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Stunning Photos in "Iowa's Wild Beauty"

Iowa is a beautiful state, but if you need someone to convince you of that, photographer Ty Smedes is the guy for the job.  His latest collection of Iowa nature photos is now out and they are moving and stunning.

The many wonderful photos of Iowa critters is collected in Smedes' new book, "Iowa's Wild Beauty" (Iowan Books).  Ty says he went to every corner of the state, from prairies to streams to forested wilderness areas, to take his pictures of rare plants, birds, mammals, reptiles and colorful butterflies. 

Ty tells host Charity Nebbe that to be a nature photographer "the best thing you can do, is first of all, become a naturalist.  And then, you begin to understand how you can predict where animals will be at each time of year."  He went on to say that he wants his readers to make contributions, even small ones, that will save Iowa habitat and save some of what we have left in the state.  You'll enjoy his comments on Iowa's minks, which he told us are plentiful, but many city-dwellers may never see the playful and aggressive little creatures.

Charity Nebbe is the host of IPR's Talk of Iowa