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World view: Centre County photographer’s works on display at SAMA Altoona

By Jayla Nartatez 9 min read

Photographing the world's natural beauty is more than a hobby for Centre County native David Whiteman, it's a "serious passion" that has grown as he's traveled around the globe to capture remarkable landscape and wildlife images.

To celebrate Whiteman's creativity, exploration and depiction of the world through photography, the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art is holding an exhibition of his work at the Altoona location.

"The Journey of Seeing: Photographs by David Whiteman" is on display through Jan. 17, 2027, and includes a variety of landscapes, wildlife, creative visuals and architecture -- from around the world and from close to home.

Whiteman doesn't have formal training as a photographer. Instead, he holds a degree in finance from Penn State University and operated his own financial practice with a franchise of Ameriprise Financial. After 40 years in finance, he sold his practice and focused on his love of photography and other hobbies.

"I didn't think I'd get this deep into photography," Whiteman said. "I don't do it thinking I'm going to go out and make money. I do it because it gives me pleasure. I enjoy capturing things most people will never see."

Catching the travel bug

Growing up on a dairy farm in Centre Hall, Whiteman said he and his family didn't have time to travel, but he watched his friends and relatives take trips and he took note of the photos documenting their travels.

After he graduated from Penns Valley in 1975, Whiteman served in the Air Force for four years before heading off to Penn State University.

It was in 1977, while he was in the Air Force, that he purchased a Canon AE-1 35 mm film camera.

He picked up his first camera and started taking photos, but didn't know much about shutter speed, aperture, composition or other photography techniques.

With film, the captured image isn't known until the development stage, so Whiteman took a lot of photos hoping to get a few decent shots.

Despite his minimal knowledge, he photographed landscapes and fell in love with capturing simple yet riveting images of nature. But he wasn't satisfied as he realized the camera wasn't exactly replicating the image he was seeing with his own eyes.

Digital cameras were "a game-changer," Whiteman said.

"I could get instant feedback and learn how a camera works with shutter speed, aperture and how the effects of changing different things affect the image," he said.

Twenty-five years after buying his first camera, digital reinvigorated his passion for photography as it "allowed me to bring my photos to life in a way that matched my vision and imagination."

"I was basically hooked," Whiteman said.

A new focus

Whiteman may not have a photography degree, per se, but he has attended photography workshops all over the world, learning about composition, flash, photo editing and how to scout for good photography locations.

Through trial and error he has learned how to recreate what he sees onto the computer screen and onto photo paper.

At one of his first workshops in Utah, Whiteman learned the most valuable piece of information to take his photography to "another level" -- the power of Photoshop.

"The camera can't take a picture of what your eye necessarily sees and so part of it for me is this artistic thing of developing the image to give it this pop and wow factor. Most of the time, the images coming straight off the camera aren't wow. What you do with the image to give it that look and knowing how to get that out of your camera is half the battle," Whiteman said.

A part of his learning process has been experimenting and trying new creative ways to get fascinating and unique images. He set up a studio in his basement, complete with strobe lights, multiple flashes and a few backdrops.

While landscape and wildlife photos are his main focus, he feels photographers are missing out if they don't at least try portrait photography.

"A lot of people, if they do landscape or wildlife, they hate taking pictures of people. Well I think they're missing out cause there's a whole other form of photography in portraits. Taking pictures of people can be very rewarding," he said.

Some of Whiteman's most creative and "fun" photos are made with smoke, water droplets and paper. With these elements, he captures colorful splashes of water, folding designs of paper and smoke floating in the air.

Through workshops and other adventures, Whiteman has made friends who helped him, encouraged him and teamed up with him on some of his most exciting explorations.

Iain Reid, a photographer from British Columbia, met Whiteman in 2014 at the Utah workshop. To pass time during the day, the two would hang out, get food and talk about photography. They quickly became great friends and have kept in touch ever since.

"Showing the beauty of nature really is sort of my purpose," Reid said.

Over the years, Whiteman and Reid have bounced ideas off of each other and provided feedback on their images. Together, the two have learned a lot and admire certain aspects of each other's work.

"His joy and love of photography is paramount," Reid said of Whiteman. "If he's not out photographing some landscape, he's got some interest in photography, whether it's portrait photography or studio photography or wildlife. He really has a passion for doing it all."

Whiteman's passion for photography shines through his images, taking viewers on a journey to destinations across the world -- England, France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Kenya, the Netherlands, Ecuador and more.

He mixes another hobby -- storm chasing -- and produces images that capture once-in-a-lifetime views.

The vibrant and illustrative images he creates can have an influence on viewers and how they approach life.

For Caroline Todd, former State College photo club president, Whiteman's work has always been impressive. She describes his skills and composition abilities as being "fabulous."

"His photos have an impact on me," Todd said. "His landscape photos are very motivating and they motivate you to want to go to places that you might not have thought of."

Todd said she always learns something from Whiteman, who said he is constantly learning himself but likes to teach others how to get the best results, too.

World traveler

Whiteman, who never thought he would make it out of the country to see sites around the world, took his first trip overseas in 1995. In Innsbruck, Austria, he went skiing and got to witness the beauty of the mountains. "That was how I got interested in traveling," he said.

From that point on, traveling became second nature. He's even completed the Tour de Mont Blanc, where he hiked from Chamonix France into Italy then Switzerland and then back into France around Mount Balon.

He has hiked and taken photographs in the Andes, Machu Picchu, the Canadian Rockies, the route taken to Mount Everest in Nepal, England coast-to-coast, Iceland and several others -- all while carrying a pack containing at least 20 pounds of equipment.

He and Reid have taken 25 trips together and just returned from the Faroe Islands in the middle of October.

Within the last few years, the two have been building an "adventure van," which can hold their gear during their travels in the U.S.

Although Whiteman's trips have provided him with extraordinary experiences and images, he strongly believes that there are endless possibilities where he lives in Centre County.

People can find images anywhere they are, they just have to be willing to go out, search and take opportunities as they come, he said.

For instance, around this time of year, Whiteman will wake up early, take a hike and head to a nearby lake where migratory ducks swim through.

He said snagging photos of wildlife and the environment are keepsakes that he will look back on in the future when things in the world have changed.

In addition to a lifetime of experiences, travel and photography have given him a sincere appreciation for nature and the environment. When people view his images, he wants them to "walk away thinking he had a great appreciation for the natural world."

Whiteman believes it's important for people to photograph the world, freezing nature and wildlife's current state. He's worried about the planet today and what it will be in a few years.

"Personally, I think it's important for us to take responsibility for protecting our planet for future generations," he said.

Looking toward the future, Whiteman hopes to continue exploring wherever he can and document what his eyes see.

"I feel pretty lucky that I'm going to cross into 70 next year and can still do this," he said.

And despite decades behind a camera, Whiteman still gets excited, comparing the experience to the anticipation of fishing.

"Do you ever go fishing and the line jerks? You get this excitement to see what you got because you don't know what's on the end of that hook. Photography is the same way for me because I might take the image, but what's on the back of the camera isn't what's going to be the final. So, I take my vision and that's the reward," Whiteman said.

To see Whiteman's work, visit the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, the Brett Building, 1210 11th Ave., Altoona. For more information, visit https://www.sama-art.org/altoona.

If you go

What: The Journey of Seeing: Photographs by David Whiteman

Where: Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Altoona, the Brett Building, 1210 11th Ave., Altoona

Hours: Noon to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

Admission: Free; $5 donation suggested

When: Now through Jan. 17, 2027

Mirror staff writer Jayla Nartatez is at 814-946-7535.

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