Meet Jeanie Sumrall-Ajero | Nature Photographer & Fabric Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jeanie Sumrall-Ajero and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jeanie, what makes you happy? Why?
I’m happiest whenever I’m in nature and/or being creative. Nature has always had a calming effect on me. Whenever I’m stressed, a simple walk outside can take that stress down a notch or two. If I have time for a couple of nights camping, so much the better! I’m intensely curious about the natural world, so I almost always find something that fills me with wonder. It could be something like the sound of elk bugling across the valley during the rut or the intense green of new growth after a hillside has been blackened by wildfire or a bird puffed up to three times its normal size during a winter cold snap. It seems like wherever I put my attention, I find something that piques my curiosity. And once I took up photography, I learned to look at things at an even deeper level which has served to increase my sense of wonder and awe.

My creative time puts me in a flow state that helps to quiet the chatter in my brain. That’s not to say that creativity means instant happiness, but not allowing myself creative time is a sure-fire way to make me UNhappy. I’ve found the most rewarding creative time is when I go into it without any expectations because expectations really are the thief of joy!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My career has been quite circuitous. I started my professional life as a software engineer in a large tech company that gave me the opportunity to learn product marketing and project management as well. Then I took a 180-degree turn to become a massage therapist. When an opportunity to teach English in Vietnam presented itself, I jumped at the chance. Upon returning home, I found myself learning the art of digital photo restoration and life came full circle a couple of years later when I started a small software company with the help of my sister and later my husband.

The software, Kaleidoscope Kreator, was very simple: it made kaleidoscope designs from photos and we sold it into the crafting market. I was published in numerous books and magazines and made appearances on PBS television, created designs for fabric, quilts and machine embroidery and won awards for some of my quilts. Unfortunately, my drive to succeed came at immense personal cost and I burned out. When my best friend called me one day and said, “Jeanie, you have to stop! I’m watching you kill yourself.” I knew she was speaking the truth. It took me a couple of years to figure out how exactly to “stop”, but eventually that took the form of a self-imposed sabbatical from which I never returned.

I wouldn’t wish burnout on my worst enemy. I felt like my life was standing still while the world marched on without me, but I took the time to do a lot of soul searching and figure out how I had gotten to that point. I started by making a few lists. The first was taking a look at the things I had been doing that I still found joy in. The second list was everything that I’d been doing that was sucking my soul dry. That list was disproportionately long compared to the first list and it became clear why I had burned out. My third list was things that I used to enjoy doing, but had stopped doing because I allowed the business to take over my life. Photography was one of the things on that list.

And so, I picked up photography again and dove in with more focus and intent than I had previously. I joined a photo challenge and learned as much as I could about different photographic styles and techniques. Eventually I figured out my preferences (nature) and dislikes (portraiture). Given my technical background, it didn’t take long for me to learn the techniques, but once I was comfortable with those I took on the more challenging task of infusing “feeling” into my photos. I feel like this will be my life-long obsession: how to translate a full sensory experience into a 2D image.

I do photography first and foremost for the experiences. It gets me out in nature (my happy place) and helps me to be more mindful and in tune with my surroundings. Before I took up photography, I thought people that experienced life through a camera viewfinder were missing out on “real life”. Now I know differently. I have no doubt that I experience life more deeply because I take photos.

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?
We would explore the great outdoors, starting in Rocky Mountain National Park. If it’s open, we would head up Old Fall River Road to the tundra. Once up there, we’d explore the tundra flowers and watch the pikas and marmots for a while and then head back down Trail Ridge Road. In the fall we would definitely stay into the evening hours to watch the elk rut. In the winter, we’d hike/snowshoe up to The Loch.

Next we might check out Mount Blue Sky (in the summer) to look for mountain goats and big horn sheep. Or perhaps we would check out Waterton Canyon or Rocky Mountain Arsenal – both great places for wildlife viewing. In my immediate area there is Horsetooth Mountain and Horsetooth Reservoir with lots of recreational activities. There is no shortage of outdoor adventures to be had!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband, my sister and my best friend have all be pivotal at different times and in different ways to help me through life’s inevitable rough patches. My husband has always encouraged me to follow my dreams, my sister has been there whenever I need to work through my limiting beliefs that developed in childhood, and my best friend has seen me at my worst and never once wavered in her love and support. More recently I’ve found myself included in a small group of women who came together through a love of nature photography and have stuck together to encourage each other to reach for our dreams.

Website: https://www.thedigitaljeanie.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedigitaljeanie

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDigitalJeanie

Image Credits
Portrait by Nancy Kurokawa. All other images are mine.