A couple years ago my friend Jack Graham was telling me about how he got started in the business end of Nature Photography. He started out working as a workshop assistant to a pro nature photographer named Bill Fortney. Jack told me stories about Bill and how he started a company called the Great American Photo Workshops which featured workshops conducted by Bill Fortney, Galen Rowell, John Shaw, Art Wolfe, and other greats in the nature photography world. What an exciting place and time to be when all this was happening.
Bill Fortney has had books published on nature photography, and two of his latest books are called “500 Feet Above America” and “500 Feet Above America II” which are about his journey in an ultra light photographing the ground below. These two books have outsold all other photographic aviation books. I believe his total books sales for all of his books combined is over hundred thousand.
Bill’s career spans over forty years and has been present to shoot Shuttle launches, Air Races, Air Shows, The Masters, PGA Championships, NASCAR races, The Kentucky Derby and the Breeder’s Cup. He has shot with NFL teams, including one Superbowl, college sports programs, universities, colleges, major newspapers, and magazines.
For the last ten years Bill has been working as Nikon Professional Services Tech Rep covering the Southern United States, as he lives in Kentucky.
He teaches photo courses for Scott Kelby’s educational site. He has rubbed elbows with all of the great photographers of our time.
Now that’s a career!!
I have had contact with Bill over the last couple years but finally had a chance to spend some quality time with Bill at the NECCC conference and having the chance to hear stories of the days gone by with some of his experiences in the field and hanging out with all these great photographers that I have admired since I got started in 2001. He is such a pleasant and down to earth guy.
What’s so interesting about Bill is he never talks about all of his accomplishment, you only hear him talk about everyone else’s accomplishes. So I wasn’t to surprise when he called me to let me know he had written a post on his blog about my work as a macro photographer, because that is how Bill is, always talking about everyone else’s accomplishment.
So I wanted to share with you, Bill’s fascinating and great career as a pro photographer.
I would like to thank Bill and say that I am honored to be featured on his blog and to be a friend. Please take some time and visit Bill’s blog which is full of great photo info. Here
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Bill loves aviation and this is his shot of the Blue Angels.
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Mike Moats 
Congratulations Mike, so great to get accolades from someone you admire. I enjoyed reading what he wrote.
Thanks a lot Jean.
Mike,
You are so right about Bill. I took some of his first GAPW courses in Golden CO with John Shaw and in TN with a late Galen Rowell. Bill was always understated and very low key about is accomplishments while praising his guest photographer. We has also been gracious when speaking to our group , the Louisville Photographic Society. I think you meet very few people like him in a lifetime.’Thanks,
Ken Tripp
Well said Ken. I will be in Louisville this fall teaching a Macro Boot Camp, and Bill said he was hoping to attend the workshop which would be great to have him there.
Mike,
I would love to attend your workshop then, but I will be on a boat going down the Rhine. Will catch a later workshop! Thanks!
Congratulations!!!
This is so truly well-deserved.
Bloomington, IN photography club was fortunate to have Bill give a talk along with a slideshow just a couple of months ago. Your description of Bill is bulls eye on the mark. A truly incredible talent and a just all around nice unassuming guy. Part I most enjoyed was when he was talking and showing photos from his forays with his powered parachute. Absolutely incredible.