Where it all started.
I first picked up a DSLR camera in the winter of 2018. Photography has always intrigued me, so when my mom purchased a Canon kit, I naturally gravitated toward it. I asked to borrow it for a trip I was taking through the beautiful Olympic National Forest in Washington State. I'd never used a "real" camera before, so I just set the dial to manual mode and began testing it out. Of course, questions immediately arose, but as it turned out, I did not have any cell service for the entire trip, so I spent my free time absorbing everything I could from the owner’s manual, even though it all seemed like gibberish to me. I took a lot of really terrible photos on that trip, but I was left intrigued by how to shoot at night.
With my mom’s permission, I took her camera back up to where I lived at a ski field in the Cascade Mountains. The stars shone bright at this elevation, and there was very little light pollution, so I set out night after night attempting to capture the night sky. This was captivating for me, as I have always loved everything astronomical.
After spending hours upon hours of standing in one spot throughout the bitterly cold nights, numb to the fact that I'm shivering uncontrollably in single-digit temperatures and even lower wind chills, I finally began capturing the images I had in mind. I was instantly hooked.
During this same time, I was battling a debilitating illness that prevented me from doing most of my favorite hobbies, such as hiking, skiing, backpacking, hunting etc…lucky for me, I had a renewed sense of hope and a new creative spark in me. I began using my down time to absorb information and better yet, to learn by hands-on trial and error.
I spent countless hours chasing the night sky, moonrises, moonsets, sunrises, and sunsets. During all this time spent in nature, it became more evident than ever how tuned in I am to not only nature, but to the wildlife all around me as well. Having been raised by a bowhunting dad, my earliest memories are of hunting and tracking animals. Little did I know then that the skills I was acquiring from a young age would play a huge role in my success at getting close to animals with a camera in hand. It was as if I was gifted a 6th sense and could feel the presence of a nearby animal before spotting it due to this early instillment of learning animal behaviours.
Wildlife photography has become my driving passion, and I’m excited to share the intimate moments I’ve been privileged to get to encounter with you.
I appreciate you having taken the time to read a little bit about the evolution of my photography. My hope is that I can deliver more than just a scene printed on canvas, but also a feeling and emotion in my creative work for you to enjoy.
~ Tori Harp