On his days off and sometimes after tending to his patients at a Vancouver Hospital, in WA, Dr. Mehrdad Shojaei, a noted physician, picks up his camera (150-500 mm lens) and travels to various habitats to catch, in a particular moment, nature's beauty in all its majesty which is complimented by certain  images that the naked eye cannot easily detect.

These images often portray exotic birds, perching on a branch as they watch and assess the appropriate time to catch their prey or landscapes and objects that have stood still in the passage of time.

One wonders why Dr. Shojaei has chosen such an avocation. This is the explanation he offers: "I was raised and educated in Iran where achievement in education was of the outmost importance. There was no time for extracurricular activities .Thus, this desire to photograph animate or inanimate objects came into being when I noticed a void in my life. Thus, one day, I picked up my camera and started shooting, not realizing that photography would become an exhilarating experience which would ultimately complete what had been missing in my life".

He adds that he admires the work of Art Wolfe, the American photographer and conservationist because of his stunning images of the world´s fast-disappearing wildlife. "I like his photographs for their mastery of colour, composition and perspective. He is both an artist and a wildlife advocate that makes him unique", Mehrdad adds.

Dr. Shojaei would not change anything from his life's journey because he likes being a medical doctor and an amateur photographer. He adds that he would like to explore the possibility of using photography in the treatment of his patients. He points out that in recent years, in various hospitals in the United States and abroad, a new effort has been made to apply a new treatment for the rehabilitation of patients-that of using art, music and pets. He would like to pursue similar practices including the use of photographs. He believes that the use of photography in story telling can bring forth equally profound results in improving the health of patients as much as music, art and pets do.

Dr.Shojaei's work is a never ending process, as he uses his camera to capture nature and its beauty which are constantly evolving. He believes that his photographs lend themselves to various interpretations which depend upon each viewer's knowledge of this art and his own life experience.

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