A PICTURE IS WORTH 1,000 WORDS. Local photographer Bruce Siebold (left) photographs wildlife (right) in his third recently published  photography book, titled Stories, which features poetry and stunning photography. (Submitted photos)

Photographer Bruce Siebold wakes up each morning with a mission: throughout the 80-acre property which he calls home, his calling resides in the sweet grass, the swirling snowfall, each unique sunset, the soft faces hiding in every bush, and the continued desire to document it all. 

Stories, his third published book, portrays the subtle qualities of life. And next to each photo is a poem – or a metaphor for life. 

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Each day, there’s stories out there. There’s photos to be taken. And it’s my job to find them.

Bruce Siebold

photographer

“Nature is an underlying theme,” Siebold said. "Each day, there’s stories out there. There’s photos to be taken. And it’s my job to find them.”

The essence of each story reflects contemplations: about ourselves, the world, and what we take for granted. Siebold and his wife, Terry, have lived in Dunn County since 1990. After 30 years of collecting photographs, building up shoeboxes full of film and prints, the idea struck to publish these photos in a book, which led to the publication of his first two photography/poetry books, Seasons on Eighty Acres and Thank You Sun. 

Each story that appears in his three books is read in one to two minutes and is often written through anthropomorphism – “a technique where I give the land, animals, birds a human voice,” Siebold said. “It gives me the flexibility as a writer to write from many different points of view.”

Some stories are funny, some are very personal – but they each strike people in different ways. 

“(We must have) mindfulness of each day to understand that there is this beauty that surrounds us every day,” Siebold said, “and we are often too busy to take the time to see it, to reflect upon it, to really understand it.”

Through each story, Siebold encourages people to form deeper connections to the land, to take care of our planet, and to recognize it needs our help.

“We need to be truly good stewards of the land,” he said. “So much of the land is not being cared for, not being taken care of, being abused.”

With a spiritual and mindful practice, Siebold brings us on a journey to see ourselves in the beautiful monarch butterfly, the snowy deer, the dyed sunset, and the mist within a dense gray fog – encouraging readers to slow down, stay mindful, and reflect on the greatest things we value and love within our lives through nature. What metaphors are you willing to see?

Copies of Siebold's new book, Stories, are available for purchase upon request. You can reach him at bruce@eightyacresphotography.com. For more information, visit eightyacresphotography.com.