Sister keeps photographer's memory alive with show of his work

Wildlife photographer Greg Governale went to great lengths to get his shot.

Getting tackled by a mountain lion out West was probably his favorite story to tell. Pinned down, he was freed by the animal's apologetic owner, who explained it had been raised in captivity and simply wanted to play.

Governale ended up with some amazing shots - well worth the terrifying encounter, he felt.

There's a story behind all his photographs, 22 of which are on display this month at the Hanover Park Park District Community Center Gallery, 1919 Walnut Ave. The public is welcome at a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. today.

Governale's sister, park district Commissioner Mickey Macholl, helped organize the exhibit in memory of her brother, a Streamwood resident who died unexpectedly last September at age 52.

"This is a way to let people see how talented Greg was," Macholl said. "I truly believe his work is of a quality that could be sold and enjoyed by many."

Wildlife photography was Governale's passion, but it was also an escape from the debilitating pain he endured since he was a teenager. At 18, he lost the use of his left hand and arm when one of the glass bottles he was stocking at a supermarket exploded. A condition known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy caused excruciating pain and forced him to retire in 1995.

Photography, his sister said, was the one area of his life in which he could "separate that pain, set it aside."

As an outlet, Governale took three or four trips a year to national parks like Yosemite, Yellowstone and Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. He researched different animals' behavior and set up at a site before sunset. He got to know rangers and biologists who'd take him to the den.

"He'd do his best to ingratiate himself into the landscape," Macholl said. "His patience and discipline was remarkable."

Governale, who never married or had children, was respected among his peers, said longtime friend and wildlife artist Duane Geisness. He said the two of them shared equipment and were trailblazers in digital reproduction.

On a Web site he maintained, Governale shared how his hobby started during family vacations and evolved into his life's work. His love for wildlife is clear.

"As we continue to overpopulate our planet, wild animals and truly wild places will continue to diminish," Governale wrote. "It is my hope that my images will somehow make people aware of the beauty and importance of wildlife, and encourage them to contribute to such conservation groups."

Because of his disability, Governale was "limited in his ability to promote himself," Macholl said. "But his work was so dramatic, so worthy of note."

With another exhibit planned for next year in Aurora, Macholl hopes to bring her brother the posthumous recognition that largely eluded him in life.

<p class="factboxheadblack">If you go</p> <p class="News"><b>What:</b> Exhibit of wildlife photography by the late Greg Governale</p> <p class="News"><b>Where:</b> Hanover Park Park District Community Center Gallery, 1919 Walnut Ave.</p> <p class="News"><b>When:</b> Reception 6-8 p.m. today; work on display through May 31</p> <p class="News"><b>Cost:</b> Free</p> <p class="News"><b>Information:</b> <a href="http://www.hpparks.org" target="new">hpparks.org</a> or (630) 837-2468</p>