Q & A With the Photographer
Above: Puppy Maple Smiling Amongst the Fall Leaves
Do you have a muse?
If you’ve visited my Instagram page, you’ll see that my muse is definitely my puppy, Maple. I photograph her every single day. She’s always doing something silly or fun! I taught her how to make eye contact with the camera- only for a few seconds, but I can usually get a good picture of her using a special cue and lots of treats!
How do you get your landscape and wildlife photographs?
I bike, run, and walk in nature and stop to take a photo whenever I feel a sense of awe or beauty.
What is the most important thing to keep in mind?
In photography, so much is about your mindset. It’s not about taking the perfect picture. It’s about exploring, being playful, and being in the moment (tapping into your 5 senses), so that you can capture your experience, which will (hopefully) be captured in your photographs.
Any tips for taking animal photographs?
Stay far away so as not to disturb the animal (you don’t want to change their behavior), and get a zoom lens.
Take lots of pictures and don’t underestimate the power of including some of the surrounding environment (like my photo of a white horse in an Irish field).
Be patient and watch for interesting behaviors (like when I watched a Magpie hop all over a sheep).
Best advice for a beginning photographer?
Just get out there and take pictures. You could set a goal of taking one picture a day, and I’m told there are even apps that help you with this goal.
Best advice you ever got?
Never delete anything. Although I pay a lot for storage space, as my tastes change over the years, I often find gems in my archive.
What helps you be creative?
First, being part of a creative community like a local camera club can provide a lot of learning and inspiration. I enjoy learning from other photographers and getting feedback on my own images.
Second, anything else creative: writing, drawing, painting, even simply being out in nature. I like to refer to other creative endeavors as “cross-training,” because they get my mind working creatively in different ways, but ultimately add to my photography.
How do I learn more?
Joining a local camera club and/or photography museum in your area connects you with an educational community.
There’s also so much information online that’s helpful: YouTube, social media, and affordably priced online classes from famous photographers as well.
Sign up for my email list under the “Contacts” tab, as I’ll be sending out more photography tips soon!
