Steve Ferendo was born and raised in north central West Virginia. While enlisted in the Army, he "discovered" photography, and through a program for Vietnam veterans ("Project Transition"), Steve was able to intern as a photographer for the European Stars and Stripes, in the Augsburg bureau.
After his discharge, Steve was hired as an "entry level" General Photographer at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, (USAMRIID) at Fort Detrick, in Frederick, Maryland. This began his civilian federal career that took him to bio-medical photography positions at many agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC), the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), and finally, back to USAMRIID at Fort Detrick.
After 40 years of federal service, Steve retired in 2008 as the Visual Information Manager for the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) and USAMRIID.
Since his retirement from federal service, Steve has embraced his passion for nature and wildlife photography. Due to a leg injury that has hampered his mobility, 95% or more of his photographs are taken from his vehicle. Steve can be found most mornings slowly cruising along our county’s gravel roads and battlefields, in search of wildlife.
Steve writes a blog to chronicle his photographs and his adventures. You can see his work – and his passion – at http://naturalworldthroughmycamera.blogspot.com.