Mary Anne Karren

I’m a wildlife photographer exploring how to use my tools as an artist and photographer to benefit birds and their habitat. My current project focuses on the rapidly disappearing Great Salt Lake, largest saline lake in the hemisphere and lynchpin habitat for ten million migrating birds. My work juxtaposes the vibrant bird life of Great Salt Lake with its otherworldly landscapes.

Contact me directly for prints, licensing, and collaboration inquiries.

Salt Lake City, Utah.

Photo courtesy of Ray Hennessy

Filmmaker Austin Smock created this mini-documentary about Great Salt Lake and my work.

Follow me on Instagram

View fullsize Couple scenic views of Black necked stilts at Great Salt Lake. #birdphotography #birdscape #utah
View fullsize American Avocet, Great Salt Lake. #shorebirds #birdphotography #wasatchmountains #birdscapes
View fullsize Bison in moody storm light. If you look close you can see a little birdie passenger too! #antelopeislandstatepark #bison #greatsaltlake #wildlife
View fullsize American avocets at Great Salt Lake, from spring. Winter is coming and that means bye bye shorebirds. Time to shift my mental gears to waterfowl. I’m still in denial about that though. Here’s one more from an epic spring, may we see this
View fullsize Black-necked stilt juvie, revving the engines for takeoff. #greatsaltlake #blackneckedstilt #shorebird #stilt
View fullsize Look at the schnoz on this one. Long-billed Curlew. #sandpiper #shorebird #longbilledcurlew #greatsaltlake
View fullsize Little bebe long legs. #blackneckedstilt #greatsaltlake #shorebirds #birdsofgreatsaltlake
View fullsize Night scene. I find it tough to capture groups of birds in a way that works visually. But I like this shot of American Avocets feeding together in the dark, because it shows how they like to squeeze in tight sometimes, bustling and bumping right up a
View fullsize Pelican sunrise at Great Salt Lake. On clear mornings sometimes we get an intense pink, purple and blue ombré over the lake before the sun comes up over the Wasatch mountains. But it’s more about the quality of light than the color. It&r
View fullsize Wilson’s phalaropes are highly skilled ambush predators. Unlike other ambush predators though, they’re not very good at hiding or sneaking up on things, but derive most of their power from extreme cuteness, disarming their prey with smol
View fullsize Dear friends, wildlife photographers, and Great Salt Lake lovers, I (and this American Avocet) ask two things: 1. The Friends of Great Salt Lake fall fundraiser is happening. If you haven’t donated or become a member, do it now! FOGSL.org.
View fullsize American Avocet in dreamland. Is it real? Someone asked recently if some of my images are AI generated. Sometimes it feels that way, when the scene and the light is just right. But no, I create all my images with my camera (I have a Canon R3 and R6
View fullsize These dudes wanted to say hi. American white pelicans at Great Salt Lake. . . . #pelicans #greatsaltlake
View fullsize Just when I think I’ve got all the American avocet portraits I need, another one comes walking by. . . . #americanavocet #greatsaltlake #birdportraits #shorebirds #birdsofgreatsaltlake
View fullsize G’night 😴 . . . #americanavocet #greatsaltlake #birdsofgreatsaltlake #shorebirds

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