We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Klotz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have always wanted to travel the world chasing and photographing birds. To do that, I knew I had to have a business that allowed that to happen. Opening a blog and a bird watching site is the way to have an income plus a passive income that will allow that to happen. The goal is always the same, but the path to get there changes occasionally.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Photography was a means to an end at first. I took pictures so I could identify birds when I returned home. During that process, I found that I took a couple of shots that I thought were pretty goodand so I started sharing them on Flickr.com. I received feedback, some good and some not so good, that got me hooked into posting more and more. I realized by the comments, likes and follows, that some photos were of decent quality and interesting enough. Using that, I started looking for some of those qualities, unknowingly becoming well rounded in composition and pick of subjects and so on. I am not always going to make the cover of National Geographic, but I am proud of where I have come from and plan on growing until I cant take photos any more.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love the cloud mountains of Tucson. They are the place to be if you are into birding. Medera Canyon in particular is one of the world renowned birding locations. There are birds here that can be found no where else in the United States as they come up from Mexico but wont travel any north than the cloud mountains.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My grandfather, my first college teacher and my mom have been the inspirations for all that I have done in this field. Mom’s are typically natural cheerleaders and literally life support, but my mom was always more than that. She was a friend, a mentor, an inspiration for looking outside of the box. My grandfather was the initial catalyst for being interested in the natural world. He always was curious and love to share the wonders of nature. He put a Golden bird book in my had at 7 or 8 and we studied it together. My first foray into the real seriousness of birding was through my Zoology Teacher in Santa Barbara. He taught me about life lists and chasing birds. We traveled on my first real field trip to the Carrizo plains in Santa Margarita, CA to find Burrowing Owls, Sandhill Cranes and Rock Wrens.

Website: www.TheBirdBlogger.com

Instagram: The_BIrd_Blogger

Facebook: www.Facebook/TheBirdBlogger

Image Credits
Credits to Michael Klotz : The Bird Blogger.com

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