Wellard: Eric Horan captures nature through his lens

On a sun-soaked morning in Bluffton, the nature photographer, Eric Horan greeted me and presented his new book, “Beholding Nature.” We leafed through a couple of pages of the 274 page book before we talked about his centers of attention and focus on uniting history, natural beauty and wildlife through his photographs.

“I came to the Lowcountry with my brother to help him build houses; that was a long time ago,” he said.. “But even during that time, I was always interested in nature and wildlife. Nothing has changed about that. Nothing can beat any kind of a day outside taking in the view.”

Eric Horan was thoughtful, on that morning, as he drew up his earliest recollections when I asked about his passion for nature and wildlife.

Horan explained that his mother had been an impressive influence, especially as she oversaw the important early teens. Growing up on a ranch in Colorado, helping with responsibilities with the maintenance of the ranch and the care of the farm animals were the beginnings of his interest in nature and wildlife. It was an early step toward his fascination with all things natural, and ultimately, as it turns out, photographing the surroundings and the wildlife found in those Colorado settings.

“My photographic work developed in a kind of layered way,” said Horan. “It started, completely by accident in a high school year book class, when I was asked if I would take responsibility for the photos for our annual. I wasn’t certain how good I’d be, but using my mother’s 35 mm camera, my work turned out pretty well and I enjoyed it. Honestly, that was the beginning of something amazing. “

In no time he was devoted to photography.

“I had incredible good luck and had the chance to shoot images of people involved in all kinds of sports. But sailing and skiing captured my attention right away, and later on, I added travel and trips across the country (and) then overseas.”

Through it all, Horan was influenced by his passion for nature and wildlife.

My bet is that if you’ve spent anytime in the Lowcountry visiting art galleries or attending presentations or even dining in our Lowcountry cafes, or if you’re familiar with publications such as Smithsonian, OUTSIDE, The New York Times, Business Week, Fodor’s and National Georgraphic, The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette, you have seen his work.

Horan made a bittersweet decision when he decided, in the midst of all of his Lowcountry successes, to try his hand at corporate commercial photography. He took off to New York to learn and grow in a new direction, to explore a long list of possibilities. He entered as a freelancer, taking pictures for the market place. Moving on he took on the challenges of the editorial side, and experienced a great deal of success.

The good news for all of us is that the Lowcountry and the natural setting it offered called him back, to the lifestyle and setting that he truly loved.

Throughout all of those years, Horan and his wife, Jan, have continued their impact on the art scene in the Lowcountry. Jan, herself an artist, retired from her leadership position in the Cultural Council to dedicate her time to her core interests. She now, is fully involved in the administration of their combined photographic and educational projects.

“One enormous stroke of good luck has been my linkup with producer/photographer Doug Gardner on Wild Photo Advenures on PBS television,” said Eric Horan. “Many new possibilities opened and expanded opportunities showed us that there were some great new niches where our interests and talents would present some new options.”

On one of those thoughtful days, Jan and Eric talked about creating, locally, a kind of photo safari situation which they would make available in the Lowcountry.’ It was a winning concept.

So Eric and Jan Horan have now created and are overseeing Lowcountry Photo Safaris, in which they take photographers, no matter their experience, into a variety of scenic destinations.

“Can you imagine how phenomenal it is to offer to visitors or residents, too, an opportunity to not only access our amazing natural habitats on land or in the water,” said Horan. “And not only view, but actually photograph the setting and the wildlife which enrich our Lowcountry lives.”

This story was originally published March 16, 2016 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Wellard: Eric Horan captures nature through his lens."