Big Risk in Big Sky Country

Jacob Tempus Leaves Alabama on a Wildlife Photography Quest

Words by Alyson Robbins | Images by Ryan McGill and courtesy Jacob Tempus

"You don't remember me, do you?" the bearded man said as we sat at a picnic table at Gamble Park in Jasper. It was a crisp, early autumn day, and he put his hands into the pockets of his blue plaid flannel shirt, shielding them from the brisk air.

I must admit, I did not recognize the young man though I sensed a familiarity in his eyes.

"You were my teacher at Walker High School. "

With those words, I was transported back to my first classroom. Envisioning his face sans beard, I saw the 17-year-old wearing a Viking football jersey sitting at his desk. From that moment, Jacob began to tell me where life had led him since graduation—an adventure even that high school kid could not have imagined.

Jacob Tempus, a wildlife photographer and Walker County native, documents nature encounters by sharing raw glimpses of the beauty and wonder of this world. Laser-focused on a quest to photograph the fauna of the Western United States, Jacob once saved every last penny from his job as Dairy Queen manager to purchase camera equipment and fund a cross-country road trip. After turning in his two weeks' notice, he bought a new camera lens and drove 2,000 miles to Kalispell, Montana, where he lived for two years.

"I went to chase elk," says Jacob. With his sights set on shooting elk—cast against a fiery Montana sunset—he traversed a seventeen-mile radius in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Fourteen days after arriving in Montana, Jacob captured a mountaintop silhouette shot after hearing the shrill bugle of a bull elk and waiting in a field of cow elk for the subject to approach. Five thousand images later, Jacob was satisfied with his first elk encounter.

As a self-taught photographer, Jacob is uniquely driven by his conviction in the conservation and protection of animals. Unlike other wildlife photographers, he does not lure the subjects with bait. Instead, he ventures into their natural habitat, looking for indications of animal activity.

In setting up camp, he rarely scales a tree; he favors low-angle shots with a contrasting background. 

Jacob's inspiration stems from a childhood spent camping, hunting, and fishing outdoors. His earliest subjects were deer in the field while he hunted. He preferred to watch Animal Planet and National Geographic over any Saturday morning cartoon. 

Jacob's first camera was a Nikon D3400, "just a beginner, entry-level camera," he says. He would spend the day at Guntersville State Park shooting with a 300mm lens. 

Photography has taken Jacob beyond his tree stand in Walker County to road trips across 21 states in his Nissan Murano. Though he has seen much of America, Yellowstone National Park remains his favorite place. 

Jacob recently spent some time on the other side of the lens when he married in October 2022. Though the newlyweds plan to return to Montana, they will remain local, allowing Jacob to work at his family's landscaping business while he expands his portfolio. 

"I'm really wanting to learn underwater [photography]," he says.

He admits he has never pointed a camera at small animals: squirrels, raccoons, and the like, but lately, he has found himself doing so. "You learn a lot when you branch out."

Then Jacob smiles, "You know I skipped my senior prom to take pictures of snakes in Warrior River." 

Apparently, it paid off. 

John Muir, Father of the National Parks, said, "Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much larger and better in every way." Jacob's life is undoubtedly better through his wildlife experiences and photography. 78

Jacob’s future plans include a website and photography book. Currently, he shares his work on Facebook and Instagram @Tempus.Images.