Ken was raised near Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan on a mixed farm. The family had a lease, several kilometers away, on the banks of the Beaver River that served as summer pastureland for their growing herd of cattle. As a small boy, it was Ken’s job to traverse the country roads and pathways to the property to count the cows and calves every few days throughout the summer, to ensure that none were going missing. One could ride a bike for part of the trip, but the rest had to be traveled on foot. His father always wondered why it took so long.

You see, Ken’s actual intent on those magnificent summer mornings didn’t include the cows at all. He was too busy sneaking up on Sandhill Cranes, or seeing how close he could get to a Great Blue Heron to worry about the cattle. He took pleasure in walking barefoot into the mud to see how deep he could get before it became impossible to move, then struggling with the ooze to escape.

Once, on a late July afternoon, the skies turned suddenly dark as Ken climbed carefully over a small hill where he knew a pond would greet him farther below. He suspected that a great number of ducks would be resident in the pond and wanted to observe them at the closest possible range. As he peered over the edge of the hill and down to the circle of willows that defined the pond, the still water reflected the deep purple clouds of a high summer hailstorm. The pond remained sunlit from behind the boy. Only a single pair of ducks was visible- but it was a species that Ken had never seen before. A stroke of lightning flashed in the background and the ducks rose together and flew directly past the boy’s face, providing a rare view. They circled the pond and landed nearby, again reflected perfectly in the calm before the fury of the storm. Lightning repeated itself in jagged drama, and Ken found himself wishing he could have taken a picture to show the spectacular beauty of the moment to others. He returned home, reported that the cows were all present (after a “quick count”), and began a journey of naturalist passion by going to the public library and sorting through the Ducks Unlimited pamphlets to discover the name of the strange birds. From that moment, it wasn’t enough to strive for proximity with the wilderness. He studied it more thoroughly by identifying the species, seeking written information, observing details and activities, and wondering more about the vastness of nature.

Since childhood, Ken Hoehn has enjoyed the spirituality of nature by finding ways to get close to the creatures of the wild. Now, the camera accompanies him into the wilderness to capture special moments for transport back to humanity. A key to his photographic success is the infusion of art into the process.

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