Biography
If it seems like photographer Todd Bannor knows quite a bit about his natural subjects, there is a reason. Todd has both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in general and molecular biology. Todd has been interested in the natural world, both on a large and small scale since he was very young.
Growing up, he was fortunate to have parents who were both teachers and who encouraged his curiosity. Vacations were spent travelling throughout the country and, on one occasion, to East Africa.
When he was ten, Todd was given an instamatic camera, which started him down his photographic path. Upon graduation from college, he was given a very nice 35mm camera with which he became very proficient. The old graduation present sits in an honored place on a shelf these days, since Todd finds modern autofocus equipment to be well worth the investment.
Todd has several framed prints on display at Earth Works Gallery at 500 N Michigan Avenue in Chicago. The current exhibit includes both landscape and wildlife images. Earth Works will also be displaying prints of Todd’s prairie images starting in October 2000. Unframed prints are also available.
Being a versatile photographer, Todd is not limited to nature work. Many of his images of healthcare and biotechnology research have been published in textbooks and magazines. An image of an Asian longhorn beetle, shot on a visit to Ravenswood, his boyhood neighborhood in Chicago, appeared in Business Week last year. An image of laboratory apparatus appeared recently in an article about biotechnology, also in Business Week.
Todd also builds and images models of molecules, both on the computer and on his dining room table. Images of these have also found their way into several publications. His most recent project was to build a three-dimensional model of mifepristone, a drug recently approved by the FDA. This model was photographed both digitally and conventionally and the images are now available through Todd’s stock agent in Chicago.
Gardening is another of Todd’s interests. His backyard is filled with native prairie and woodland plant species. A small two-tiered pond holds goldfish and an occasional bathing (or fishing) raccoon.
Todd lives with his wife and two cats in Oak Park, Illinois. As for photographing his cats, Todd has found that they really don’t like a flash going off in their faces. If you would like more information, please feel free to contact Todd at tbannor@aol.com.
Working in Nature
It’s been said that every picture tells a story and I try to bring this to my photography. I like to make my nature photographs more than just pretty pictures. With my scientific background, I feel that it is important to educate people about the natural world around us, before ignorance and ambivalence destroy that world.
The more people become informed, the less we will have to worry about the natural world’s existence when our grandchildren walk the planet. Additionally, in our time, the less we’ll have to put up with insults, like trash being thrown out of passing cars or places like Wolf Road Prairie being continually threatened by those who should know better.