About Mike Hamilton

Hi! I'm Mike Hamilton—a nature photographer who spent my career as an ecologist and field station director using technology to study the natural world since the 1970s (yes, that's before the internet, smartphones, or even personal computers!). As a kid, I was always fascinated by nature, which led me to study biology and eventually manage two University of California nature reserves. For over 30 years, I looked after these special places where scientists could study everything from tiny soil microbes to entire forest ecosystems. What made my work different was combining nature study with cool technology. My teams created "smart" sensor networks that could monitor forests 24/7, used drones to map habitats from above, and built special cameras to track how plants and animals respond to changing conditions. Think of it as creating a "fitness tracker" for nature! Some of our most exciting projects included robot systems that could climb through tree canopies, underwater devices that measured lake temperatures, and camera networks that watched bird nests without disturbing the parents. We even helped build equipment for the National Ecological Observatory Network, which monitors environmental change across North America. Now living in Oregon City, I use my camera to capture the magic of nature that I've spent my life studying. Whether it's a hawk soaring overhead, a tiny mushroom pushing through forest soil, or sunlight filtering through ancient trees, I try to show both the science and beauty of our natural world. This website is where I share these images—my way of helping others see and appreciate the amazing complexity and wonder in nature, from the smallest details to the biggest landscapes. I hope these photos inspire you to look more closely at the natural world around you!