At Meyer Ranch Open Space Park in Conifer, 11-year-old Morgan Wolfers suddenly veers off the trail and in seconds is on his stomach in the grass, peering through his Sony a6000 camera.
“I saw that golden patch of grass over there,” he said, explaining that he saw the grass pointing a certain direction against a backdrop of bright blue sky in the mid-morning light, and he knew he wanted that shot.
Morgan, a Conifer resident, started doing nature photography about two years ago after playing with his mom’s iPhone. Since then, one of his photos — a close-up shot of a many-spotted white tiger moth laying a pool of pearly eggs — was picked as a finalist in the 2016 National History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest’s “10 and Under” division, earning it a spot in the annual competition book and a fair amount of press.
He also uploaded that same photo on National Geographic’s MyShot website, where it was picked to be displayed at the official vice president residence in Washington, D.C. when Joe Biden was living there.
Morgan frames and sells his work at a local boutique in Conifer and on May 5, he will be the featured guest at an open house event at the Conifer Historical Society where his pieces will be for sale.
Being a young, award-winning photographer is noteworthy in itself, but Morgan has yet another unique trait: He is on the autism spectrum and has used his photography to help raise autism awareness.
“Some people think autism is a little bit like cancer or something like that,” he said. “I want people to know autism is a gift and a good thing instead of something bad.”
Last October, Morgan’s photos were featured in a Denver Art Museum exhibit with the Blue Ribbon Arts Initiative featuring artwork by young artists with autism. This month, he has been working with Max Miller, founder of the Blue Ribbon Arts Initiative, on artistic photos with a theme of autism awareness.
Morgan said autism has actually helped him be a more creative photographer.
“I’ve learned how to express myself, I guess, through my photography,” he said.
Morgan’s work has made an impression among his fellow members in the Greater South Park Area Camera Club, of which he is the youngest member, said Wade Waldrup, the club’s president.
“He sees things a lot of people don’t,” Waldrup said. “He is really helping us to understand closer what we’re doing, photography-wise.”
Waldrup, a retiree and self-taught nature photographer, said he met Morgan when he saw him at a local store asking them to display his work for sale. As a photographer of 30 years, he said he has never met anyone as young and talented as Morgan.
“It just totally blew me away,” Waldrup said. “I’m looking at him and thinking, ‘Gosh, there’s something here.’ ”
Since then, Morgan has looked to Waldrup as a mentor, learning more about things like composition, and how to use the settings on his cameras. Before Morgan, Waldrup had never met anyone with autism.
“Knowing Morgan has really changed me as a person,” Waldrup said. “Seeing what his parents have been through and what a fantastic job they have done with him has taught me a lot and made want to be a better person, really.”
Heather Wolfers, Morgan’s mom, said she has learned a lot from her son and about autism since he discovered his love for photography and nature. The sensitivity he has to his surroundings could be overwhelming in a classroom setting — he is now enrolled in online school — but helps him hone his photography skills when he is on the trail with his camera.
“He’ll say ‘Oh, this is what I’m seeing,’ and it’s details that I don’t notice,” she said. “It just lets me know that he’s taking in a lot more than I realize.”
After meeting John Fielder at an event sponsored by the Conifer Historical Society, Morgan said he wants to use start to use his photography to promote nature conservation. He wants to show other kids that they do not have to go very far to find nature, and said he is writing a book about it with the help of his language arts teacher. His next goal is to publish his own photography book and to raise money for conservation.
See Morgan’s work at morganwolfers.com
If you go
What: Conifer Historical Society Open House featuring Morgan Wolfers
When: 4-7 p.m. May 5
Where: Little White Schoolhouse, 26951 Barkley Road, Conifer
Cost: Free
RSVP: ConiferHistoricalSociety.org/RSVP or 303-396-3975