Shot Of A Lifetime For LAKE CITY Native

    Growing up in northeastern South Dakota, Evan Nelson suspects that his friends might have hated hunting with him. The Lake City native of course loved bagging deer, waterfowl and other game, but as he aged, he also grew to enjoy spending time before the kill appreciating the animals and his surroundings through the art of photography. While this often painstaking activity might have exasperated some of his friends while on the hunt, it also was a precursor for an amazing opportunity years later that Nelson never expected. 
    This opportunity came just about a year ago for the young photographer. Nelson, who now resides in eastern Idaho, was named an artist-in-residence for Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve ahead of the national park’s centennial celebration later this year. The South Dakota-born talent was indeed ‘over the moon’ about this development and reflects on how he made this unlikely journey.
    Nelson grew up in Lake City and graduated from Britton-Hecla in 2006. He spent a year traveling before he came back home to promptly leave for the Air Force. While enlisted, he met his wife Maria, who was also in the Air Force. The pair left the service in 2013 and came back to South Dakota where they lived in Florence for the next few years. 
    Upon Maria graduating from Mt. Marty in 2019, the couple got a bit of wanderlust and were interested in a change of scenery. Throughout their earlier travels, they had realized there was so much to see and experience outside of South Dakota. “We decided it was time to try somewhere else for a while and experience a different way of living,” said Nelson. He admits though that they didn’t necessarily have a destination in mind but were looking for somewhere that would allow them to indulge their love of the outdoors. 
    For the next months, they looked around. They tried Missouri and Nebraska but did not have much luck hearing back from employers. They thought of Texas where much of Maria’s family was from, but the South Dakota boy found it too hot. 
    Then, out of the blue, Maria threw out an idea based on some online research. Idaho Falls, Idaho. It was in the eastern part of the state, not too far from Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, national parks in Utah and the Grand Canyon. “I thought right then and there that this looked awesome,” said Nelson when he did a little of his own looking at it. 
    They put in some job applications and were pleasantly surprised to hear back from potential employers. Without even traveling to the location, they accepted jobs and pinned down an apartment. “We had no clue what to expect,” admits Nelson. “We were going with the flow. It was a lot of fun and a really exciting adventure.” 
    In the years prior to this, Nelson said he had been getting increasingly interested in photography. He had dabbled in it in his younger days with a little Samsung point and shoot camera and then inherited a little better Canon PowerShot camera from his dad, also an amateur photographer. Nelson acknowledged he was stubborn and didn’t want to give that camera up even when it began giving him trouble. However, when his generous wife gifted him a good camera for Easter in 2017, his hobby flourished even more.
    Fast forward a few years later to Idaho. Nelson soon realized the area was rife with appreciation for the arts as well as stunning vistas that fed his love of picture-taking. Then, on a whim, Nelson would apply and gain a job that was right up his alley. 
    He was hired as a whole-sale art dealer. This allowed him to work with local artists and photographers as well as learn a ton about printing, photo editing and framing. “I also got to work on my own photography,” Nelson emphasized. “The job was really a dream come true. I learned so much about photography and art in general.” 
    Though he would leave that job after about a year, Nelson took away a great deal of knowledge that would prepare him for his next big step. A little over a year ago, his wife, who Nelson admits is more adept at social media, sent him a link. It was to apply to be an artist-in-residence at Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve. 
    This National Park is located about an hour west of the Nelsons’ home in Idaho Falls and had been a point of interest for the outdoor enthusiasts since they moved west. “It was one of the most intriguing landscapes we’ve been to,” said the photographer. “It had become one of our favorite places to hike and camp.” 
    Nelson put in an application to be an artist-in-residence in early 2023 ahead of Craters of the Moon’s centennial celebration. For those not familiar with that concept, the Department of the Interior’s website explains it. “The “Artist-in-Residence program offers opportunities for painters, photographers, and other artists to promote deeper understanding of, and dialogue about, the significance of natural, cultural, and historic resources on public lands managed by the federal government.” 
    The photographer put in his application including samples of his work and waited. And waited. “I wasn’t expecting much,” he admits. Still, he reached out after a few weeks and was surprised to get a call back after about a month. “They said they were considering me for the position,” he said. After a Zoom meeting and an interview, Nelson was officially offered the job. 
    He was ecstatic and admits he teared up a bit. “It was really exciting to realize that I would be doing something I am passionate about but also for such a great cause,” stressed Nelson. He learned that he would be one of five artists-in-residence that would use their different talents to promote Craters of the Moon in particular for the 2024 Centennial Celebration taking place May through September.
    In the last year, Nelson stated that he would make many weekend trips to Craters of the Moon. He and Maria would get a free camping spot, hike around and try to take some amazing photographs that showcased the park. Over the past year, he added that he was also repeatedly commissioned by the National Park Service to do what were essentially side gigs. He took photos of wildflower blooms and visited a Japanese internment camp in Twin Falls, Idaho to take photos for a museum collection. He was asked to document wildfire smoke at one point.
    Though it took some time for the management at Craters of the Moon to decide what the big celebration centennial would look like, Nelson was eventually assigned the theme for the September part of the event titled “Expansive Night Sky.” This was based on his stunning night sky astro-photography. “The committee saw my photos of the night skies and the Milky Way and liked those,” he said.
    In the upcoming months, Nelson will be busy. He will have a gallery exhibit of his work throughout June and July at an art museum in eastern Idaho. In September, his big month, he will be at Craters of the Moon every weekend. “I’ll visit with people at the visitor center, be out in the park and do two programs for the public,” he explained. He will eventually donate one piece of work to the monument for their collection.
    As those important events approach, Nelson takes stock on the past year. “I have taken thousands and thousands of pictures and done countless hours of editing,” he acknowledges. “It’s pretty surreal to think about what I’ve accomplished. At the end of the day, it is an awesome feeling and has just been a lot of fun.” 
    As he looks down the road, Nelson has no plans to take a break from photography after his residency is completed. “I might look for another one to apply for,” he said. “There are a lot of opportunities out here.” 
    Ultimately, when Nelson thinks about his journey, he says it’s a lesson in persistence. “If there’s something you really love to do, work at it,” he stressed. “Practice at it. Take risks and don’t be afraid to fail or be told no. If you’re passionate about something, chase that dream.”