Meet Ciara White | Freelance Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ciara White and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ciara, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
The long winded answer to this is I have always felt wildly misunderstood and the best way for me to express my true emotions was through art. When I was a teenager, I spent a lot of time drawing with charcoal or pastels until I was handed my first camera as a Christmas gift from my parents. It was a simple little sony point and click camera. No fancy lens, No attachments. Just a little digital camera. My friends and I would set it up on a timer and pose ourselves and have so much fun, but that camera went everywhere with me. It wasnt until I was handed my first “real” camera: a Canon Rebel T6. My first photo ever taken on it was of my son and I remembered the feeling of wanting everyone to see the world through my eyes. I spent hours every single day learning the camera, learning the lens, learning technique and watching YouTube videos to learn as much as possible with taking photos and editing. Ive primarily stayed in the realm of landscape and wildlife photography. I thrive when I can be in the mountains or in the woods in the quiet. Ive been fortunate to be able to be a stay-at-home mom for the last nearly decade and in that time all I wanted was to keep creating. I spend all my free time in nature, connecting with it and giving people a small glimpse at the world around them. I am thankful that I have the chance to take my passion and creative energy and set my own hours and schedule and get the most of my family time at the same time. Being able to have full creative control, freedom and a great work/life balance was my driving force.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In regard to my creative abilities, I think something that sets me apart is my ability to adapt in most environments and find something aesthetic anywhere I go. I spent some time in Oklahoma where there isn’t a ton of color and no cool wildlife like here in Colorado and I learned to adapt quite easily and find the beauty where some people couldn’t. My journey in photography hasn’t always been easy. Even now it isn’t easy, but my adaptability has given me a leg up, I feel. Majority of my marriage was spent as the spouse of a soldier, so we didn’t always have the finances for a big time set up and high-quality gear. I had to learn to adjust photos in lightroom and use camera RAW so that my photos always looked spot on without looking heavily edited. My biggest struggle was not being able to take the photos I envisioned taking because of budget at that time and it really made me want to quit and give up at some points. I had to force myself to push through and overcome. Looking back, I am so proud of the content I was able to push out with what I had. Today I shoot primarily with a Canon 5D Mark IV, and I am so humbled when I take a photo in the same spot I took a photo with my Canon Rebel T6 years prior and see how far I’ve come. I want the any reader to know that there is always a possibility as long as you are willing to put in the work. It doesn’t matter if you have a low budget or a high budget. If you are willing to do the work you can still succeed, just don’t give up on yourself.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love this question! If my best friend was in the area the first place I’d take her is Garden of the Gods. There is a road in there called Rampart Range Road and it takes a beat-up dirt road up the back side of the park and you get very different views. The road connects in Woodland Park and Sedalia but its only open for a certain stretch of months in the year due to the road conditions. The views are unmatched, and I hate to say it but they almost trump Pikes Peak! Another spot I’d take her is Gold Camp Road from by Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. It’s a sketchy drive but if you are safe on the dirt road its beautiful. My favorite place to go though is about 2.5 hours north to Estes Park or 3 hours and go to Grand Lake. There is a plethora of wildlife to be seen but the views are iconic. From Estes you can enter Rocky Mountain National Park and you’ll get a view of absolute serenity and peace. As far as eateries go, there is an awesome pizza place in Woodland Park called AJ’s pizza and you won’t regret it. In the springs, i highly recommend Colorado Mountain Brewery, its hands down the best place in the entire city for food and drinks. One place that is a must see is Bishops Castle. It’s a quirky castle in the middle of nowhere but Jim Bishop, the man who began building it piece by piece by hand can tell you all sorts of stories. It’s an experience that is a must!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am very inspired by other photographers in the area I live in. Jason Fazio is one of them. His work and dedication speaks volumes. I strive to be just as adventurous as he. Also, and this is a popular one, Kelly Lund and his dog Loki. Ive been following both on instagram for some time now and the way he writes and touches your soul with his work and photos is unmatched.

Instagram: instagram.com/ciara.wphotography