We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Annette Stiers Jones. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Annette below.

Hi Annette, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I started on my journey to become a landscape photographer in January 2023. I had just quit my job in engineering, in search of something that brought greater joy and meaning to my life. I spent a couple months looking for answers, and then it just came to me. Landscape photography seemed the perfect Venn diagram of my capabilities in math, science, and art, and of what I enjoy doing – being outdoors in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

I have learned so much in two short years. I’m very proud of the diverse subject matter I can shoot with skill: the Milky Way, star trails, moon and sun alignments, the aurora, the eclipse, waterfalls, and sunsets.

I had some background in photography as a kid, but most of what I’ve learned about landscape photography has been from other people and hands on experience shooting. I’ve done workshops led by other photographers, taken classes at Photographic Center Northwest, seminars at Glazer’s camera, online classes, and of course YouTube. I’ve also joined various photographer groups where I can get constructive criticism of my work. And I’ve spent countless hours studying the work of other landscape photographers, getting inspiration for composition and subject matter.

The skill I think is essential for landscape photography is to become fluent with your camera. Knowing inside and out how to operate your camera in full manual and how to make changes quickly is key. The choice light at sunset doesn’t last long; you need to be able to set up and fire away without delay.

To speed up learning, I think it’s critical to realize the things you are struggling with time and again and then seek out someone to help you with that. I definitely experienced that with moon photography. I struggled for a long time getting sharp images with my 600 mm lens, and all it took was a quick tip from a great moon photographer to help me level up my game.

My main obstacles to learning more are time and money! I’ve had my eye on more classes, but it’s key to pace things out and prioritize the most important goals.

Annette, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am Annette Stiers Jones. I am a landscape photographer based in Washington state, specializing in landscapes of the Pacific Northwest.

I know people are missing the peace and beauty of nature in their everyday lives. I create works of art that capture fleeting moments of beauty in nature, allowing my clients to bring the great outdoors into their home. I’ve photographed countless iconic images of the mountains, lakes, waterfalls, and hiking trails of the entire Pacific Northwest. If you are looking for stunning fine art images to bring the great outdoors into your home, I have it for you.

I take special care to make sure my product offerings present nature’s beauty in the most vibrant and authentic way. I offer fine art prints for archival quality, wall art for epic standout presentations, and keepsakes. I also offer greeting cards by request and calendars by special order.

I am most proud of the diversity of subject matter I have photographed, including some of the most technically challenging subjects: the Milky Way, star trails, and moon and sun alignments. You will find a great variety of stunning images in my portfolio.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

There is of course the gold standard of support, to purchase art directly from the artist. But I think there are definitely other ways I would like to highlight.

Kind words are so appreciated. One of the direct messages I received from a stranger was to say, “Your fabulous photos allow me to travel where my 87 year-old body can’t take me anymore…and enable me to enjoy the beauty of the Pacific Northwest again.” That really meant a lot to me, and I think of that often when I’m out taking photos. I cherish the ability to be where I am at that moment.

I would also on the flip side of that, discourage the negative comments. I am especially frustrated by false accusations of fake photos/AI on social media. There is a lot of fake AI images out there, so I do understand the skepticism. But it is doubly frustrating to someone such as myself who put the time and effort into a real photo. If you’re not sure something is real, ask questions; seek to understand. 600 mm lenses can take some really epic photos that you can’t take with just a cell phone.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The first Milky Way photo I ever took was up at Fremont Lookout at Mount Rainier National Park. I knew that the Milky Way was going to align vertically with the mountain late that night, and the weather was looking clear. I drove up to the trailhead, and it was already dark out. I grabbed my gear and headlamp, and started hiking, determined to get to my planned viewpoint. It’s a little unnerving, hiking out in the wild at night. But, undeterred I continued on for 3 miles. When I reached the lookout, there were a couple other photographers there. But as they were wrapping up, I was just getting started. Soon I had the lookout all to myself. It’s an amazing experience, standing there alone looking at this giant volcano, and seeing the Milky Way just as planned rising above it. I struggled for a long time getting focus, but finally got what I needed. At 3 AM I finally finished, packed up my gear and headed 3 miles back. I began to see sunrise hikers passing by me, on their way up. It definitely took some courage to make this shot happen, but I’m so glad I did.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.annettestiersjonesphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annettesjphoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annettesjphoto