Interview: Sylvia Hall

I'm kicking off this holiday weekend with an interview! Sylvia Hall is a regular here at 52 Photos Project. Week after week, she shares her awesome take on my prompts ... and the lady knows how to bring it. Now that she's the proud owner of a new camera, I can't wait to see how her photography will grow. Please meet:

Sylvia Hall

Take me back to the beginning of your journey and tell me about how you became interested in photography.

My journey with photography grew when I discovered gratefulness in my heart. It may sound a bit corny but it's the truth. Noticing life's treasures, the beauty around me and wanting to capture it was a breakthrough for me. Suddenly, I saw things I had taken for granted. My world expanded and I wanted to freeze it in time. The camera became my constant companion and my blog the perfect home for the photographs. In turn, the photographs inspired me to write which has been a gift in itself.

Do you always carry your camera with you and what do you love photographing most?

Oh my goodness, yes! I almost always lug my camera with me. Recently my husband gave me a Nikon D5100 for my birthday and I'm having fun experimenting. Prior to the big-girl camera I had a Minolta Dimage Z1 and that baby was molded to my hand. I had it pieced together with a
rubber band towards the end of it's life. Did I let that stop me from snapping photos? Heck no! When there's a will there's a way.
I enjoy photographing nature; flowers, sunsets, landscapes and the changing of the seasons. My husband and I love to hike and I enjoy capturing the smallest details and unexpected surprises along the trails. My curiosity usually gets the best of me and I basically snap photos of anything and everything that captures my eye. Hence, the ridiculous amount of photos I took of a lovely little squirrel the day after I received the new camera for my birthday. He was the perfect test subject.

Imagine in your mind's eye the most beautiful picture you haven't yet taken.  Describe what it looks like.

I love this question, it's making me envision it in my mind's eye. I see two things; a beautiful landscape so colorful it almost seems magical and a portrait of someone displaying a deep and powerful emotion. The landscape would make me want to live in the photograph and the portrait would make me laugh out loud or cry.

What is your photographic comfort zone? If you had to step out of that place for a day, what would you take photos of?

I recently photographed a couple (non-family) and I had butterflies in my stomach. No joke! I don't know why I felt that way because it was so much fun! I felt a great sense of accomplishment after the photo shoot. The only way to grow is to step out of our comfort zone, those butterflies are a good thing.

If you would, share your best photography lesson learned.

What works for me is to take a lot of photos and study the art. I love to watch tutorials on YouTube with my camera in hand. I pick and choose the advise and incorporate what feels comfortable to me. It's easy to get wrapped up in technicalities but what's important is to create my own style, my own voice.

Sylvia, I can't tell you how much I enjoyed getting to know more about you. Thank you so much for sharing a bit of your journey here today.

 Bio: Sylvia Hall lives in the northwest and loves capturing the gifts of the distinct four seasons. She loves to read, hike, Pinterest, daydream, craft and blog. You can connect with her by visiting her blog From the Heart or her Facebook Page.