Connecting Horizons
It has been 30 years since I first arrived to Australia from my native California. There are days when I look back and think, has it really been three decades?
Port Macquarie is where I call home now and in many ways it reminds me of my hometown Santa Cruz in California. I love the beautiful surfing beaches – when I stand on the beach and look out to the horizon, it almost feels like I am magically connected to the other side of the globe, to California's beaches.
Sydney is also where I live and work - I sell my photography to shops and at the Manly markets. I started my own website so I can reach out to an international audience. Sharing my art is really convenient in our times – I am on both Facebook (Ozland Photos) and Instagram (Travel with Karen).
I first got into photography at a camera club in the Northern Suburbs at Gordon. I was taught by Robert Billington and Elaine Norling, both Sydney photographers. I went on outback trips to experiment with photography and I think that was probably where I really got into doing a lot of sunrise and sunset shots. One of my most memorable photographic experiences was at Hervey Bay photographing whales. It was breathtaking, just watching those gentle giants glide silently through the waters.
My favourite time to travel to take photographs of sunrises and sunsets is from May to August. The weather is spectacular then and all of nature provides this marvellous canvas to work on. I am spoilt for choice as there is so much I want to take in.
I´m really excited about my latest works, the Inspirations Collection. They are on display at Four Espresso and it´s something I have always enjoyed doing – to inspire and lift people´s spirits. It´s what I do with my photography and combining it with beautiful quotes seemed like the right partnership. This exhibition is also special to me as I want to donate 5% of the proceeds to Beyond Blue. They are a worthy foundation to support.
I am photographing Vivid in Sydney in May. It is something I have been doing for five years now and there is always something new to capture each year. I am lucky to be doing what I am doing – immortalising the beauty I see around me and sharing it with the world.
