Len Villano Joins the Pulse Family

We’re proud to welcome long-time Door County photographer Len Villano to the Peninsula Pulse and Door County Living family.

Villano has been capturing stunning images of the people and landscapes of Door County for years. He now brings his immense talent and keen eye for what makes the Door Peninsula so special to his new position as the Photography Director for Peninsula Publishing & Distribution.

An artist, musician, recording engineer and producer, Villano left a promising career in architecture years ago to devote his life to capturing the beauty of nature on film. Finding the extraordinary in the ordinary is now the focus of Len’s work.

Len Villano

“The flora and fauna of Door County are the focus of my life,” Villano says. “I have traveled all over the country, but it is Door County that I love and I am grateful to call it my home. I have made many friends, both human and in the natural world. From the porcupine who befriended me to the grouse that took a seat beside [me] as I was changing film, to the old maple tree which I return to repeatedly for knowledge and advice. The water, sky, farm fields, forests, and all the landscapes that create this place we call Door County I have come to call my friend.”

Growing up in a major metropolitan area surrounded by the often-oppressive landscapes of concrete and steel, Villano developed a love for a simpler, more natural environment. Villano majored in architecture at the University of Illinois, where his strong conservational philosophy led to designs that embraced nature not devoured it.

This philosophy also carried over into his music. His band played numerous benefit concerts for organizations including Greenpeace, The Nature Conservancy, and the Wilderness Society, among others. Through his music, architecture and photography Villano hopes to educate and inspire his audience to take action to protect and maintain a strong, clean, and healthy environment for us and future generations.

“Man is an integral part of the environment not separate from it; therefore, we must all learn to get along and coexist if we hope to survive,” he says. “It is that common, interwoven struggle to survive that influences my work and that I strive to capture in my art.”

Villano was a founding member of the North American Nature Photographers Association and a member of the American Society of Media Photographers, American Photographic Artists and Editorial Photographers. His work has been published in more than 30 different countries, including shows in Door County, Chicago and Milwaukee.

He uses digital technology and a chemical free darkroom to produce his work insuring a cleaner and safer environment. Len will use whatever technique necessary to portray his art but does not believe in manipulating his images, preferring to let nature’s power speak for itself.

“In photography, light is the key to producing extraordinary work even if that means getting up at 4 am, skipping dinner, or staying out later than my fellow photographers,” he says.

“That’s when the magic happens, and simply, I prefer not to miss it.”