Awakening a Passion

I always knew deep down that I loved photography. It wasn't until I bought my current camera that I knew that I had potential. Currently I shoot with a Canon SX30IS digital camera.

I started using it as just a fancy "point and shoot." I took it to Mexico, the Alabama Gulf Coast, and then finally to the Rocky Mountains. My father, who as I mentioned is also a photographer, told me that I wasn't using my camera to its full potential. He said I needed to research how to use it in manual mode. Wow! What a difference that made. It is an awesome camera, but in manual mode it is almost as good a DSLR. I wouldn't be able to take the beautiful images I share without it.

Fast forward to 2012. My husband and I moved to Colorado in September of 2012 and I began taking more and more photos. My friends and family encouraged me to put them out there for the world to see. That is how Nature's Lens was born. I started and was only posting a few photos that I had edited with Paint and Windows Photo Viewer. The support was overwhelming.

 

I was so surprised at the reviews I was getting. I decided I needed to start looking into what the real photographers did. I researched local photographers and asked many questions about how to get the best shots. I spoke to a friend at work that has been taking lightning and landscape photos for a while and he suggested I look into Adobe Lightroom.

Lightroom was another "life-changer." The game changed. I started editing my photos the same way the professionals were doing it. 

My current mentor is Erik Stensland from Images of RMNP (www.imagesofrmnp.com) He gives advice on his website as well as in person at his gallery in Estes Park. He is very humble and I strive to be the same way. The photos I take are not about me. They are about capturing the moment forever so that, through the ages, all can enjoy. From an animal in its natural habitat to a beautiful sunset, capturing Earth's beauty is my goal. I encourage you to purchase a piece of art if it moves you. The thought of someone feeling what I feel when I shoot the photo is very rewarding. That means I have succeeded.

Thanks again for all your support. Continue to be on the lookout for more posts in the future.

From the mountains,

Savannah Donaldson
Nature's Lens Fine Art Photography

Welcome to my blog.

Hi, Nature's Lens here. For those of you that don't know, my name is Savannah and I have recently rushed headlong into my childhood dream of being a photographer.

It all started when I was very young and my parents got me a 35 mm Barbie camera.

I thought I was a professional. We took a trip to Yellowstone National Park and I fell in love with photographing nature.

My family is full of photographers. My Great-grandfather Amos Cockrell had a business when we were little and we always got to go along with him on photo shoots. He started American Color Studio in Haleyville, Alabama and it still there to this day. My Grandfather Dennis Cockrell Sr. took up the hobby as well. He photographed with his father at the studio. Eventually, my father Dennis Cockrell Jr. adapted the hobby but his love was for nature. That is where I fit in the story.

Photography is in my blood. It is has always been an influence in my life. I didn't realize until recently that I was born to photograph. Nature is so inspiring. The passion came alive when I moved to Colorado. When I look at the mountains, I want to capture every breathtaking moment I see. Capturing nature in its purest essence is impossible. Sometimes I go out and take a hundred pictures and none are even close to the beauty of what is around me.

My goal as a photographer is to try to capture these moments for all to see. For those who can't travel, my photos are a way for people to see things they may never get to see in person. Every day is a gift. How we use that gift is what makes a difference. I hope you enjoy my photography and that you will share this gift with others so they can see the beauty of this world.

~Savannah Donaldson
  Nature's Lens