Shutterbug: December 2003 Web Profiles

Robert Buelteman’s website has the best looking, easily navigated design I’ve seen this year and is filled with nature images that are as delightful as they are unexpected.
© 2003, Robert Buelteman, All Rights Reserved

“The grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere…”—John Muir

This month’s department is organized a little differently. There are big presents in the form of
in-depth reviews of image and how-to sites, sprinkled with stocking stuffer mini-reviews of fun new sites, and even a revisit to previously featured homepages that are worth a second look. Auld Lang Syne you might say.

Website Design Of The Year
Not only does Robert Buelteman’s website (www.buelteman.com) have the best looking, easiest navigated, slick but not too slick design I’ve seen in 2003, it’s populated with nature images that are as delightful as they are unexpected. The design uses Macromedia’s Flash (www.macromedia.com) to produce animations that make sense within the context of the site and never overpowers ease of use or most importantly, Buelteman’s remarkable photographs.

Clicking on any of the galleries begins a sequence that enlarges its name, displays a quote, and loads thumbnails in a horizontally scrolling window beneath it. Buelteman’s images include strikingly new age color photographs of Kirlian-like leaves, such as “Eucalyptus Polyanthemos,” or powerful monochrome nature images, like “Ferndance,” that resonate with humanlike forms and rhythms. The gallery sections can be slow to load and even friends with broadband connections report delays. Hang in there and you will be rewarded with vibrant images, many of which defy convention. Except for the flowers, most of Buelteman’s work is monochrome, but bits of color creep into his Triptychs gallery, which you must visit before departing. Books and posters of his work are available at affordable prices in the Reproductions section that lists places where they may be purchased.

In case you’re interested, the brilliant website design is by Waterwork Art (www.waterwork.com) and was suggested to me by my pal, Scott Peck (www.scottpeckphoto.com), a nature photographer who creates flower photographs that, while different than Buelteman’s in concept and execution, redefine the genre. If you think there’s nothing new in nature photography, visit both of these sites and have your eyes opened.