Artist gets nature close-up

      Chuck Siefert Jr. is at home outdoors. Whether he's in Death Valley or photographing the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Siefert has an eye for the great nature spots in the United States.
      Siefert, an accomplished nature photographer and a Las Vegas native, recently displayed his works at the Summerlin Celebration of the Arts and talked about why he photographs some of the nation's most beautiful natural surroundings.
      "It's something about being in the most breathtaking sights in the world and trying to capture their essence on film," said Siefert, 50. "I've always been a nature buff and have enjoyed spending time outdoors. It was a natural progression after I learned photography to infuse the two interests."
      Siefert first discovered photography during a European tour of duty in the Air Force during the late 1960s. The young Siefert, the oldest son of longtime Las Vegas banking executive Charles Siefert Sr. and Tona Cashman Siefert, was exposed to photography for the first time working in the military darkroom.
      "I worked with black and white then and when I came back to Las Vegas I set up my own dark room and eventually graduated to color," Siefert said. "I was hooked after I started dabbling in it."
      Siefert left Las Vegas in the mid-1970s and relocated to Telluride, Colo., with the explicit desire to be closer to nature so he could continue his photographic growth.
      While in Colorado, Siefert switched to shooting 35mm color shots and eventually switched to the color slide medium.
      "Slides are more expensive and your mistakes show up much more easily than on print film," Siefert said. "But it's the best quality and the color on slide films lends itself to publication and the pictures come out vibrant."
      Siefert's stay in Colorado produced many of his most stunning shots taken in areas many humans have never seen. That closeness to nature was something Siefert held close to his heart and still does.
      "Many of those areas in Colorado are just so stunning there are no words to describe what it is like to see them," Siefert said. "I capture that with my camera and I get the most satisfaction out of seeing other people enjoy my work."
      Summerlin residents Barry and Ruth Lefkin viewed Siefert's work at the Summerlin Celebration of the Arts.
      "Looking at his work it's like I can almost smell the flowers he has captured on film," said Barry Lefkin, a local insurance broker. "The images are so vivid it kind of transports you to where he was."
      For Ruth Lefkin, Siefert's work reminds her how we must fight to save these natural areas.
      "His pictures make you think about conservation and how hard we must work to preserve these areas," Ruth Lefkin said.
      For Siefert, the photography business is not a business. He's happy to sell his work to people who like it but it is not a necessity for him.
      "I really don't care about the business end of it," Siefert said. "If I can take a shot that touches someone and they like it, then fine. But I'm not doing this to make a living."
      This year has been especially good for Siefert's work due to the heavy El Nino rains that created a sunami of wildflowers all over the Southwest.
      "I haven't seen a more beautiful spring and summer," Siefert said. "Some of my favorite shots were taken this year out in Death Valley. The wildflowers were more plentiful than any other time I can remember."
      Although Siefert confines his work to the color slide medium, he is infusing his work with a little of today's high-tech gadgetry.
      "I also write poetry and I'm taking some of it and putting it over my images," Siefert said. "I'm thinking of developing cards and stationary but it's all in the early stages."
      So Siefert goes on and will continue to capture the beauty of America through his lens. In a way it is his calling in life and he is heeding it.
      "I just hope I can touch people and let them see how beautiful some of these national parks really are," Siefert said. "I encourage people to go see it for themselves and if not hopefully I can bring it to them."
      Siefert does have his work available for viewing. To reach Siefert, call 658-6020.