One of my favorites...

Just wanted to share one of my old favorites, entitled "Illuminate". It was taken on the Nuuanu Judd trail near downtown Honolulu, where a beautiful hike leads through a huge patch of Norfolk Pines that were planted here in Hawaii in the early 1900s.

I got the correct exposure for this shot by metering off of the leaves above me, and then locking that exposure reading in manual. Then, just before I took the shot, I leaned a little bit to the left and up so the sun's rays were peeking through to give a feeling of warmth and growth, almost like the picture was taken at a viewpoint of a small plant growing towards the sky.

Meet the Artist!

Happy Friday everyone! Today I have the pleasure of kicking off my 'Meet the Artist' series with one of my personal favorites; Flanders Field Photography. Let's begin!

Your full name?
Jennifer Lee Flanders Estep

Have long have you been involved in photography?
Well, I've been taking pictures since childhood, but just got serious about photography as an artistic pursuit in the Spring of 2007.

Describe your first experience taking a photo you were REALLY proud of. What was the photo? How did you feel?
Two experiences come to mind...About ten years ago I took a picture of my brother, sister and three nieces standing in a hollowed out tree trunk on the Oregon Coast. They were in the midst of some make-believe scenario, and the combination of sheer joy on their faces and the beautiful background scenery would make anyone smile. It was just the most playful image!

The photo that made me begin to consider photography as a creative outlet was taken on the University of Washington campus about 3-1/2 years ago. My husband and I were walking with my parents, pushing our infant son in a stroller, and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. I took a shot of blossoms and branches against a gray sky that became the first photograph of my own that I matted and framed as a piece of art. I was very proud of it at the time. Now, not so much!

Where do you find your inspiration?
I am inspired by nature, details, and by the possibility of helping people see things in a different way. I have an engineering background, and a friend told me that she likes the "geometry" of my photos. I wasn't even aware of it, but I think that's a big aspect of my work as well.

What is your personal favorite photo?
Again I'm going to choose two...We have this Art Wolfe image in our dining room and I just love it! I think it got me thinking about nature as an abstract subject.http://www.artwolfe.com/cgi/shop/detail.cgi?r=DP010

This is my current favorite of mine. It's just a different way of looking at a tree than I've ever seen before.http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6915179

Anything else to add?
Thank you, Noah, for giving me an opportunity to spout off about a subject that has changed the way I look at the world!

You can visit Jennifer's shop by clicking here.