Interview with Julie Powell, fine art photographer
Q: How did you get involved in this business?
A: In 2007, I took a four-week photography class because I had recently purchased a digital camera and had no idea how to use it. My first week’s assignment was to go into my own backyard and take photos of anything I wanted. I immediately went to my flower garden and took photos of the various plants. Unfortunately, it started to get dark and I still wanted to shoot more photos. So I grabbed a flashlight, lit up the flowers in the dark, and continued taking photos. I was amazed by how the flowers looked in the dark with the flashlight lighting up sections of the plants. I eventually started taking the plants inside to a more controlled environment, and I was really able to experiment with lighting my subjects with a “light painting” technique to truly capture the beauty of the flowers’ many different features.
Q: What distinguishes you from other businesses in your category?
A: What distinguishes me from most other photographers are two things: first, I shoot almost all of my pictures in the dark, and second, I do not alter my photography (i.e., Photoshop), except for an occasional cropping. What I see through the lens, the viewers will see in the final image. The colors, textures, features — and even flaws — of the botanicals are true to the plants themselves.
Q: What do you like best about your line of work?
A: I enjoy giving my viewers a glimpse of nature in a way where they probably would never see it. Most people see flowers in garden or a bouquet, but rarely do they take the time to really stop, look closely and experience the beauty that nature can offer. It is rewarding when someone tells me that one of my images has changed the way they look at flowers — or even an occasional weed. It is also rewarding when someone sees one of my images and they immediately recognize it as one of mine because of my personal style of photography.
Q: What is your business’ biggest challenge?
A: At first, my biggest challenge was having the bugs crawling on me while I was in my garden at night — I’m not an insect person. Now that I bring my plants inside to shoot, I have a controlled environment and there are less bugs. But, every now and then, when I’m looking through the lens, I actually see microscopic insects tucked inside the leaves or sitting on a stem. These are creatures I would not see with the naked eye and I am again reminded of the amazing revelations of nature.
Q: Something people might be surprised to learn about you or your business:
A: People are really surprised when they learn that I shoot my images in the dark. Also, I’ve been known to take my flowers, camera and lighting equipment into my kitchen pantry when I need a dark place to take photos during daylight hours.
Profile
Business: Images By Julie
Address: Arvada-based
Hours: Prints are available to purchase online; ask about current and upcoming exhibit showings
Founded: 2012
Contact: 303-906-7853,
Employees: 1
