Tom Whelan's photographs show nature close up: abstracts of natural designs, portraits of flowers and wildlife, the many forms of water, and intimate landscapes. He's a naturalist; photography goes hand-in-hand with his interest in nature. Many of his photographs are abstracts of natural things that emphasize simple or repeating shapes and forms. One ongoing project of his is photography of ice and ice crystals. Most recently, he has photographed the seacoasts of Maine and California.

Whelan has exhibited at the Concord Art Association, the Cambridge Art Association, the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society, the Mattatuck Museum, Massachusetts Audubon Society sanctuaries, the Discovery Center at Silvio Conte National Wildlife Refuge, and in private and corporate galleries in Massachusetts. He has also lead closeup photography workshops in Costa Rica with nature photographer Greg Basco.