Joni Burtt of Joni Burtt Photography was the winner of last week's 'cabin fever' challenge, and while we've featured Joni's fabulous work here before (check out this blog post), we thought it would be fun to redo the interview. And of course we always welcome another chance to share some more of her gorgeous work!
I'm a thirty-something stay-at-home-mom in rural New Brunswick, Canada. I've been married to my husband for 11 years, and we have two children and a dog-child who feature heavily in my photography. We love hiking, camping, day adventures, sea glass, junk food, naps, thrift shopping, and living in the woods.
2. Can you describe your style in 3 words? Why those words?
Honest - I rarely direct the scene; it is what it is.
Nostalgic - I like for my photos to both capture memories and *look* like memories.
Storytelling - I've moved away from a lot of standard portraits and into documentary work.
3. What sparked your passion for photography?
I had a cute kid and some extra money. ;) I wish I could say I have been into it my whole life, but I haven't, and I was not good at it when I started. As many (most? all?) of you know, it's ridiculously addicting.
4. What's in your camera bag right now?
Nothing because everything is scattered all around my house. ;) My gear includes a Nikon D600, Sigma ART 35mm (which is probably the lens I use most), 50mm 1.4, 24-70, and a macro lens I pretty much never use. I also have a Lensbaby Edge80, plus various random items (prisms, convex glass, a giant diamond paperweight I bought to shoot through, a beat-up old Pentax lens for freelensing, etc.).
5. What is your dream shoot or project?
If someone living in another part of the world hires me and flies me there, I will have reached the apex of my career. :D I would love to travel and take photos of people. I also love to teach, and one of my dreams is being realized in a couple months as I'll be doing a workshop through Beyond the Wanderlust - be sure to check it out!
6. What are some of the misconceptions you had about photography and photographers at the beginning of your photography journey? Have they changed, and how?
I thought it would be easy. (It's not.) I thought if I could duplicate the popular styles at the time, I would be respected and popular. (Nope.) I thought I needed a fancy, white-walled, light-filled house to take documentary photos of my own kids (have you SEEN my house?).
7. What advice would you give to newbie photographers? What advice do you wish you'd been given at the very beginning?
Shoot all the time. Try everything, but only so you can figure out your strengths. Don't throw away imperfect photos. Be honest. Embrace the chaos.
Find more of Joni's beautiful work here:
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