Meet the Winners of ANPW Contest #2 Nikki Frantz

Nikki interviewed by Liana Lehua

Are you a lone photo walker, or do you prefer to conglomerate with other like-minded photographers and shoot to your hearts’ content? Our own Nikki Frantz, who is joining us on our Yosemite workshop courtesy of her winning contest entry, can go either way but tends to be more inspired when walking alone with her camera and her imagination. Learn more about Nikki here.

Location: Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Website: www.nicoleraestudio.com
Blog: www.nicoleraestudio.com/blog

Main camera body and equipment used:
Canon Rebel xti

Your dream photography trip (location): A European tour

How did you get started in photography?

I got started in photography just under two years ago. Some online friends of mine had heard about a challenge called Project 365. It involved taking a photo a day and posting it on a blog for one year. I had never really taken a lot of photographs before, but thought it would be fun. I had no idea it would change my life. I started with a small point and shoot and by the end of the year ended up with a dslr. I did not miss a single day that year. It became a sort of therapy for me, a way to see things in my life differently.

What is your favorite aspect of photography? (Example: being outdoors, the art and science of capturing the image in the camera, telling a story, etc.).

There are so many things I love about photography that it would be hard to pick my absolute favorite. I love the art of it – being able to see things others don’t and bringing it out to the open. I love being outside, walking around with just my camera – whether it’s the city or out in the middle of nowhere. It always feels like it’s just me and my camera and I can see the world through new eyes. Picking just one aspect I think I would say it would be the therapy. Unless you’ve experienced it it is hard to explain. A friend once told me holding a camera up to your face tends to shut off the world. It becomes just you and what you see throught viewfinder.

What is your shooting style? (Example: lots of photo walking, planned photo taking trips, group meetups, etc.).

I definitely do a lot of photo walking. I will either go with a friend or on my own, but I tend to be most inspired when I take some time to just walk with my camera.

Are you planning on buying any new gear specifically for the workshop between now and the workshop?

The only thing I really plan on purchasing is a filter and maybe some snowpants! I am renting a few lenses and then probably purchasing one or two after the trip. I’d like to use this trip to find out which lenses I like the best and which ones I would get the most use from.

What inspires you?

Just getting to different places inspires me. I like seeing new things, new people, new places. Another thing that inspires me is looking at other photographers’ works. There are several photography blogs that I check daily. There is some beautiful work out there and looking at it makes me want to be better.