Steider Studios

Steider Studios Nature, Wildlife photographer, artist, co-owner of Made in the Gorge in Hood River OR, steiderstudios.com. I couldn’t stop making them.

I’ve had a long and blissful art career working with pastels, fiber, clay, glass and photography. I used my photography as reference material in each media and now that I’m semi-retired simply want to be outdoors, immersed in nature. On Fridays, you'll find me at Made in the Gorge, a gallery I co-own, downtown Hood River OR. The more time I spend outside in nature, the more I want to be there. I w

ant to capture everything I see with my camera so you can see it too. Something spiritual combined with luck and circumstance lead me to wildlife viewing opportunities, mostly in the Columbia Gorge. I feel incredible gratitude for each gift of a photograph that I receive. I’ve sold my work since I was 16 years old, starting with macrame tie-dyed belts at the Rose Bowl Swap Meet back in the 60’s. I also sold them to my high school teachers, neighbors and relatives. To this day I can’t stop making things. Although still making art glass, I’m mostly in the field with my camera now. I’ve taken pictures since I was ten when I received a Kodak Instamatic camera for my birthday. I used my photography as studio reference material for 25 years until friends told me that my photos should be seen and hung on their walls as prints. I’m beginning to think that my ultimate goal is sharing nature with people who can’t go where I go to see the magnificence of our natural world. Not just shut ins, wheelchair bound, too infirm or too young, but also those that spend all their time at work or at home taking care of others. I especially want people who can’t get out to know how spectacular nature is, in our back yard and beyond. My photography and original art glass designs make a creative statement in your home and my hand made jewelry is fun to wear. Artful Nature Photography prints on metal, canvas or paper as well as All Occasion Greeting Cards. You can purchase my work 24/7 at www.steiderstudios.com

When the raspberry colored Purple Finch landed on my pale pink foxtail lily today in my garden I could not believe my lu...
06/23/2026

When the raspberry colored Purple Finch landed on my pale pink foxtail lily today in my garden I could not believe my lucky eyes! AND I had my camera in hand under near perfect light!! When preparation meets opportunity....

Last week I met with Kristian Foden-Vencil, award winning reporter for OPB at Beacon Rock State Park to talk about pikas...
06/22/2026

Last week I met with Kristian Foden-Vencil, award winning reporter for OPB at Beacon Rock State Park to talk about pikas and Cascades Pika Watch. We had a great afternoon talking about and looking for the cutest mammal on the planet. Link in comments.

Happy Father's Day to all who nurture and help raise children into kind and loving humans that love nature.  You are the...
06/21/2026

Happy Father's Day to all who nurture and help raise children into kind and loving humans that love nature. You are the best dads in the world!!

Have you been in my gallery, Made in the Gorge recently?  We've done a lot of upgrades this year and I'd love to have yo...
06/19/2026

Have you been in my gallery, Made in the Gorge recently? We've done a lot of upgrades this year and I'd love to have you to stop by to see, while I'm managing it today or any Friday. Most other weekdays I'm on a trail or on a back road looking for beautiful creatures like this Common Yellowthroat at Conboy Lake NWR. An early start is required, especially on a hot day like today!

In honor of David Johnson, one of my favorite Burrowing Owl images from the Umatilla Chemical Depot.   During daylight w...
06/17/2026

In honor of David Johnson, one of my favorite Burrowing Owl images from the Umatilla Chemical Depot. During daylight we'd restore burrows ~ remove w**ds, add more pea gravel, move rocks, repair roosts and if we found a dead snake in the road we'd grab it to share with the owls (we chopped it into bite sized pieces, "snake bites"). If we had to replace or build a new burrow, that meant digging trenches and placing parts in such a way to resemble a natural 'den' that a badger might have made. We used landscape cloth for w**d control, covered it with several inches of pea gravel and surrounded the 'front lawn' with big rocks to keep it all in place as well as piling rocks into a cave-like structure at each burrow entrance.

