On typical weekdays, Dr. Margaret Block West treats patients as a medical oncologist at Nebraska Cancer Specialists in Omaha. When inspiration strikes, she can be found traveling the world, camera in hand.
A practicing physician since 1981, Block West loves working with people and finds her field particularly interesting. “I chose oncology partly because of the intrigue,” she said. “We don’t have all the answers, but it’s constantly changing. There’s so much more known now than when I went into oncology…the knowledge and the number of medicines have exploded in the last five to 10 years.”
While Block West is passionate about her occupation, “everyone needs a hobby,” she opined, “I had a camera from a young age—probably when I was 7 or 8. When I was 14, I took a picture of my sister that won a prize in a local photography contest,” she explained. Now, as a more experienced photographer, Block West has won prizes in several contests.
Her most recent trip was in June 2024, when she and her husband traveled to Slovenia. “If you look at photos of Slovenia, they have tons of fog, which is beautiful for photography,” Block West said. “I knew they had a lot of churches, but there were a zillion churches! The churches on the mountains with the fog was very pretty. They also have beautiful rivers. Many of them we saw had kind of a light lime green water, which was interesting to me.” Block West’s photography has taken her to places such as Greenland and Cuba, and she has plans to visit Norway in February.
An active member of Omaha Camera Club, Block West finds plenty of opportunity to use her Canon and is continually honing her craft. The local club of photo enthusiasts meets twice a month and welcomes all who are interested in taking photos. This artistic group of Nebraskans regularly holds a “show and tell,” during which members present their work and receive feedback on photos they’ve taken.
According to Nikki McDonald, a member of OCC and chairman of the club’s regional competitions, Block West is always improving in the art of photography and is receptive to criticism. “Sharing your ideas and perspectives, and being willing to listen to and accept suggestions on your own work is one of the biggest values of participating in the club,” McDonald noted. “I appreciate that she is willing to spend the time making those suggestions happen; if people have comments that she feels have merit, she will try them.”
Block West’s photography generally centers on nature and landscape scenes, but she is exploring other subjects as well. “I also do a lot of macro photography,” Block West said. “It’s something I can do at home. In the spring, there are lots of flowers blooming and that lends itself to macro really nicely.”
Slightly deviating from natural landscapes and plants, she also enjoys photographing people. “I am getting a little more into doing portraits,” she explained. “I’m currently taking an online portrait course, and it’s totally different.”
Gallery 1516 recently displayed a portrait she shot while in Cuba, a photo that she improved with help from the OCC. “It’s nice to have feedback—in that portrait I took, it was a nice portrait, but he was in front of a bush,” Block West recalled. "I got comments like, ‘There are little white, lighter patches around that are distracting,’ so I ended up just darkening it, and it turned out to be a lot nicer.”
Wherever Block West’s photography adventures take her, she makes the most of the natural landscape and cultural aspects that find their way into her lens. “She is not afraid to speak up and make a commitment to give that extra time to perfecting her work,” McDonald said.
To learn more and see Margaret Block West’s work, visit margaretwestphotography.com.
This article originally appeared in the January/February 2025 issue of Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
