Stonington is fortunate to have many talented photographers. One of them is Ray Uzanas, an enthusiastic hobbyist, who is versatile with either a single-lens reflex camera with a hefty 600 mm telephoto lens or an iPhone and takes National Geographic-quality photographs of people, special places, and wildlife almost every day of his life.

The photographs of the jaguar and great egret, accompanying this article, are examples of his artistry.

Uzanas invited me to join him one wintry day several years ago to photograph a snowy owl, an unusual visitor from the Arctic, who was hunting mice at the time in Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge, a rugged spit of land on the eastern side of Newport, RI.

I’ve been friends with Uzanas ever since and used his stunning photographs in many of my articles.

In a recent phone interview, I learned some wonderful insights from Uzanas and tips on how to take better photographs. Here are some excerpts from our conversation:

For starters, I learned Uzanas, a retired chemical engineer from Hartford who spent many years working in the industrial diamond industry, carries a motivational quote from Marcel Proust in his pocket. It reads: “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

“What Proust is saying,” Uzanas explained, “is you must be open to seeing things differently (when you’re photographing), training your eyes, training your mind to see things that aren’t’ necessarily going to jump out at you.

“I find that very helpful to me,” Uzanas said, “in capturing pictures that I might not otherwise get.”

Intrigued by photographing not just wildlife, but people and places, too, Uzanas, in the last two years, has literally zig-zagged all over the world, traveling to Turkey, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Spain, Armenia, and the Republic of Georgia to photograph what he calls “the beauty of the world.”

What’s most interesting to you about photographing wildlife?

“The obvious answer,” Uzanas said, “may seem to be the final image capture, which is certainly true. But to me, it’s what one learns about the life and living habits of the subjects.

“What you’re really doing is watching the lifestyle of another species, and how they live their life, from day to day,” Uzanas said, adding, “Yes, you spend a lot of time observing wildlife, but you learn so much by watching them.”

How did he get started in photography?

“A couple of East African safaris in the 1980s opened my eyes to the extraordinary wildlife that abounds throughout the world,” Uzanas said.

“But it was a 2004 expedition to the Galapagos Islands with my three young grandsons that encouraged me to get serious with my picture taking opportunities, as I came to better appreciate the variety and beauty of all mammals, reptiles, birds, and marine life,” he said.

A comment from his precocious grandson also helped. “After seeing the wildlife in their natural, unrestrained environment,” Uzanas said, “my 12-year-old grandson asked, ‘Why ever go to a zoo?’”

What is your most memorable moment photographing a bird or an animal?

“During a recent trip to Brazil’s Pantanal region, the world’s largest tropical wetland area, I captured the sequence of a jaguar leaping off a bluff into the water, in pursuit of its favorite meal – a Caiman crocodile,” Uzanas said.

In his travels, whether it be on foot or in a boat or kayak, Uzanas uses a Canon 5D Mark IV with a Pro f/2.8 lens. He says this equipment is expensive (the camera body and lens combined can cost up to $5,000 or more), but its fast shooting and necessary when you photograph wildlife.

Uzanas also uses an OM System OM-1 mirrorless camera, which weighs less than a standard single-lens reflex camera with mirrors. It has excellent image stabilization qualities, and does not require a tripod, Uzanas said.

What tips do you have about photographing wildlife?

Uzanas said you need a lot of patience, perseverance, and luck. “And, as my good friend and celebrated, long time National Geographic photographer, Michael Melford would always emphasize, “It’s often all about the light. Pay close attention to it.”

Finally, Uzanas added, “When you’re photographing wildlife, you not only need to be concerned about your own personal welfare, but most importantly, be aware that you’re not disturbing, in any way, the wildlife that you’re trying to photograph.

“A good telephoto lens keeps everybody happy,” he said.

Bill Hobbs is a contributing nature writer for The Times and Estuary magazine. He lives in Stonington and can be reached for comments at whobbs246@gmail.com