Meet Jessica Miller | WanderBird Photographi

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

Hi Jessica, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
When I was a little girl I couldn’t get enough field trips to Art Galleries and treasured spending my time adventuring the Appalachian Mountains and East Coast with my family. My love for vibrant colors, dancing light, and the natural flora and fauna spoke to me at a very early age. I was mesmerized watching Bob Ross painting his magical pictures, and would spend hours poring through Ansel Adams’ art, National Geographic, Frank Lloyd Wright’s work and Architectual Magazines. My father had his own darkroom and shared his love of nature photography with me, so when I recieved my first camera for my seventh birthday, I started taking pictures of everything that excited me about the outdoors. I continued following my passion into adulthood, developing film and spending my every waking hour in nature. By the time I went to college for photo-journalism, everything was switching over to digital and all the darkrooms were being taken out. I continued to be inspired by my love of art and nature, so I decided to pursue on my own and teach myself the latest photographic technology. I bought every book that interested me on the subject, researched and talked to many photographers/artists to gain knowledge on their methods, and spent every possible moment immersing myself in the sanctuary of the outdoors. Since then I have expanded my portfolio, sharing life wandering from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Florida Coast, from the Hawaiian Islands to Colorful Colorado. Half a lifetime later, and I’m still excited to learn, grow, and share what makes my soul soar.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My passion for capturing the world around me expanded into a business almost accidentally. Google was new and fresh on the scene (and definitely wasn’t a verb yet), cell phones had individual buttons for the numbers, and digital cameras took 3¼” floppy disks. My father was my biggest inspiration, and I began focusing on my photography as a way to be closer to him. He passed away at an early age, and as eutierria was always a passion we shared, it felt like a way to honor and connect with him. After years of portfolio building, friends and family began sharing my work with *their* friends and family, and before I knew it, I had dozens of people telling me to start a business or publish a book. Life happened, and our new baby girl, Phoenix (“Phi” Φ, our own little wanderbird, and the inspiration of the “i” in photographi), re-opened my eyes to a fresh world full of life and awesome beauty everywhere I looked, and my ever-loving husband pushed and encouraged me to sell my work publicly. Not one year later, the world of photography in general changed unimaginably as Instagram launched onto the scene, and my pool of competitors turned into a vast ocean of cellphone wielding influencers competing for likes. As an introvert artist and “classic” photographer in an Insta-world, the biggest challenge I have faced is Recognition. It is not easy in today’s short-attention-span society, and is honestly something I still work to overcome on a daily basis, by finding the magic in the mundane that everyone else overlooks. I have learned that every thing and every one has the potential to be beautiful, and I strive to share the beauty I discover through my own unique perspective painting poetic pictures. Time and patience have taught me that I’m on the right track as I have been featured, published and won contests whenever I’ve broken out of my comfort zone and put my “art on my sleeve”.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Still fairly new to Colorado, I am never disappointed over what this amazing state has to offer, you really can’t travel west of I-25 without finding something incredible to explore. Pike’s Peak, Garden of the Gods, Red Rocks Amphiteater, all have been favorite local discoveries. Absolutely first choice, my family tries to make it to Rocky Mountain National Park as much as possible, packing picnics, hiking through the majestic mountains, following winding rivers and chasing waterfalls. As an avid hiker, camper, stargazer I like to map out new trails and destinations, some historical and others just for the breathtaking views and make a weekend of it. I’m excited to discover so much more as the snow melts, exposing all the new landscapes Colorful Colorado has to offer.

I love to support local businesses, making it a point to frequent the festivals, art shows, gorgeous gardens and find fresh foods at favorite farmers markets everywhere. So many cute coffee shops, divine dive bars, and fabulous foods to try… I’m happily still hunting favorite hotspots here! I will say at the end of a long beautiful day hiking around RMNP, that the Wayfinder Restaurant in Estes, hits the spot with the tastiest bison and elk burgers any of us ever had the pleasure of eating; and the coffee at the Estes Country Market ends a perfect evening while watching the sunset sink behind the Rocky Mountains!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Ansel Adams really opened my eyes to fine art photography, with his iconic black-and-white images of the American West, and how he used his work to promote conservation of wilderness areas. I think my earliest inspiration may have been the Master of Light himself, Thomas Kinkade, his play on light and shadow always captivated and intrigued me, and motivated me to find that same beauty in the real world. While I had already begun my journey as a photographer, two of my favorite contemporary artists continue to awe and inspire me on a daily basis. Hawaii shorebreak photographer, Clark Little, who opened the world’s eyes to a whole new way to see the sea, and made me fall in love with the ocean all over again; And romantic luminist seascape painter, Walfrido Garcia, who has the uncanny ability to paint the fantastical world around us the exact same way I see it in my dreams.

Shoutout to The Beachside Resident magazine, for being my first official publication. To my parents for encouraging me to follow my dreams, and for filling my childhood with art and nature every day. My amazing husband, Garrett, who makes my adventures possible. My sweet children, Phoenix and Korbaen, who help me see the world through new eyes. Friends and family for their positive vibes along the way, spreading the word, and being some of my first paying clients. And though I already mentioned him once, to Bob Ross, for showing us all that there are no such thing as mistakes, just happy accidents.

Website: www.wanderbird.net

Instagram: instagram.com/wanderbird_photographi/