Richard Day

Richard Day is a full-time professional nature photographer who's been in the business of marketing photos and teaching photo workshops since 1984. He specializes in birds, butterflies, dragonflies, mammals, and other outdoor imagery. His images have appeared in major national publications including Audubon, Birder's World, Sierra Club, National Geographic, National Wildlife, and others. He also contributes hundreds of images a year to calendars, greeting cards, puzzles, paper products and advertising clients. Richard's work is represented by five stock photography agencies worldwide.

Richard also leads photo workshops for Frontiers North Adventures in Winnipeg, Manitoba (www.frontiersnorth.com) as well as private photo workshops and field trips throughout the country each year. See our Workshop and Events page for the current schedule.

Richard conducts dragonfly and butterfly research surveys in Illinois through the Department of Natural Resources. He also works with the Missouri Department of Conservation researching the Federally Endangered Hine's Emerald dragonfly.

He's an active member of the Dragonfly Society of the Americas, Illinois Audubon Society, North American Butterfly Association, and North American Nature Photography Association. He is an Affiliate with the Illinois Natural History Survey.

He and Susan live in the country on 63 acres in south central Illinois. They've landscaped their property to attract wildlife with improvements including a 5-acre native grass and wildflower prairie and 2 shallow water wetlands. They've won numerous awards for their conservation efforts and their yard is certified with the National Wildlife Federation and Illinois Audubon Society Backyard Habitat Programs. Each year they host bird, butterfly, and garden tours on their property to show others how to create habitats for wildlife in their own yards. Richard also volunteers for their local fire protection district, where he's been Assistant Fire Chief for nearly 20 years. He maintains websites for Alma Weather Station (www.almaweather.com) , Kinmundy-Alma Fire Protection District, (www.kafire.org) and Illinois Butterflies (www.illinoisbutterflies.com).

Susan Day

Susan Day is considered a backyard bird and habitat expert and has published dozens of articles in birding and outdoor publications. Subjects include species profiles, landscaping for wildlife, hummingbird gardening, butterfly gardening, water gardening, and bird feeding. She's co-author of The Wildlife Gardener's Guide to Hummingbirds and Songbirds From the Tropics, published by Harper Collins and sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation's Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. She also does consulting work for various bird and garden related books.

Susan has been photographing professionally since 1990, however she is also the writing side of the Daybreak team. Nowadays her main concentration is writing, office management, and marketing.

For nearly seven years Susan was a Contributing Editor for The AGPix Marketing Report (formerly The Guilfoyle Report), a marketing newsletter and directory for professional nature photographers.

Susan is active in the following organizations: Garden Writers Association of America, Illinois Audubon Society, North American Butterfly Association, and the North American Nature Photography Association. She has won several Excellence-in-Craft Awards for her writing and photography. She serves as President of the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA).

Susan assists Richard in leading photo workshops and presents dozens of slide presentations on backyard wildlife and habitat restoration each year to nature, civic, and children's groups. She is a Master Gardener and also does consulting work on designs for hummingbird and butterfly gardens as well as landscaping for wildlife.

Her passion, besides Richard, is their 3-acre yard where they've created a garden sanctuary. Many of their photos are made in their yard which also hosts photo, bird and butterfly viewing tours and workshops throughout the year.