Q: Tell us a little about your art.
A: I’m a fine art photographer, and love to photograph scenic landscapes, florals, seascapes, and do abstract work. The abstract work is especially fun, as it requires a great imagination and patience. It’s not for everyone. I’m working with manual camera settings and natural light and motion. Combining a lot of tools in my bag at once, I try to capture motion in a graceful way, which you see in the image here called “Neutral Ground.” It took hundreds of shots, and always a bit of luck, to get the surreal look that I’m hoping for. After returning home from a photo shoot, the editing process (as other photographers will attest to) is quite tedious. Working with the software and sitting at the computer eats up endless hours. Check out this partial screen shot showing a small portion of my raw 500+ images for “Palm Sway” (taken in San Jose, Mexico). Fast forward just a few hours, ahem, where down the line I ended up with one that I edited to become this gorgeous image, Palm Sway 27.
Q: What got you started in this profession?
A: I’ve been a photographer since my father handed me his classic camera at age ten, and I loved the feel of that heavy vintage machine in my hands. He had used the camera in Germany post-world war, where he met my mom, so there is a beautiful history there. Through the years I only dabbled in things like the high school yearbook and other small side jobs until I was about 40. With advertising and marketing careers under my belt, I had hired enough photographers and understood the business well enough that I wanted to be “hands on,” so once I moved to the Pacific Northwest I saw my chance.
Q: What makes you different from others in your field.
A: I love to tell a story with my images, so I work hard to find a different angle if I’m shooting a “common” scene, like a lighthouse or familiar landscape. My abstracts are certainly original! There is no duplicating those, even if I tried to do so myself. I love to set myself apart from others with the abstract images that look almost like they are paintings. People often times think that they have been digitally altered, which they haven’t. I may crop, or adjust for dust, or contrast. But the original pixels are all there. The crazy way that the light was flowing when the wind caught some grasses over a longer-than-usual time exposure – that makes a stunning semi-soft focus. And when everything comes together just right, magic happens.
Q: What are your biggest influences?
A: I’m a big lover of the natural world. I love to travel, but also am lucky to live in this part of the world. There is a lot to see within a reasonable distance. So nature, vivid colors, they influence me. A peaceful setting, time standing still for a moment. That inspires me. Looking behind me to see where I’ve been (literally, and figuratively), that helps too. But I am also a very grateful person. I am very spiritually grounded, and believe that to “move forward” in our lives, we have to be grateful for what we already have. The little things, they really count. I created this tiny deck of “Gratitude Cards” with photos on one side and kind sayings on the other, to help spread random acts of kindness. Just a fun and practical way to actually show your gratitude.
Q: Where would you like to go next?
A: I’ve really got the travel bug! And right in the middle of virus season, darn! My son is just the right age, and my husband recently retired, so we are primed and ready to go. My list is made. So…. I would really like to see more of the world. I’ve been to parts of Europe, and have much more to see there. My mom was German and taught me the language, so I would love to go back again. But there are so many gorgeous places to see and photograph. Several lifetimes worth! Anyone have travel miles to share? Kidding. Or not.
