This month for our water theme we are spotlighting our very own wonderful mod Jenny Dunn Pray. All her photography work is so fun, but especially the images from her pool and other adventures to places featuring water. Read on to find out about her photography journey, see what top tips she has for us when shooting water and enjoy a selection of her amazing water images.
Abi xx
Tell us about your photography journey...
I bought my first DSLR right before my third daughter was born. I had made the decision to quit my teaching job and stay at home, and I knew I would need a creative passion to take the place of teaching. Almost everything I’ve learned about photography, I’ve learned from my Instagram community. The photographers I’ve connected with inspire me and motivate me to try new things.
Tell us a bit about your style...
Maybe it’s because I have strong-willed children who have never been excited to pose for me, but I’ve always had a heart for documentary photography. I don’t plan shots; I just keep my camera with me and try my best to shoot the moment. My favorite photos are the ones that capture what life with kids is really like: occasionally sweet, but often weird and chaotic.
What gear do you use?
When my Nikon D3400 died I upgraded to a Nikon D750, but I actually prefer the lightness of my old camera. Hoping to go mirrorless one of these days!
What's your go to lens and why?
I actually love my kit zoom lens, a Nikkor 70-300mm, f4.5-6.3. It's great for catching my kids in their natural state outdoors without me having to creep up too close.
Who and what inspires you?
I'm inspired to shoot when I'm moved by my natural surroundings (the quality of the light, a beautiful landscape, a little crab on the beach) and by the emotions of the people around me- usually my family. Whenever there are big feelings, I want to capture them. When I get into a rut, I can get inspired by looking back through my Lightroom catalog. Going through all of those memories and seeing the progress I've made helps me remember why I started taking photos in the first place.
What tips do you have for shooting water?
I love to get up close and personal with water, which means that I'm always putting my camera at some risk. I have a GoPro knockoff, but the picture quality isn't awesome, so I'm more likely to wade into my pool or into the ocean with my camera in hand and hope for the best. So I guess my best advice is to keep an old camera on hand that you don't mind taking that risk with. Also, there's so much to play with when it comes to water - movement, texture, reflection, the way it catches the light - and because of the shifting nature of water, all of these can change in a split second. So just keep shooting. Play with angles and shutter speed to see what you get!
What water image are you most proud of and/or love the most and why?
Oh gosh, that's hard! We have a pool, so I take most of my water images there, but we also go on a lot of waterfall hikes and vacations to the beach, and those photos are totally different. There's something for me about black and white edits that capture the real essence of water, so I've chosen some of those shots to showcase a few of my favorites.
