When did you know you wanted to be a photographer?

When I was in grade 5, I made my first shoe box pinhole camera. We would go into the dark room and put the film in the shoe box, cover up the hole and run outside to expose it for a few seconds then run back in and develop the film. I didn’t really become a photographer until around 2004 when I got my first DSLR. I just wanted to take pictures of flowers and bugs. In 2014 I started working with models and a year later I decided it was time to learn Photoshop and start making art with my photography.

Who are the photographers and artists that have had the greatest influence on you and why?

My Gramma was my first big influence. No one else had patience for a left-handed girl. She took me under her wing and taught me art through light and shadow. I got art awards in school all the time. I wanted to become an art teacher as a young girl. Life happened though and I never got the chance.

Once I got involved in digital photography, I admired Amanda Diaz, she made great fantasy photos by going to the thrift store and making her own outfits and then created this wonderful art. I also was, and am, a big fan of Joel Grimes, I love his lighting.

What is the inspiration behind your photographs?

I was told that I had a wild imagination as a child, I would tell these fanciful stories. Now someone will say a word or phrase that triggers a vision that I just have to recreate. I love the old black and white movies. Now I get to tell stories through my art and bring my visions to life.

What was the most unique person or place you’ve photographed?

It seems every time I shoot someone or something, I seem to find something unique and then the next time I shoot I find that too is unique. I think maybe it is more my editing that brings the uniqueness to light. Finding the right background for my image is often the hardest thing I do.

What advice do you have for aspiring photographers?

Know what kind of photographer you want to be. What inspires you? Find a way to be the very best at it that you can be.

Be unique, learn from other photographers but don’t copy them. Blend what you learn to find your own vision of the world.

Listen to your mentors, take constructive criticism and learn all you can. I have a mentor now who is teaching me new things in a straightforward and honest way. Never stop learning!

If you could have any superpower, which would you choose?

I would love to be able to fly. I had dreams as a kid of being able to jump off things, flap my arms and fly. To be free to fly around in the sky and see the world from a different perspective. I think it’s the same feeling you get when your ride a motorcycle.

Where is your favorite travel destination?

I went to New Zealand when I was 18 years old with my 5 month old baby. I fell in love with the breathtaking scenery. I would really like to return with my husband to take photos of that magical place.

When you’re not photographing, what are your favorite hobbies?

I like to travel, even if its just going for a drive to see the country we live in. My husband and I will often just get in the car and aim it somewhere, of course there is always a camera in the car too lol. In the next 25 years I want to see as much of this world as I can.

What do you most enjoy about being a part of InFocus Photo?

I love to meet such a wide range of truly talented and artistic people. My husband and I really enjoy being around Alexis and Aaron, they are our kind of people. I love people who are in touch with their imagination.

Where can people find you online?

https://voh-photography.squarespace.com/

https://www.facebook.com/VOH.Photography

https://www.instagram.com/@visionsofheaphen