Just call me Noah

I've been photographing and writing since I built my first pinhole camera in third grade. I then graduated to an Argus range finder camera given to me by my grandfather. After elementary school classes finished, I would spend late afternoons in a nearby high school darkroom where my father supervised the highschool yearbook. It was there I spent my first hours print making. I would refine those later in college as I worked with both medium and large format cameras. Time teaching in the American West shaped both my views and perspective reflected in The Western images gallery.

Vision

When I traveled to the Philippines as a Peace Corps volunteer with my cameras and developing equipment, I became hooked on developing my negatives in remote forest communities. Since then, I have worked with forest communities in Montana, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, and community groups restoring green spaces in Washington, DC. I am currently spending the year in Borneo, partially funded by a US Fulbright Scholarship. Here, I'm giving forest communities cameras as I develop methods of participatory photography. I have refined my focus to documenting and producing images of forest edges (see The Forest Edge Portfolio). This includes both endangered rainforest habitat and the people who live along forest edges and inside primary forest. While this puts me among the ranks of the growing number of Conservation Photographers, my images do not always stand alone. I often combine essays, story, writing, and interviews to document local ecological knowledge, endangered forest practices, and local forest communities hopes, visions, and dreams. People have insights, answers, and thoughts. It's that interaction I seek in making my images and understanding the more intimate aspects of forests.

I believe images can change the world, literally change our way of seeing and thinking. I believe images can make people act; it's not really enough anymore just to hope for change. Listening and learning is an important part of this process. While some images stand alone, others work well with text. Check out the newsletters and essays (many available with images) to see how this vision is developing.

I also have a master's degree in Forestry from the University of Montana with an undergraduate degree in Anthropology and Environmental Studies. I am currently based in Sarawak, Borneo.

Behind the Scenes....

What one National Geographic Photographer says about his WORST moments with Noah....

The Kind of Life That I live in the United States when not in Southeast Asian Forests....

Essay by Callan Bentley: What one life-long friend says about this crazy adventure....

Contributors and Partners

	ClearSky Climate Solutions is dedicated to three main activities that will help mitigate global climate change. First, we develop projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions - sustainable forestry and re-forestation of degraded areas, methane capture, energy efficiency, and many other project types. Second, we work with businesses, individuals, and special events to assess their overall carbon footprints and help them reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Third, we sell high-quality, certified carbon offsets generated by our portfolio of projects. Let ClearSky help you find your personal climate solution!
	Orangutang Appeal UK strives to protect remaining wild populations of orangutans by providing support and funding for projects across Malaysian and Indonesian Borneo; and by raising awareness of the plight of this great ape across the globe.
	Wild Asia is a social enterprise working to support the conservation of natural areas and the communities dependent upon their resources. We work primarily by forging partnerships with individuals and businesses that are socially and environmentally responsible. Our ultimate goal is to promote sustainable practices that will minimise adverse impacts on the environment, ensure that local communities are engaged and that local cultures are respected.

Lesly Leon Lee

Greg Simmons