Seabrook Island Photo Club
Featured Photographer Ed Konrad October – December 2022
Ed Konrad’s Lake House photographs are about the mutual hobby he shares with his wife, Aija – birding (Aija), photography (Ed), and travel (both). They started their hobby shortly after purchasing a Seabrook villa 16 years ago. Since then they have traveled extensively across the United States and to many countries in Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
In the United States, Ed and Aija have taken photos and birded in 49 of the 50 states. They’ve visiting over 80 National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges, and are always in awe of the beauty of the USA. They live part time in South Carolina, full time in Georgia, and have birded every county in these states – 46 in SC, 159 in GA!
With Ed’s interest in history, they spent a month in 2019 following the Lewis & Clark trail to the Pacific, driving 9,000 miles across 17 states. They learned all about Lewis & Clark’s amazing journey, and Ed photographed most of the over 200 species of birds Aija spotted along the trail.
In 2018, Aija did a US “Big Year” – to identify as many bird species as possible across the US from January 1 to December 31. They traveled to 36 states, drove or flew 35,000 miles, and were away from home one-third of the year. Aija recorded 577 species, finishing #25 in the US out of 80,000 eBirders! Ed’s role? Travel planner, assistant spotter, bird photographer, and photojournalist.
On Seabrook, Ed and Aija are members of Seabrook Island Birders, and have supported many initiatives to protect shorebirds, working with Seabrook’s partners from SCDNR, USFWL, and SC Audubon. You may know them from their monthly articles and photos in The Seabrooker, serving as co-editors of the Seabrook Island Birders’ page.
Each photo on the wall is a special moment and memory for Ed and Aija. The countless hunts searching for birds. Capturing interesting, at times surprising, photographs of the birds and their behaviors. Along the way, Ed enjoys photographing beautiful vistas while on a hike, or a picturesque old house or barn in the countryside.
-Submitted by Valerie Doane, Seabrook Island Photography Club
(Image Credit: Ed Konrad)