We recently connected with Lisa Downs and have shared our conversation below.

Lisa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

My interest in photography did not begin with books or mentors. It evolved through a natural love of and fascination with the peace and calm I found in nature. I now call myself a professional photographer, but I am also mental health therapist and trauma survivor. I combine my experiences of all three and that is the beginning of my love of story, through photography.

I created a short book titled “Your Journey Through Healing”. I chose my own images and used my experiences as a mental health provider to provide a simple map through the terrian of healing from trauma. I dedicated it to “the brave and broken hearted who have been inspired to begin the healing journey”. I’m currently in the process of revising the book to include new images and inspirations.

At the height of Covid 19, when there was so much isolation and uncertainty, I came across a fox family with 8 kits. That little family brought me so much joy and light during such uncertain times. I watched and photographed them enough that I was very familiar with their daily interactions. I wrote a children’s book based on what I saw unfold in front of me. One of the kits was vision impaired, I decided to call it “Bandit” and the book is about hope and love. Bandit initially got left behind when Momma moved the rest to a safer spot, but two siblings returned and helped Bandit cross streets and join the rest of the family. I simply named it “I am Bandit”.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have had a love of the outdoors ever since I can remember. I make an effort to get out and shoot as often as possible in a variety of places. I will be traveling to Japan in 2024 to take snaps of the snow monkeys and bamboo forest along with many other stops.

I love animals, sunsets and all the many ways nature touches my soul. I started taking pictures with a film camera when I was a young teen and have continued to capture images I hope others can emotionally connect to. My desire is for others to be drawn to the image at the heart level.

There are a wide variety of images to choose from on my website. Bears, eagles, owls, landscapes, Budweiser Clydesdales to name a few. I remain true to the image that inticed me to take the picture initially. My edits are minimal and my hope is that it will make you feel like you were there with me in that moment. I create calendars yearly and can customize them to suit a client’s desire.

In 2022, I was chosen by a panel of international judges and curators as “Photographer of the Year” and two of my images were juried into the “Hall of Fame, Book #1. Several other of my images have been published other magazines online. My “Momma Bear” was awarded 1st place in an international show and very recently chosen for the cover of Discover Ft. Collins magazine!

If an order isn’t satisfactory, I will personally be involved to obtain satisfaction!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding thing for me about Nature Photography is I am always out in the fresh air and I find the views unfathomable. I don’t care if it is raining or snowing, I just love to be outside. The freedom I have regarding where to go, where to stand, how to capture the best composition is irreplaceable. I like being my own boss.

There are important things to understand about being around and near wildlife. I have the utmost respect for wildlife and am always aware of how my presence might be impacting their well-being.

I love the ability to wander and go to places I have never experienced before. Perhaps that is an old dirtroad, the top of a mountain or even a foreign country. Sometimes, it’s spent waiting hours on wildlife to do something amazing! For me, every sunrise and sunset is new and exciting. I’m always hopeful something spectacular will be around the next corner, sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t, but it always feels like an adventure. The best thing about being a creative is I can always find something to photograph! I have friends tell me I am living the dream, I’d say its the perfect dream come true!

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I can only speak for myself regarding my drive as a creative. My choice to become a mental health therapist and now a professional photographer were driven by passion. As a creative, I think I have struggled with structure, time lines, and especially with 8-5 office time INSIDE! My mind is constantly moving, creating, sorting through the next BIG idea. How can I really help people connect emotionally to my images? Paychecks are sporadic and sometimes non-existent, but I do what I do with my whole heart. Money always finds its way to the bank and bills get paid on time, it just takes more faith than if I had a “steady” income. I couldn’t be more passionate about my time spent capturing images and I’m always on a quest to learn more and do more. I’m not sure that would be true if I was confined or limiting my creativity so that my income stream was consistent.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://flyingeaglephotography.mypixieset.com/
• Instagram: flying_eagle_photography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downslisarae/

Image Credits
Lisa Downs