Interview with Photographer: Winston Rockwell

“Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second.” 
― Marc Riboud

Photographer- Winston Rockwell

18/05/2015 Lily Steele

Lily: Please describe yourself for our readers.

Winston: I am a landscape and nature photographer living in the Puget Sound area. I was born and raised in this part of the country, and grew up enjoying the outdoors. Now, I seek to preserve the beauty and diversity of our region in my images, and to share that beauty with my viewers.

I use natural subjects for my work – landscapes, seascapes, streams and wildlife. I strive to capture the beauty and variety of nature in images that encourage an emotional response to the world around us, whether it’s the tranquility of a gentle stream, the awe-inspiring grandeur of a majestic alpine vista, or simply a renewed appreciation for the beauty of an everyday object.

Lily: What’s your favorite piece of work that you have created?

Winston: Probably either "Refraction" or "Ethereal". "Refraction" is one of my all time favorites simply because of what it is, and the fact that it was published in National Geographic magazine. "Ethereal" is one of the most inspiring images I've made, and is my best-selling image by far.

           

"Refraction"

                       

"Ethereal"

                                                              

Lily: What are you working on at the moment?

Winston: I don't have a specific project going - I rarely do. Mostly, I just take my camera(s) out and photograph whatever strikes my fancy. Sometimes I go somewhere with a specific goal in mind, a shot I'm particularly interested in, such as a sunset or sunrise at a specific location, or a waterfall, or some particular spot where I'm fairly sure to find a bird or animal I want to photograph, but most times, I leave myself open to whatever subjects and compositions present themselves.

Lily: What are your goals for the future, both work-wise and life?

Winston: As far as my photography is concerned, I'd really like to broaden my audience. I've  been showing in galleries and other venues in the Seattle/Puget Sound area, but would love to open some new markets. In terms of life goals, well, I'm retired, so most of life's normal milestones are behind me, I suppose. That leaves just becoming rich and famous before I die! On a more realistic note, I'm planning to move to Roseburg in southwestern Oregon in a year or so, which should open up a whole new world of photographic opportunities for me, and probably will allow me to expand into some of the galleries out along the Oregon coast as well...

Lily: What are you doing when you're not creating?

Winston: Define "creating"! Actually, when I'm not out actively capturing images - which I try to do as much as possible, when the weather permits - I spend a good deal of time editing and processing (which I suppose counts as part of the creative process...), sorting, and so forth, as well as sharing images on photography forums online. My cat demands her share of my time as well...

Lily: What (other) hobbies do you have?

Winston: Photography is pretty much it. I'm one of those who gets very wrapped up in my hobbies, and nature photography is my passion, so that's what I do. I don't really have the time or creative energy for other hobbies.

Lily: What would people be surprised to learn about you?

Winston: I've had absolutely no formal training in photography - none! Everything I know I've learned from reading, talking to other photographers, looking at other people's images and asking questions, and experimenting on my own.

Lily: Do you have any favorite blogs you read?

Winston: Not really... I do follow a number of photographic forums, but that's about it.

Lily: Where else do you sell your work?

Winston: I sell mainly on FineArtAmerica.com, and also direct sales to customers who find my website and contact me to order prints. Occasionally I'll get an order from friends or acquaintances, and I've had some success in the past selling my work at galleries in the area.

Lily: Where else can we find you? (Blog, website, twitter, facebook etc)

Winston: I have a personal website, http://www.northwestnaturalimagery.com, and also a Facebook page, at https://www.facebook.com/northwestnaturalimagery.

Lily: What else should we know about you and your work?

Winston: What you see in my images is what I saw. I don't believe in modifying images in Photoshop, beyond basic enhancements to color saturation, contrast and sharpness. I don't add things that weren't there, nor as a rule do I remove things that were. Some photographers do a lot of digital manipulation to their images, and that's fine, but it's not my style - I want you to see the beauty of nature, not my Photoshop skills!

Lily: Do you have any tips or inspiring words for others?

