John Fielder (August 2, 1950 – August 11, 2023) was an American landscape photographer, nature writer, the publisher of over 40 books, and a conservationist. He was nationally known for his landscape photography, scenic calendars (which have been published for over 30 years) and for his many coffee table books and travel guides—including Colorado's best-selling ''Colorado 1870–2000'', in which he matched the same scenes of classic photographs taken in the 19th century by photographer William Henry Jackson.

Biography

John Fielder was born on August 2, 1950. A

Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

, native, Fielder moved to Colorado upon graduation from

Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...

, where he studied accounting. After working eight years for department stores, he turned his photography hobby into a profession. Fielder married his wife, Virginia, in 1978. The couple became parents of three children. Fielder won the Colorado Book Award three times, in 1996, 1997, and 2000. His photos were published in more than 50 books. In January 2023, Fielder released the entirety of his over 5,000 photographs into the public domain, with History Colorado as caretaker. Fielder worked to promote the protection of Colorado open space and wild lands. His photography influenced people and legislation, including the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993, and earned him recognition, including the Sierra Club's Ansel Adams Award in 1993, and in 2011, the

Aldo Leopold Aldo Leopold (January 11, 1887 – April 21, 1948) was an American writer, Philosophy, philosopher, Natural history, naturalist, scientist, Ecology, ecologist, forester, Conservation biology, conservationist, and environmentalist. He was a profes ...

Foundation's first Achievement Award given to an individual. He was an original governor-appointed member of the lottery-related board of Great Outdoors Colorado, and spoke to thousands of people each year to rally support for land use and environmental issues. John Fielder died from

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of ...

on August 11, 2023, at the age of 73.

Exhibitions

Colorado History Museum: ''Colorado 1870-2000, then and now, II''
September 2005-April 2006,

Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

* The Wildlife Experience, permanent exhibit, Parker, Colorado

Awards

* Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography, 1993 * Colorado Book Award, 1996, 1997, 2000 *

National Outdoor Book Award The National Outdoor Book Award (NOBA) was formed in 1997 as an American-based non-profit program which each year presents awards honoring the best in outdoor writing and publishing. It is housed at Idaho State University and chaired by Ron Watte ...

(Design and Artistic Merit), ''Mountain Ranges of Colorado'', 2005National Outdoor Book Award - Master List
/ref> *

(Outdoor Adventure Guidebook), ''Colorado's Continental Divide Trail'', 1998

Published works

* ''Colorado's Highest: The History of Naming the 14,000-Foot Peaks'' (coauthored with Jeri L. Norgren), Silverthorne, Colo.: John Fielder Publishing, . * '' Colorado 1870-2000'' (2000) Boulder, Colo.: Westcliffe Publishers .
''Colorado 1870-2000 II''
(2005) Boulder, Colo.: Westcliffe Publishers, . * ''Colorado 1870-2000 Revisited'' (2001), coauthored with Thomas J. Noel, Boulder, Colo.: Big Earth Publishing, , .
''Mountain Ranges of Colorado''
Boulder, Colo.: Westcliffe Publishers, .
''To Walk in Wilderness''
(coauthored with T.A. Barron), Boulder, Colo.: Westcliffe Publishers, .
''Along the Colorado Trail''
(coauthored with M. John Fayhee), Boulder, Colo.: Westcliffe Publishers, .
''Colorado: Lost Places and Forgotten Words''
Boulder, Colo.: Westcliffe Publishers,
''John Fielder's Best of Colorado''
Boulder, Colo.: Westcliffe Publishers, . * ''The Complete Guide to Colorado's Wilderness Areas'' (coauthored with Mark Pearson)
''A Colorado Winter''
Boulder, Colo.: Westcliffe Publishers, .
''Photographing the Landscape''
Boulder, Colo.: Westcliffe Publishers, .

References

External links