UW Photojournalist Student to Present WILD: For the Love of Places Untamed Oct. 22

Colt Duncan, the recipient of the University of Wyoming’s Larsh Bristol Photojournalism Fellowship, will present some of his work at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22, in Room 506 of Coe Library.

Duncan focused on Wyoming’s vast landscapes and capturing places that still feel wild and untamed as the subjects of his project, titled “WILD: For the Love of Places Untamed.” The program is free and open to the public.

The Larsh Bristol Photojournalism Fellowship is an annual award for UW students to support strong visual storytelling projects. It is named in honor of Bristol, a UW journalism alumnus who died in 2006.

Duncan has been interested in photography since the age of 5. The inspiration for his presentation, “WILD: For the Love of Places Untamed,” comes from nature. He aims to show that there are still places that humanity has yet to tame that continue to persist and thrive throughout time, “blissfully ignorant to mankind’s presence.”

“I have always been fascinated with nature’s mystery and beauty,” says Duncan, a zoology major with minors in photography and honors. He is from Excelsior Springs, Mo. “These places still represent pure natural beauty, not because they ask for attention, but because they will continue to be miraculous even when no one is there to see.”

Duncan documented nature and landscapes over an eight-day trip that began with backpacking in the Wind River Mountains.

“I hiked into my campsite in the late afternoon and settled down by a beautiful creek. Coincidentally, a young moose thought the spot was scenic as well, and he decided to sleep adjacent to me on the other side of the creek for the night,” he says. “Even though I didn’t have anyone else with me, I was far from feeling alone.”

The UW Department of Communication and Journalism has hosted the fellowship since 2008.

“Duncan’s presentation is another great example of outstanding photojournalism that has been showcased by the fellows,” says Cindy Price Schultz, department chair. “Showcasing the wild places of Wyoming lets people know the unsurpassing beauty we have in this state.”

For more information, email Price Schultz at cprice@uwyo.edu.