Stephen Kirkpatrick has been chased by grizzly bears, attacked by alligators, and nibbled by piranha.
In the process, he's captured some of the world's most beautiful and exciting nature and wildlife photography.

Kirkpatrick's appreciation of nature began in childhood, when he divided his time between caring for a menagerie of unusual "pets" and operating a snake farm in his parents' backyard (admission 50¢). His fascination with nature became a full time career when his father gave Kirkpatrick his first camera in 1981.

Since then, Kirkpatrick has published more than 2,800 photographs in books and magazines, including Delta Sky, Skin Diver, Audubon, Gray's Sporting Journal, Natural History, Ducks Unlimited, Outdoor Photographer, BBC Wildlife, National Wildlife, and Sports Afield.

Kirkpatrick has published nine pictorial coffee table books. His latest, Images of Madison County, is a tribute to Madison County, Mississippi, the area Kirkpatrick calls home. Kirkpatrick’s other titles include Mississippi Impressions, a unique, pre-Hurricane Katrina look at Kirkpatrick’s home state, and Wilder Mississippi, a look at the state’s scenery and wildlife. Romancing the Rain, A Photographic Journey into the Heart of the Amazon was shot over nine years in the jungles of Peru. Kirkpatrick’s near-fatal experience on an ill-fated 1995 Amazon expedition is recounted in the gripping book Lost in the Amazon. The books Mississippi Impressions, Romancing the Rain, Wilder Mississippi, and Lost in the Amazon were written by Kirkpatrick’s wife, author Marlo Carter Kirkpatrick.

Kirkpatrick’s work has earned international acclaim, garnering awards in several national and international photography competitions. Lost in the Amazon was the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association’s 2007 Book of the Year. Romancing the Rain was a winner in the 2003 Benjamin Franklin Awards and in the Writer’s Digest International Self-Published Book Awards, and was the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association’s 2003 Book of the Year.

Kirkpatrick’s coffee table book Wilder Mississippi was the winner of the 2002 National Outdoor Book Award and the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association’s 2002 Book of the Year. Kirkpatrick has twice been named a winner in the prestigious International Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition held in London, England.

Kirkpatrick is in demand as a featured speaker for national conferences and conventions. He has appeared on the syndicated television programs "Wild Things" and “At Home Live,” the Christian Broadcasting Network's "The 700 Club," The Outdoor Channel's "Adventure Bound Outdoors," and on several PBS and outdoor network specials.

Stephen and Marlo Kirkpatrick live in Madison, Mississippi. Stephen has three sons, two on earth and one in heaven. Sons Sean and Ian share their father's enthusiasm for the outdoors. Prior to his death in 2003, 17-year-old Ryan accompanied his father on dozens of expeditions and assisted with Stephen’s work in the Amazon.

The Kirkpatricks’ current projects focus on tropical locations and underwater photography. The couple is represented by the Denise Marcil Literary Agency of New York, New York.