Samantha Fischer is a NYC Board of Education Teacher of 26 years who spends most of her time, outside of the classroom, shooting birds in various settings. Fischer began seriously photographing birds during the pandemic, while viewing the famous Barred owl of Central Park, “Barry,” along with a gaggle of other photographers and onlookers. Fischer has since photographed over 375 different species of birds and various landscapes around the world.

Career Highlights

• "Room For One More" exhibited at Union Coffee, Lambertville, NJ - July 2022
• "Frenchtown Bridge"  exhibited at Art Venture Juried Art Show Flemington, NJ - July 2022
• Feature Article in Bucks County Herald - September 2022
• New Hope Arts and Crafts Festival - September 2022
• Holiday Hop Staten Island Museum - December 2022
• Cottage Row Curiosities - May 2023
• Artful Sundays @ Hunterdon Art Museum - June 2023
• Artful Sundays @ Hunterdon Art Museum - August 2023
• 73rd Annual Fence Show @ Staten Island Museum - October 2023
• Holiday Hop Staten Island Museum - December 2023
• 23rd Annual Art Lab Open House - March 2024
• Carpenter's Shop Curiosities - March 2024
• "Bullseye" exhibited at Phillips Mill Juried Photography Exhibit - April 2024
• "In the Shadows" published in F-Stop Magazine - June 2024
•   Artful Sundays @ Hunterdon Art Museum - August 2024
•   74th Annual Fence Show @ Staten Island Museum - September 2024
•   Artful Sundays @ Hunterdon Art Museum - October 2024
•   "Playing Coy" published in F-Stop Magazine - October 2024
•   Holiday Hop Staten Island Museum - December 2024
•   Holiday Market @ Powerhouse Arts - December  2024

Artist Statement

Being in nature, observing birds and other wildlife, has become a great passion. With today’s stressful climate of screens, noise, and news, birding is an elixir which instantly compels me to focus on the moment. A flash of bright color against the green leaves or blue sky piques my interest, and if I get to capture the bird in my camera, I consider myself extremely lucky. I make sure never to alarm the subject by getting too close or using a flash. When out in the field, my motto is, “We see what we see.” We always see something great! As a teacher, I love the educational aspect of bird photography. I am always learning about new birds and even common birds. There is so much to know, such as migration, adaptation, nesting, their relationship to people, and environmental issues. It is important for me to showcase our winged friends as they are a crucial part of our ecosystem. Learning about birds has made me understand how they are threatened globally and how to help a bird I might come across locally. During post-production, I like to make sure the composition of the photo naturally captures the bird in its environment without manipulation tools such as Photoshop. I hope my images allow the viewer into that ephemeral moment that nature has allowed me to capture. I also hope my images invoke empathy towards the wildlife which surrounds us.