a safe distance.
This image – which was selected as today’s “picture of the day” on Wikimedia Commons – is part of a series which Viatour especially loves, since he feels it was “a moment with nature.” He hopes it will inspire others to “want to go early in the morning and observe nature preserves.” In addition to nature photography, Viatour is also interested in astronomy, architecture, color and black-and-white photography…“in fact all [subjects and styles],” he said.
He first developed a passion for film photography at the age of 14, and “digital photography accentuated this passion.” Viatour is now a professional photographer, after he decided that photography was an activity he wanted to devote himself to full-time.
Viatour considers himself a computer and free software enthusiast, which is how he first discovered Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia Projects. “I like the idea of free software that I use every day,” he said. “It seemed logical to contribute to something that I use. As I am not very good at writing, I helped with what I think I do best.”
He started contributing to Commons in 2005, when he uploaded one of his best pictures, from a series of photos he took of the solar eclipse in 2009. “I realized then, [after I] saw the success, that some images were better in the public domain [than forgotten] in one of my drawers,” he said.
(View more of Viatour’s featured photos or visit his personal website)
Elaine Mao, Communications Intern
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