We recently connected with Rachel Carter and have shared our conversation below.

Rachel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?

I manage my own social media – and I absolutely love Instagram. People usually laugh when I say that, because I think it’s pretty unexpected coming from me. I’m not trendy, and I’m not an expert at anything computer related!

It wasn’t until June of 2021 that I really got into it, and it was definitely a pivot for me. Up until then I dabbled with social media like most folks, but I had an absurd and tiny accident that changed the course of my entire summer.

For several weeks I could only use one hand, and I could barely type on a computer. I turned to Instagram and began connecting with other photographers and ocean lovers in new ways. From there I found myself in an amazing and supportive online network of artists and people who felt the same way that I did about protecting the environment. Not only have I made incredible online friends from all over the world, I have learned a ton from other people and enjoy getting to hear their perspectives on things.

Instagram to me is not just a way for me to showcase my work, but moreso a place to get plugged in and be inspired by others.

You’ll see me say often, Instagram Stories is one of my favorite features. The responses make me laugh, I learn so much, and I enjoy connecting with everyone!

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 background and context?

Photography for me is a full-time passion and a part-time job. I don’t remember a time where I didn’t take photos. My mom put me in art & photography classes at an art museum by the time I was 8. By 9 I had made a pinhole camera out of an oat canister and was developing the film paper in a darkroom.

While I’ve dabbled in all kinds of photography (mostly just to learn and challenge myself!) the photos I’m most passionate about are landscape, specifically waterscapes, and surfing photography. When I can combine sunrise/sunset and surfing, those are my most favorite images to create.

Since the late 90’s I’ve been a Canon shooter, but last year I picked up a couple Fujifilm mirrorless cameras to take on smaller adventures and they are so fun! I also use my iPhone camera a ton. Often I am asked how I choose which camera I’m going to use, and really it comes down to my objective, meaning: 1) how much editing do I want to do on this image? 2) do I need a specific lens? I’ve had photos from my iPhone, the Fujifilm and of course my Canon cameras all published in magazines. The camera is just a tool for you to create your vision.

For a few years I was writing on photography tips, but I’ve been on hiatus since the accident with my hand. Every time someone tells me how much a post has helped them, I’m so inspired to write more, but it just hasn’t happened yet. I’m a big believer in diving into the season you’re currently in, and I know one day I’ll get back to another season of blogging photo tips.

One thing I absolutely tried to be transparent on my website was showcasing the cameras/lenses I’ve used for which images. When I’ve looked around for lenses specifically, I felt like that was something I really wanted to see more of before I purchased/rented the lens.

I believe photography can be a journey, an outlet, and bring healing. My goal for my work is for it to disrupt negativity and give hope and inspiration. Whether that be a reminder of nature’s beauty, motivate someone to get outside, or encourage others on their own creative journey.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I use the word pivoting quite often…as it seems to happen so much in my life. When things are not looking good or a big change is on the horizon, I try to remember the past pivots that I’m so grateful for.

Hurricane Florence (a four day storm that wreaked havoc on the coast where I live) was a major pivot for me. We prepped for 7 days, and I didn’t go into it thinking about the documentation piece. I ended up videoing as much as I could from my iPhone, and going up to the top of the house to try to get a signal to upload them to Instagram. A neighbor had sent me some hashtags to use, and I honestly had no idea the videos were getting hundreds of thousands of views. We had no internet and were living on generator power in a constant storm with no sleep. It was while I was uploading a video that I received a phone call from CBS News asking where I was and if they could use my footage. For months after Hurricane Florence people would come up to me and say thank you, that my videos gave them peace because evacuating and leaving your home is an extremely difficult thing to do.

The entire experience taught me so much about communications (which I had zero knowledge of), and the importance of it. It inspired me to attend Duke University for a certificate program on Digital Media & Marketing. Ironically, this was the first formal computer class I’d ever taken! These classes gave me an entirely new perspective on learning and has exponentially improved my communication skills in my full time job as well. I even went on to take a writing class with a published author a couple years later.

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 believe that we were all made to create. While an artist who paints or sculpts, a storyteller or a filmmaker might be the most obvious, people are actually creating all the time and not even realizing it. I’ve had some of the best problem solvers tell me they have no creativity!!!

The word “creative” and “artist” are not equivalent and I would be thrilled if I could convince more people who felt “non-creative” of this.

Before I took that writing course, I knew I was a terrible writer, and I thought it was because I had no talent for writing. What I actually learned was that writing is a discipline, and while some have more talent than others, it’s a skill that must be practiced first and foremost.

When I first started answering the interview questions, I thought “my story isn’t that interesting” but through writing this out I’m starting to think it might be more helpful to someone than I initially thought. Who knew?!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rachelcarterimages.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelcarterimages/

Image Credits
John Scott