Crystal Brindle is a very talented landscape photographer who currently calls New Zealand home. I discovered her when a search for "Female Nature Photographers" brought me to this website - Female Nature Photography. I was looking for some interesting profiles, particularly women living in other countries. Her images are awe-inspiring and her bio intriguing. Within minutes I was going thru her website and sending an interview request.

Crystal's parents were Park Rangers with the US Park Service and she moved around from park to park as a child. Imagine having national parks as a playground! She followed in her parent's footsteps and is, herself, a ranger for the National Park Service but she also works for the Department of Conservation in New Zealand - traveling back and forth between the continents. I cannot imagine a better job for a photographer - your job is to oversee some of the most beautiful landscapes on earth!

The first thing you will notice with Crystal's landscapes is the sheer beauty of the land and the incredible lighting. If you look closely, on many of the images you will find a person (Crystal?) or, in the instance of an image shown here, a tent or other structure in the frame to give a sense of scale. This is something that many photographers, yours truly included, often overlook. It is that attention to detail that helps separate Crystal from the rest of the pack. She is also versatile - shooting landscapes, wildlife, and astrophotography. I would love to spend time with her out in the field, experiencing nature the way she does, but I don't think I could keep up!

I encourage you to check out the links below to Crystal's website and social media and follow her career. She is quite a talented photographer and someone I am looking forward to following for years to come. Now, without further rambling and ado, I present to you Crystal Brindle!

The Interview

Personal questions

What is your favorite childhood memory?

Lying beside my best friend on a giant granite glacial erratic boulder in the middle of a meadow of golden grass in summer looking to the sky ringed by tall evergreen trees in Wawona – the small ‘neighborhood’ in which I spent my earliest years in Yosemite National Park.

What are the five foods you can’t live without?

These answers might seem quite unusual but at the moment I’d say:

nutritional yeast
oats
chia seeds
homemade pizza
almond butter.

😊
(Joe: Pizza? Yes, that is quite unusual 😉)

What’s the best advice anyone has given you and who gave it to you?

That’s such a tough one! Many people have given me wonderful advice. I’ll go with, “look up and look out.” This piece of wisdom was bestowed upon me in my first season after moving to New Zealand on my own and taking up work in the hills as a hut warden/park ranger. It came from one of the wisest women I’ve ever known, Karen Cooper, who mentored me in my work and beyond. What she means by this, I think, is to look up and look out and remember where you are in the present moment – appreciate your surroundings and don’t get bogged down by daily minutiae. It is something that has come back to me often and reminds me to take a look around and appreciate my life.
(Joe: Once again, great advice! That is something I have to force myself to do at times.)

What is your favorite thing to do when you aren't shooting?

Running on a beautiful forested trail first thing in the morning would be my favourite thing after my number one love of seeking brilliant sunrises far in the mountains with my camera.

If you could spend an hour with any famous person, past or present, who would it be and why?

John Muir. I’m not sure if he counts as “famous” but he is definitely the person I’d want to spend an hour with.
(Joe: John Muir is a great choice! How fun would it be to sit with John Muir and Ansel Adams together?)

What is something that most people don’t know about you?

That I have an overwhelming interest in New Zealand’s alpine flora. Actually, it is probably obvious at times, but I don’t think most people know that I often think about going back to school and studying botany.

What would you like to be remembered for?

Whew, that’s a big question! Yikes. I would hope to be remembered for having a passion and zest for life, championing wild natural landscapes, and connecting people with the awe and wonder that is found in nature. If I can live a life that helps more people connect with their authentic selves and cultivate a love for the natural world on every scale, I will have done something I deem meaningful.

Professional questions

Why photography?

I found photography when I was living and working in Rocky Mountain National Park during college. I grew up in national parks across the western United States and had most often throughout my childhood been surrounded by incredible natural beauty. When I was in college, I started to feel the pull to share these experiences with others. Photography was the natural medium that caught my attention and I was hooked before I knew it. I became enamoured by the practice of challenging myself to reach remote locations high in the mountains, photographing magic light, and returning to the ‘civilised’ world to share what I had seen.

Can you explain your photography in 10 words or less?

My photography is an expression of connection with the land.

What is your greatest achievement in photography?

Eeek… I suppose I’d say winning the overall Federated Mountain Clubs (FMC) of New Zealand photo contest in 2016. This meant the world to me as I had read cover-to-cover every FMC bulletin I could get my hands on in the two years preceding this win and since moving to New Zealand there was no organization I respected more. When I first saw the photo contest in a bulletin I thought, “I want to enter that one day and maybe, just maybe be printed in these pages.” I could not believe it when I won the whole thing. The judge’s comment topped it all off when he called the place I photographed a “suitably remote location” that he had to look up on the map. Hearing that from a respected icon of the New Zealand mountains and guru of all things wilderness, was incredible!
(Joe: That truly is a great achievement. It’s inspiring to hear you set a goal and achieved it!)

If you could share a gallery show with anyone past or present, who would it be?

Ohhhh, I think I’d share a gallery show with Erik Stensland of www.imagesofrmnp.com if I could! He has been, and remains, my greatest contemporary photography inspiration.
(Joe: I checked out his site – I can see why he inspires you so.)

Where do you draw inspiration from when you shoot and what’s your favorite part about the process?

I draw inspiration from the landscape around me and the light that comes. I work with the scene in an unplanned way and compose on the fly. I’m certain I could produce better imagery if I did a bit of pre-planning but given the backcountry nature of my photography and often first-time visit locations, this isn’t always an option. And, to be honest, I love the process of darting around and trying to find what I want to photograph. I often stumble across something totally unexpected that blows my mind about the natural world even further. I cannot believe the wonderful intricacies that exist out there, even after all this time.

What is your favorite location to shoot?

Fiordland National Park, New Zealand – baby! I cannot believe that I now get to live on the very edge of my favourite place on earth.

What is your favorite piece of equipment?

My Fuji XT-2 camera. I couldn’t do much shooting without it! 😉 For the last three years it is what I’ve used and I’m still quite happy with its performance. It has been into some interesting places, I can tell you that!

How did you get your start and what advice would you give to someone looking for a career in photography?

I got my start by diving in head first – spending most of my free time either shooting or researching online about technique, manual control, and post processing. I also was fortunate to live in Colorado in close proximity to many professional photographers. A few were kind enough to spend time with me and answer my questions. I kept up the momentum when I moved to New Zealand by seeking out opportunities or creating them, not waiting for them to come to me. Although I do not fully support myself with a career in photography, it is only a side venture at this stage, the advice I would give to someone wanting a career in anything is the same: do the work, make connections, be bold, learn your craft, and be proactive.
(Joe: Great advice – you are so lucky to have found those willing to mentor you. )

Bonus question:

What are your Top 5 "Deserted Island" albums?

I have never thought about this but I’ll go with a blend of classics inherited from my dad’s taste in music and my own taste I’ve developed in adulthood:

Led Zeppelin – Mothership
Florence + The Machine – Lungs
Florence + The Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
London Grammar – Truth is a Beautiful Thing
Mumford and Sons – Babel.

Yikes, I definitely don’t feel too certain I’d be happy with those choices for the rest of eternity on an island, but there ya go!

Exploring Photography with Joe Valencia

Monday, July 15, 2019

Interview with New Zealand Photographer Crystal Brindle