Meet Dena Karen Daybell | Nature photographer &. Physician

Spending time in nature really observing the environment, the light and any details which may call out to me provides most of the inspiration for my creative work. I really try to be still or optimally, melt a bit into the landscape and just observe my surroundings before choosing a composition or detail to focus on. Capturing the beauty, simplicity, peacefulness, majesty, drama or whatever emotion the scene in front of me is evoking becomes my focus. Being able to take that moment along with its emotions and capture it to share with others or just experience again myself is truly the magical aspect of photography.. I really try to let the creativity flow from within me and just let it flow rather than worrying about external factors as much. Spending time focused on a tiny flower, beautiful landscape or amazing animal puts life into perspective and reminds me that the small moments are the only moments and that we need to slow down and focus on what’s important.

I create art with my camera through photography and the editing process. I strive to capture not only the beauty of nature, but the emotions which it invokes in the viewer. Artists often talk about their creative voice, and once that develops, a photo is recognizable as being created by that artist. It’s really not something that you can create, it has to be found or developed over time and it’s a journey which continues to evolve. My mantra has been “Let the photos take me” from the beginning of my journey when I was a bit clueless on the direction I was to go. I feel like my creative voice embraces soft, dreamy, peaceful movement and beauty more often than not with a bit of drama thrown in at times. I find a lot of joy in creating custom art pieces for a person or space and am so thankful to be able to share my work professionally.

Wilmington, North Carolina is a small historic beach town located on Cape Fear and surrounded by the Intercoastal Waterway, barrier islands and the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Cape Fear river on the other. A visit to Wilmington has to start with the beach or a boat ride to see the beautiful coastline. There are a lot of shorebirds and coastal marshlands to explore. The Oceanic Restaurant provides local seafood and Southern fare on a pier with an amazing ocean view. The Bridge Tender is also a popular waterfront restaurant where you can watch the boats going by.  Airlie gardens is a favorite stop to see the live oaks, gardens and it has lots of birding opportunities. Downtown Wilmington has a lot of historic buildings and amazing places to eat, drink and shop.

I’d like to shoutout the amazing community of women photographers out there who have been nothing short of amazing in terms of support and mentorship.  Years ago I found this special group of women with The Click Community (formerly Clickin’ Moms which is an online forum and photography community) with classes, retreats, and feedback opportunities, and then also through other women’s photography retreats and friendships which have formed both in person and online. These women are my people and our shared passion for photography and the hours spent shooting together have been such a vital source of encouragement for me. My husband, friends and family also have been so supportive of my photography journey and my desire to be photographing nature every chance I get.