Austin Balinski, an awe-inspiring photographer

Austin got involved in photography during a camping road trip where he visited eight National Parks (Badlands, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Arches, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef). He decided to purchase an entry level Nikon camera so he could capture the beauty of the parks and become committed to a hobby.

Recently, his favorite choice to photograph is wildlife. He loves taking pictures of bears, owls, bald eagles, elk, bobcats and more. He has patiently taken the time to observe wildlife and photography allows him to capture those unique moments. All animals he has photographed are wild and have been spotted by him in North Carolina, Illinois or a National Park.

Austin also enjoys taking pictures of the night sky, especially shots involving the Milky Way. He explained that," This is also called astrophotography. Experiencing dark sky locations where you can see all of the stars is amazing, especially if I can add something interesting in the foreground with my photographic efforts. When I am on hikes in the mountains, I love taking pictures of the many waterfalls set in the Smokies as well."

Austin is originally from Downers Grove and graduated from Downers Grove South in 2015. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering in 2020 with minors in Environmental Studies and Engineering for Energy Sustainability. He currently works in Raleigh, North Carolina where he is working in R&D at Burt's Bees in a Process Engineering role.

Austin commented, "I discovered so much nature around me after moving to North Carolina for my first job that it allowed me to continue with my hobby and I've been hooked ever since. I love nature photography because it allows me to combine my two favorite things, hiking and taking pictures!

Austin Balinski's website offers a wonderful collection of photographs you can purchase by contacting Austin directly. As far as requests, he is currently located in Raleigh, NC so probably wouldn't be able to take requests for photographing people. Though he would certainly be open to trying to get a specific type of nature/wildlife shot if someone had a request like that.

Austin also offers a variety of print types. Acrylic photographs are printed on metallic paper and mounted onto clear acrylic. Metal is his personal favorite, the photograph is printed directly on aluminum and has a reflective glossy finish. For a canvas print, the photograph is printed onto a canvas and stretched over a wooden frame. Finally, paper prints are printed on fine art paper and can come framed or unframed.