(Photo © 2010 by Chad Anderson)

About me

I am a biologist, photographer, and filmmaker living in Los Angeles, CA. I'm working on my Ph.D. in UCLA's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, where I study the evolution of territorial behavior in invasive lizards. When I'm not doing science, I take photographs of nature (especially birds and other wildlife) and document the work of scientists who study nature. I think that photography, film, and other visual media can be powerful tools for communicating science to non-scientists.

Personal

I've been fascinated by nature for as long as I can remember. I grew up in suburban northern Virginia, and I spent much of my youth exploring the parks near my house, looking for birds and other animals. In high school I began to photograph the plants and animals around me, and through my photography, I learned more about my subjects' life history and behavior. The more I learned, however, the more I realized how much I didn't know about the lives of the animals in my backyard.

As a freshman at the University of Virginia, I took my first courses in evolution and ecology, and I quickly realized that these were the disciplines that excited me the most. The next summer, I studied the square-stemmed monkeyflower (Mimulus ringens) and Mimulus-specific aphid herbivores with Dr. Dave Carr at the Blandy Experimental Farm (Boyce, VA). The following year, I studied Red-naped Sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) at the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab with Dr. Chris Floyd. After graduating in 2004 with my B.S. in Biology, I went on to find research opportunities in Nevada, Colorado, Venezuela, and California. Finally, in 2005-2006, I worked with Dr. Gail Patricelli at UC Davis on a project examining acoustic communication in the Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), a spectacular game bird of the American west.

Now I live in Los Angeles with my wife Liz and our Boston Terrier Hugo. I'm working on my Ph.D. in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. I conduct my research in Dr. Greg Grether's lab, where I am studying two Caribbean lizards (Anolis sagrei and A. cristatellus) that have become invasive in South Florida. I use these lizards as a model system to study the evolution of interspecific territoriality and its effects on species coexistence. Lizards in the genus Anolis are well understood in many respects, but I am exploring an aspect of their behavior and ecology that has not been well studied in the past.

Until recently, I was sure that I would pursue a career in the academic realm, and photography would remain a part-time endeavor. In the last few years, however, my ambitions have grown broader. As both a scientist and a photographer, I hope to become a liaison between science and the non-scientist public. I love science, and I really love teaching people about science. My goal is to use visual media to bring more science into the mainstream.

Photographic

Publications: The images on this website (and many more) are available for editorial and commercial licensing. Please e-mail me with all inquiries. My photographs have appeared in numerous print and web media, including Birder's World, Living Bird, New Scientist, High Country News, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, and Science et Vie Junior. My first photo-illustrated feature article, a piece about Greater Sage-Grouse in Wyoming, appeared in the Summer 2007 issue of Living Bird. My images have also appeared in several books, including Speciation in Birds (by Trevor Price; Roberts and Company), The Natural World of Lewis and Clark (by David Dalton; University of Missouri Press), and Bird Coloration (by Geoff Hill; National Geographic Press).

Professional Affiliations: I am a member of the North American Nature Photographers Association (NANPA), and an Associate Member of the International League of Conservation Writers (ILCW).

Awards

2006: Birder's World "Photo of the Week," then "Bimonthly Winner," then "Grand Prize"

2006: Microsoft Merit Award, Microsoft Future Pro Photographer Competition

2008: Featured Photographer, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

2009: Grand Prize, Microsoft Future Pro Photographer Competition

Prints: Images on this website can be purchased as gallery-quality prints through my PhotoShelter site. I have uploaded about a hundred of my favorite images so far, and I will add more over time. If you'd like to buy a print of an image that isn't on the PhotoShelter site yet, just e-mail me. I can generally process and upload your image requests to PhotoShelter within a few working days, after which they'll be available for sale just like any other image.

Learn more

Neil's CV
Photographic equipment
Photographic ethics