Merrill Irvin
Growing up on a farm in rural South Georgia, Dr. Merrill Irvin was surrounded by two things: relatives and nature. As a boy he spent hours hunting and fishing the forests and waters around his family’s home. His uncles and grandfathers taught him a lot about nature and his mother was constantly taking pictures with her Brownie camera. But it was his maternal grandfather who was most influential on Irvin’s love of nature and all its creatures. It’s no surprise he turned out to be a veterinarian and
a photographer.
Irvin’s grandfather Lee Austin Craft was a rarity— a college-educated farmer. He spent every Sunday taking his grandchildren on walks, teaching them about the flora and fauna that surrounded them. Later on, while studying at the University of Georgia, Irvin spent a summer working in Alaska, putting out wild fires. He took an instamatic camera with him, and spent all his down time photographing the picturesque wilderness around him.
On a trip to the mountains after graduating from UGA’s veterinary school, Irvin picked up the camera his friend had brought. “I didn’t know how to use it and neither did she, but I quickly figured it out. I was instantly hooked,” he says. Not long after, Irvin put down his guns, and invested in good camera equipment. “It’s much harder to shoot an animal at 300 yards with a camera than a rifle,” he says.
“I didn’t know how to use [the camera] and neither did she, but I quickly figured it out. I was instantly hooked,”
Since then, Irvin has traveled the globe photographing nature and all that encompasses— from tiny water droplets to stunning landscapes to roaring lions. As of now, he’s made trips to every continent except South America and Antarctica so far, which he’s definitely planning to visit. “I won’t live long enough to do everything I want to, but it’s good to have aspirations,” he laughs. He’s also eager to make his way back to Africa and actually plans on doing a lot more photography in the Lowcountry. Believe it or not, it is one of the few places he has left to explore!
Having spent most of his life helping animals in need, Irvin is now interested in being more focused on his photography. We’re thankful he’s able to capture such beautiful moments on this amazing planet.
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