In this episode of the Bird Joy Podcast, Dexter Patterson and Jason Hall sit down with photographer Angela Ledyard for a robust conversation about creativity, presence, and belonging in nature.

Angela shares how photography became a lifelong relationship rooted in curiosity and care, beginning with watching her grandparents document everyday life in Cleveland. She reflects on learning the craft across film, studio work, photojournalism, wildlife photography, and her perspective as an FAA-certified drone pilot. Throughout the episode, Angela speaks candidly about showing up as a Black woman in outdoor spaces, finding calm and awareness through wildlife photography, and how birds, nature, and image-making continue to shape her sense of joy and healing.

This episode is about claiming space, trusting your eye, and honoring photography as both a creative practice and a way of being present in the world.

Topics include:

• Early creative roots and learning to see differently
• Building confidence through technical skill
• Navigating nature spaces as a Black woman
• Patience, presence, and wildlife photography
• Birds that inspire joy and curiosity
• Nature, healing, and creative renewal
• Seeing the world from above through drone photography

Listen in for a thoughtful, grounding conversation that reminds us that joy, creativity, and care belong to all of us.

BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin 

In Color Birding Club