Born in 1982 and raised in the city streets of New York City, Rafael De Armas was always intrigued by the beauty of nature. As a youth he was able to taste a bit of it in Westchester, New York. Here, his love for wildlife and everything Mother Nature had to offer ignited.
In 2014, he moved to Florida, known for its many types of wild life. It was there where he began his dream of becoming a professional Nature Photographer. Rafael began his photography and started a website where he can share his photos; NatureGraphy.com.
In early 2015, Rafael’s dream of becoming a professional Nature Photographer took a life changing halt. He was a victim of a gunshot and suffered severe nerve damage to his left arm; losing the ability to use his left hand as of today. Even though, he lost usage of his left hand, Rafael did not lose his love for nature and photography. During his recovery, he continued to take photos with his phone’s camera. Bedridden majority of the time, Rafael began to connect with other nature lovers online and on Facebook.
Although his online ventures in connecting with nature lover and photographers filled a great void in Rafael’s day to day life, it also brought great sadness. He began to notice the lack of comradery and viciousness between photographers. This was not something he thought the world of nature photography was about. Rafael was also rejected and block by several groups because they did not allow his camera phone photos to be shared. This sparked another endeavor.
He created his own Facebook group, originally called the Nature Photographers Group, with the belief that both nature lover and photographer can coexist with one another. Nature photographers can ask questions, share tips and their photos for extra exposure, regardless of skill level. Both nature lover and photographer can enjoy an incredible variety of nature photos as well as some extra exposure.
In 2017, hundreds of nature lovers and photographers began to enjoy the atmosphere the group had produced. It was then renamed to NatureGraphy Group.
Rafael De Armas joined Fine Art America on July 9th, 2015.
