[piano music, trickling water]
- A wood duck glides across the glassy water surface
on a crisp fall day.
A gray fox pauses a moment in the snow in winter.
On a fresh spring day,
hungry baby green herons await their mother's return.
These animals were not photographed in the North Woods,
but in Wisconsin's largest city.
All were captured by intrepid Milwaukee photographer,
Mary Lee Agnew.
- I grew up in the city. I'm a city girl.
We have it right here.
We've got all beautiful parks here
with all this beautiful nature right in the city.
- Being out among that beautiful nature
has become Mary Lee's calling
and a source of a special connection with wildlife.
- I would keep doing it even if I didn't have a camera at all.
Being out in nature, watching it, looking at it,
observing it, enjoying it.
- But a camera in hand intensifies her passion.
- I'm scared of walking out on ice,
but I really wanted to get that shot.
I did it.
And amazingly didn't even scare the owl.
I got off the ice without falling through.
I probably have a story for every one of my photos.
[birds chirping]
- Mary Lee's story starts with an unusual job.
Working as a model for art classes.
She was even featured
on the cover of a figure figure drawing textbook.
- I started travelling by bike
'cause I go to several different schools.
So I'd be travelling, you know I'd go to Milwaukee
Institute of Art and Design, UW-M, even Cardinal Stritch
at all different times of the day.
Basically started seeing wildlife everywhere.
- And she started photographing it.
- I wanted to capture the stuff that I was seeing.
I had a little point and shoot
where you could just get scenes and stuff like that.
- A chance encounter in the field with a fellow photographer
helped Mary Lee get closer to her subjects.
- He was out there in the cold and he handed me this camera,
with a 300 millimeter lens and he had it in a backpack
and he said, "I'm giving you this camera."
And I was just astounded.
I was like, "No you're not.
"You're not just giving me this camera!"
He literally set the backpack down and he said,
"I'm just going to leave it here then."
And I'm like, "Thank you very much!"
You know, "Thank you."
Maybe he could see the potential there, I don't know.
- The thing about having better images is not about,
"Oh, I want to win awards." or "I wanna be famous."
It's more about then people will connect more
and see the beauty there
because I want to reach people.
I want people to see that this is beautiful.
- Mary Lee's experience
as an art model who could hold a pose for hours
turned out to be a valuable asset
in her newfound passion.
- I do think that really helped me out
with dealing with wildlife because I can sit patiently
for long periods of time and not move or not feel anxious.
Just very relaxed.
- That relaxed patience has particularly paid off
in Mary Lee's pursuit of her favorite subject, foxes.
- I'm very focused but very relaxed.
The real big example I shot
where I saw the fox coming across the ice.
It happened so quick.
This duck flew up and he nailed this duck.
I just stayed calm and just kept shooting.
And I got the shots.
I named him Big Red.
He would let me follow him while he was hunting,
and he just didn't seem to care.
I will never get over that.
He just trusted me beyond all belief.
He would bring his little kits
right literally almost to my feet.
Wow.
And it's like almost like I was one of the foxes.
I mean they just went about their lives
right in front of me.
They would be running around.
And like I was just sitting there,
like, with a front row seat.
- A front row seat that Mary Lee has shared
with her Facebook followers
and purchasers of her cards and calendars.
- This picture is one of my favorite shots of all time.
- Even at home, Mary Lee has surrounded herself with foxes.
A reminder of the special connection she shares
as a close observer of urban wildlife.
- A lot of people really like my photos because
they felt like they could feel a connection I had with the foxes.
I hope that's the case because I really had a strong connection.
I just always hope that people see these animals
for what they are.
That I'm not just, like, a drive-by shooter
or I'm just, like, 'click' and moving on.
That I actually know these animals
and trying to share that with other people.
Just wonderful to see this stuff in the city.