Capturing Nature: Why I Offer Commissioned Landscape Photography
Being out in nature with a camera in hand is my favorite place to be. Landscape photography was my first love, and now I can take that passion and offer it to my clients with commissioned photography. Read on to see why I love landscape and commissioned photography work.
The calm stillness of the early morning or the warmth of waiting for the sun to set, with a camera in my hand, is a feeling I never get tired of. It’s a familiar feeling, as my journey with photography started with landscapes.
Growing up in Northern California offered many outdoor adventures for me and my camera.
This state is fortunate to have a wide range of natural beauty, and to photograph it is an honor. Being able to capture the forest, the lake, the ocean, and everything in between was also a fun way for me to interact with my surroundings.
During the week of my 19th birthday, I took a solo multi-day trip up to Lake Tahoe. I spent my days eating pizza and driving around the lake, looking for the best photo opportunities.
My birthday is in early May, so the weather up there can change dramatically and very quickly. When I drove up to Tahoe it was a warm spring day, but the next day the weather quickly changed to full-blown winter. Dark gray clouds, huge waves, strong winds, and snow flurries were gracing me with their presence.
My inexperienced self was a bit worried to be driving my Scion xB in these conditions, but my surroundings were so beautiful that I didn’t want to miss out on these views.
During a break in the snow flurries, I headed to Sand Harbor on the east side of the lake.
Here I captured a photograph that encompasses Tahoe for me. It is full of texture and bold colors, while also showing off the total beauty of the lake.
I might have taken this photograph 8 years ago, but it is still one of my favorite photographs that I have ever taken.
And, it is this photograph that I use as the focal point in my Tahoe collection. I’ll explain more about that later.
The great thing about the outdoors is that it is already perfect the way it is. Setting the stage or dealing with lights is not necessary. Nature handles it all.
When I pick up my camera and head outside, I love the challenge it presents for me in manipulating the camera to get the perfect photo. My goal is not just to capture what I see, but the feeling of standing amongst the giant trees or roaring waves to the smallest flowers or historic details.
Getting that perfect landscape shot requires a lot of patience.
Most of the beautiful locations I photograph require hiking or trekking to get to the best point of view. I carry all the right gear with me to ensure I have all the tools handy.
This also requires me to be in the right spot at the perfect time, to ensure the sun’s lighting is at its best.
Finding the right spot to capture nature’s beauty, at the right time of day, are reason I continue to pursue landscape photography. I love the adventure of it, and the joy of discovering new places.
I have always had the goal to take this love for landscape photography and share it with my clients. I do this in two ways: through my Etsy shop, and commissioned work.
Etsy is a great platform to share my favorite landscape work, so that anyone can order and have printed in various options.
I have set up three collections of my favorite prints for sale in my Etsy shop. The three collections include the California coast, Gold Country, and Lake Tahoe.
The adventure aspect of landscape photography also pulls me in easily, and I love taking the chance to take these types of photos when I can. Because of this I also offer to do commissioned work for clients.
I once had a client reach out to me, and they were looking for a collection of black and white 35mm film photographs of airplanes from our local small-town airport. This client requested a more gloomy feel to these photographs, so I watched the weather and waited for a cloudy drizzly day. When that day came I packed up my gear and headed to the quiet airport.
During my time there I came across a huge AN-2 (the same kind of airplane that Joyce and Murray crashed in Stranger Things Season 4). The airplane was incredible! It was large, rustic, and interesting from every angle, and I couldn’t stop taking pictures of the exterior of it.
As I was taking photos of it, the airplane’s mechanic came up to me and asked if I would like to take photos inside. I immediately said yes, so he gave me a tour of the plane. I was able to capture some incredible detail shots from inside of the cockpit.
I love being able to go out into the world for photography because sometimes you get an opportunity that makes the photos better than you ever could have imagined, and you may learn a thing or two.
Recently another client reached out to me for a commissioned landscape of a specific train trestle in the Fort Bragg, CA area. This place holds a special memory of her late father, and her family trips growing up.
My husband joined me as we traveled up the coast to Fort Bragg, and found a cozy place to camp for the night.
The next day I grabbed my camera and headed for the Pudding Creek trestle and beach area. I was able to capture an interesting angle of this trestle while still appreciating the space around it and keeping the light in mind.
If you haven’t been to this part of the California coast then let me encourage you to visit it someday.
It’s really no wonder why another client asked me for black-and-white photos of the same area of Fort Bragg!
I am very pleased with the outcome of this landscape commission shoot.
The contrast of the large rocks, glossy sand, and soft waves gives a cool feeling to the image, and being in black-and-white really contrasts those textures.
If you find yourself searching forever for the perfect photo to display in your home but may be having a hard time, I can understand! I know I am particular about what photos I display because I want them to be personal and fit the vibe of my home.
Commissioned landscape photos are not only for your home, too. If you run a short-term rental property and want to have local landscape photos on the wall, I would be thrilled to help you achieve this! It adds a special touch to your rental spaces.
When a client comes to me for a commissioned landscape I do my best to understand their needs and exactly what they are looking for. Whether that is a coastal shot, lake, industrial, river, or elsewhere, I’m excited to help my clients fulfill that need.
If you are interested in my Etsy shop California collections, you can see more here, or if you want to talk more about commissioned work, contact me today.