Winston: Pursue your dreams. Follow your passion. Do what you love. You may never get rich at it, but you'll never regret the effort. Spend less time worrying about your 401k and more time with your family - no one ever lay  on their deathbed wishing they'd spent more time at the office!

Lily: Do you admire any artists / photographers? (Famous or not!)

Winston: There are a number of photographers whose work I admire, but Marc Adamus, Galen Rowell and Art Wolfe come to mind...

Lily: Color?

Winston: Probably some shade of blue...

Lily: Animal?

Winston: Osprey. Or maybe eagle...

Lily: Season?

Winston: No contest - autumn. I love the colors!

Lily: Movie?

Winston: The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Lily: Book?

Winston: Just about anything by Jack McDevitt...

Lily: Photos?

Winston: Aside from "Refraction" and "Ethereal", I've always had a soft spot for "October Reflection", since it was the first large print I sold... it was a 20x30, purchased by a tourist from South Korea! "Ecola Vista" is another favorite (looks fabulous printed at 18x48 and hung over a mantel or the back of a sofa!), along with "Afterglow" and "Pacifica"... I could go on, but you'd run out of room! 

    

"October Reflection"

                         

"Ecola Vista"

                                                                                   

"Afterglow"

     

                                                                                

"Pacifica"

To view more of Winston Rockwell's works: 

http://northwestnaturalimagery.com/

http://www.nwac.co/winston-rocky-rockwell.html 

Author's Bio:
Writer and Owner of NW Artist Connection: Lily Steele

A friend of mine asked me recently what am I most passionate about?

I have to say that I find great passion in helping inspire other people. Seeing someone’s face light up when they realize that their dream is achievable. When they spent so long believing that they were not good enough so why even bother to try? There is always going to be doubt. We can entertain those thoughts but we cannot allow the doubt become our anchor. So many of us find hold ups to stop ourselves from succeeding. But, usually when we take that leap of faith and go for it, we find that what we thought impossible just became possible. As soon as I hear a person’s idea for their potential masterpiece my brain goes crazy thinking about what would help them get closer to their goal.

The Law of Attraction is a huge passion of mine. It’s amazing how we grow up believing that you can’t just make things happen. That’s make believe they say…But if you look at almost every form of religion you will find that they all say the same thing. That if you have faith and trust in a higher power you will be rewarded with wealth and their prayers being answered. What they don’t say is that it all comes from your vibrations that we put out to the universe. Faith backed by a burning desire, and daily visualization and focusing on the feeling of your goal as if its already a reality is what manifests it. If we send out negativity we get that back and vice versa. What you think about you bring about essentially. I find that if I practice being grateful for what I already have, it allows more opportunities to come into my realm of possibilities to be grateful for. Life always seems to send you the most lovely things when you least expect it that way. As a good friend of mine says “You must be like the river and flow”…As I delve deeper into learning how to tap into a higher consciousness, I have decided to enact pay it forward Mondays to start the week off with a smile and improving someone’s day along the way. This world certainly has enough negativity, what’s wrong with spreading a little positivity and love?

Allow me to share a story that a friend told me years ago.

Two mice are hanging out in this room and every day they are brought new cheese. Then one day, the cheese stops coming. The cheese they have had for so long was gone. They were starting to starve. Then one of the mouse noticed another door that was open that wasn’t there before, and he wanted to go see what was on the other side of that door. So he tells the other mouse about the door, and the other mouse says no I am not going anywhere! They will feed me soon they always do. So the first mouse says that he doesn't want to stay and die he’s leaving and going to the next room. Sure enough when he gets into the next room there is a big plate of cheese and a fresh bottle of water. Moral of the story is that you can stay stuck in your head and suffer. Or chose to step outside ourselves and face the fear head on and grow.

Lily Steele
Creative Director

NW Artist Connection
Where Artists and Communities United (425)212-7397

http://www.Lily@nwac.co
http://www.nwac.co