The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Jared Davies © Jared Davies

Jared Davies discovered photography at the age of fourteen, when he borrowed his sister's manual Olympus SLR camera. After that day, the camera accompanied him outdoors in New Mexico’s breathtaking landscapes, where he spent his much of his teenage years. He’s been focusing his lense, and career, ever since. 

Davies pursued his passion all through high school at a local portrait studio. As soon as he got the chance, he was off to an intensive ten-month program combining the art, technology and business of photography that, according to Davies, “helped me make a living at what I love.”

He landed a job as a staff photographer at a prestigious corporate communications firm in Philadelphia, where he honed his skills before setting out on his own four years ago with The Plaid Image, his commercial photgraphy business specializing in architectural, aerial and nature photography. Now settled in Wilmington, Davies operates The Plaid Image in-between his other job — as a stay-at-home dad to two toddlers.

Lucky for the Conservancy, Davies began volunteering with the Conservancy’s Delaware chapter last year. In addition to participating in the annual horseshoe crab count and staffing a booth at the Horseshoe Crab Festival, he kindly donated some special images capturing these experiences along the way.

“Photographing wildlife has always been close to my heart,” Davies adds. “I wouldn’t have some of my favorite photographs if it weren’t for nature and so it makes sense to give back in this way.”