My interest in photography peaked when I was living in Florida. I found a camera at a local pawn shop and started my journey with photography. My first camera was a Nikon CoolpixP520. I loved it so much that I took it with me everywhere. I was always so eager to take photos of everything around me.
One of my favorite places to go was the beach. The mangrove trees would grow along the beach and I couldn’t resist capturing them. The trees would twist and turn onto themselves and create such beautiful and interesting photos. We would take weekend trips to certain places depending on the subject that I wanted to photograph- landscapes, nature, animals, etc.
My boyfriend and I would take one of our cats along with us to some of these places. Both of my cats love the outdoors but our male cat loves to explore more, he became a model for a lot of my photos. When I worked at an animal sanctuary in Florida they let me take photos of their animals as well. I was able to really study each animal and see how they moved and how they interacted with each other. I got a lot of really cool shots that I wouldn’t be able to get really anywhere else.
I learned how to play around with different lighting, subjects, and composition. I always came back to my fine art roots when I thought of the end results. How did I want each photo to come out? Did I want to do a collection of photos, or just one really strong photo that told the whole story?
I became obsessed with figuring out how to capture human emotion, personalities in the animals around us, and being able to trigger personal memories in a landscape. When I went to Colorado I wanted to capture as much of that state as I possibly could. I will never forget how beautiful it is there. To be surrounded by mountains is absolutely breathtaking.
We did some hiking and we found ourselves on top of these hills on the side of the mountain to where you could look out at the valleys below you. The mountain range was always in the background surrounding everything. It was a perfect place to take some really beautiful mountain landscapes. A range of emotions came over me while we were at Colorado. I got to see a side of the natural world that I have never seen before. I cannot wait to go back. Even with the altitude sickness!
Florida was beautiful in its own way just like Colorado and Minnesota. I got to experience very different types of climates, wildlife, and cultures. I love that in Minnesota you get a feel of all four seasons.
Beautiful summers that draw us to the beach, toes in the sand, fishing for hours. Fall brings that gorgeous array of fall colors that gives us endless photography opportunities. Winters bring calmness and serenity, when you’re not driving on ice! I love watching the first snow fall, it’s so quiet and peaceful. Spring is breathtaking, it’s brings the joy of warmer weather and a wide variety of blooming flowers, and other plants that I immediately have to capture!
My camera collection has grown since I started taking photos. I am now using a Canon Eos RebelT7 that I got as a gift. It came with three different lenses and a bunch of accessories giving me a lot of freedom with what I want to take pictures of. I also have a Polaroid, a vintage camera, and I just recently got my grandmas digital camera. I took classes in college on how to use Lightroom and Photoshop so that I am able to edit all of my photos and create incredible effects.
Over the years I have been able to capture a lot of memories. I have been able to share my experiences with my family and friends because of these photos. They think of their own personal experiences if they have visited these places. I love that it’s a way to connect with people and a way to hear their own personal story.
As the years go by, I will end up getting more equipment and experiment with different types of photography along the way. Wedding and travel photography are next on my goal list. I think photography is an art form that you have to be patient with, really spend time experimenting to see what calls out to you! My main goal with phtography is to be able to paint a picture by simply pressing a button!
Thank you so much for reading and I will see you all next Sunday!
Love,
Chelsey Hartgers
ChelseyRaeCreations
Dont forget to take a peek at my Etsy shop! https://etsy.me/2VS2zYW