Male owls offer two burrows to a potential mate, (so we placed two artificial burrows at each site) and decorate the entrance to entice the female. Once they were paired and producing offspring, our job was to count eggs at each burrow. There were close to, if not more than 100 occupied burrows toward the end of his years there. When chicks were large enough, they were given health checks and banded while the parents were out hunting. David used radio telemetry as well as vocal recordings to further study his owls, so we were also tasked with small parts of those studies.

At the end of our day, we'd drive the old depot roads watching for owls in their 'usual spots' and enjoy the cool evening air as the sun set. Other things I remember: David was a night owl so liked his coffee strong (did anyone ever make it strong enough???). He was a kind and giving gentle soul who cared deeply and shared information freely with all who wanted to learn. There were always college student interns studying with him; and often film crews recording his project on the depot. He was a world ambassador for owls and traveled extensively helping others set up their own owl programs in too many countries to count. He leaves a vast hole but an immense legacy.

With heavy heart, I just learned of David Johnson's passing.  Dedicated to owls his entire life, mentor to many, includi...
06/16/2026

With heavy heart, I just learned of David Johnson's passing. Dedicated to owls his entire life, mentor to many, including me. I was fortunate to assist with his Umatilla Chemical Depot Burrowing Owl Restoration Project as well as a couple tiny projects for his Global Owl Project. Rest in Peace Dr Johnson, you will be greatly missed.

Time is passing so fast, I can barely keep up!!  This week will be exceptionally busy because I'm working two extra days...
06/15/2026

Time is passing so fast, I can barely keep up!! This week will be exceptionally busy because I'm working two extra days at my gallery in order to have time off for upcoming travel. AND I'm participating in a special project that I can't way to share!!

Weekends are spent in my garden, otherwise I'm generally out on a trail looking for pika, birds, butterflies or whatever happens to be right in front of me, lol!! Maybe I should stay in the garden more, yesterday right after 'Bambi' ran through I saw a small bear at the top of my property near the road. Possibly a cub from this year, it seemed too small to be a yearling. Sure wish I'd had my camera in hand instead of garden tools!

This California Quail was standing sentry for his covey at Conboy Lake NWR last week, another favorite place. If only I could be everywhere all at once to see everything!!! Omnipresent and ubiquitous... goals for a year that's already half over, lol. I'll continue doing my best to capture and share nature for all to appreciate.

Another Pika Day with middle school students at Beacon Rock State Park. More fun for everyone, and tomorrow I'll be back...
06/05/2026

Another Pika Day with middle school students at Beacon Rock State Park. More fun for everyone, and tomorrow I'll be back at Made in the Gorge for my Friday workday!! Thanks so much to all my helpers who came out and spotted for me so the students could find pikas faster!! I appreciate you!!!

And we're BACK to PIKAs!!  Found this little cutie before all the students arrived near Beacon Rock early this morning. ...
06/04/2026

And we're BACK to PIKAs!! Found this little cutie before all the students arrived near Beacon Rock early this morning. He must have been emerging from a web-covered pika-sized cavern when he awoke, looking for breakfast. He still looks kinda sleepy, it was just past dawn....

Queen of the Mountain?  Today I went to Conboy Lake NWR expecting to do a Sandhill Crane survey, but too many obstacles ...
06/03/2026

Queen of the Mountain? Today I went to Conboy Lake NWR expecting to do a Sandhill Crane survey, but too many obstacles blocked my path after the windstorm last week! Distracted by birds along the way, I was already off to a late start and it was hot by the time I arrived. I did find some butterflies, wildflowers, more birds and a couple cute little mammals, including this Golden-mantled Squirrel.

The next couple days I'll return to Beacon Rock to help more middle schoolers learn about and find pikas. An annual event offered by Friends of the Columbia Gorge, 'Explore the Gorge' program for Washougal School District is among my favorites. Wish us luck in finding pikas!!

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Hood River, OR

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