A Coupeville resident and longtime photographer is bringing the “presence of wonder” to Whidbey in her first ever exhibit.

Jann Ledbetter will be the featured artist at the Oak Harbor Library for the month of March. Ledbetter has been capturing Washington state’s unrivaled beauty for two decades, and she brings a lifelong love of nature and wildlife to her craft.

Originally from the Midwest, Ledbetter spent 30 years in Sammamish before relocating to Whidbey Island in 2018. Ledbetter said the island’s slow pace and bucolic scenery prompted the move.

Ledbetter said she has been photographing her life for as long as she can remember, though the hobby really took off when she got her first digital camera around 20 years ago. Combining her skill with the camera with her passion for nature came naturally, she said.

“Every sighting brings me such joy, whether it’s a regular visitor to my yard, or a rare encounter with an orca or grizzly,” she said. “I hold a very special place in my heart for all wildlife.”

Ledbetter said she goes on walks with her camera every day, often very early in the morning. She does this in part because the “soft, buttery light of early morning is my favorite,” she said, but the walks are about more than getting the perfect shot.

“Being fully present while surrounded by the magnificence of our natural world is so restorative,” she said. “My camera gets me out to some wonderful places, and if I bring home a good shot that’s a bonus.”

Ledbetter’s portfolio includes shots of many kinds of wildlife, including bears, deer, foxes, marine mammals and a plethora of avian species, as well as prairie, forest, mountain and ocean landscapes.

The photographer said that she rarely sets out in search of a specific shot. Rather, she stays open to whatever she happens upon. The results are often nothing short of stunning.

“Most of my favorite photos happened just because I was out in the world paying attention,” she said.

Even when she isn’t taking photos, Ledbetter prefers to spend most of her time enjoying the outdoors. She is involved with the Whidbey Audubon Society, Sound Water Stewards and the Central Puget Sound Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and she loves to walk, hike, go exploring and take road trips.

Her photography recently caught the eye of judges from the North American Nature Photography Association, who awarded her first runner up in the conservation category of the organization’s annual photo contest for her photo, “America’s Covid Cleanup.” The image shows a bald eagle apparently trying to remove a disposed face mask from a piece of driftwood.

Ledbetter said Oak Harbor Library employee Natasha Vanderlinden contacted her about doing the library display when Vanderlinden saw Ledbetter’s photos at Kingfisher Bookstore, where they were briefly on display last year. Despite her long history with photography, this will be the artist’s first such exhibition.

“I always hope that my photos might inspire others to pay closer attention to nature and wildlife, ideally motivating them to do what they can to safeguard our planet and all its inhabitants,” she said.

See more of Ledbetter’s photos at jannledbetter.com.

Whidbey-based photographer Jann Ledbetter will be the featured artist of the month at the Oak Harbor Library in March. Photo by Mike Holtby

Photos by Jann Ledbetter A bird takes flight over the water.

A bird cares for its young.

Photo by Jann Ledbetter Jann Ledbetter’s photo captures a pastoral scene.

A young fox interacts with its elder.

Photo by Jann Ledbetter A group of otters come ashore.

Photo by Jann Ledbetter A group of seals bask in the sunlight.

Photo by Jann Ledbetter Jann Ledbetter’s photo captures the Coupeville coastline.

Photo by Jann Ledbetter “America’s Covid Cleanup” won first runner up in conservation category of the North American Nature Photography Association’s annual photography contest.