Holding a deep appreciation of the natural environment, Jim Oltersdorf had set an early direction as a youth to promote the highest quality of photographic work possible.

As early as eleven years of age, Jim would scramble up towering trees to take pictures. Today as a pilot, he uses airplanes to reach even higher but it would not be uncommon on any given day to find him in the trees, either. Jim specializes in creating photographic works from any geographic area and what it has to offer.

Highly acclaimed as an western author and photographer, he writes and shoots for the largest western magazines, his well-rounded talents also take him to the bottom of the ocean (he's a graduate of the college of Oceaneering with a certificate in air-mixed gas deep underwater diving). He is also a federally licensed pilot and flys a great deal by himself.

Oltersdorf is widely known for his work in ornithology, mammals and extreme high-risk areas as well. He also works for some of the largest companies in the United States with emphasis in creating on-location product photography in the wilds of the Yukon and Alaska currently.

Jim is on assignment in Alaska and working on future projects involving photographing a remote eastern Russian camp, a three month assignment in the outback of Australia and then back to Alaska in the fall for underwater salmon spawning shots.

In July he is also going to one of the most remote islands in Alaska to shoot walrus and hundreds of thousands of marine birds.

Recently he returned from a shoot 100 miles out into the open sea in the Gulf of Alaska. He will also be going on a photo shoot in May to obtain imagery of Eskimo whalers in one of the most remote areas of the world.

Jim may be reached at: highrisk@ptialaska.net or visit his website at: www.joltersdorf.com