In a career that began with a borrowed film camera and a 4-H project, Aaron Anders has turned a childhood curiosity into a lifelong craft.

Anders first picked up photography at age 9, experimenting with his father’s film camera. By 11, he had already achieved a milestone many photographers wait years to reach: one of his images appeared on the front page of Kansas Bankers Magazine. He has been behind the lens ever since.

Today, Anders’ latest exhibit, “America’s Heartland,” is on display at the Salina Public Library through March. The collection features outdoor scenes that highlight nature, wildlife, Native American culture and cowboys, offering a visual tribute to the region’s landscape and heritage.

Although Anders works across types of photography such as commercial, portraits, and wildlife, opportunities to focus on outdoor subjects are less frequent. When he does venture out with his camera, he said he relishes the experience of capturing the natural world as it unfolds before him.

A Salina resident, Anders said he values both living and working in a community that supports and appreciates the arts. His current exhibit invites visitors to see the Heartland through his lens — expansive skies, untamed wildlife and the enduring spirit of the West — all framed within the welcoming walls of the Salina Public Library.