Date of birth: 30th of November 1966
How did you become passionate about nature photography?
Nature has always had an enormous attraction to me. As a child I liked to stroll through nature. My dad gave me his old analog SLR camera and it was love at first sight. My passion for macro photography started years later in our garden and after experimenting for a short time, I left the garden and went into nature again to discover more. It makes me very happy and it gives me inner peace, but also a lot of energy.
What do you take with you on a photoshoot?
Besides my Nikon D700, Macrolens 105mm and Lensbaby I always take my umbrella with me to keep my subjects in the shade. I also bring along a ‘bankstick’, which makes it possible to lift the umbrella so I can use it for higher subjects.
What subject do you prefer to photograph and why?
I love everything in nature and I like to create my own perspective on subjects. So there is not a specific subject I prefer. I like weed as much as I like flowers. And fallen leaves or broken ferns as much as I like toadstools. I just go into the field with an open mind and let nature surprise me. That’s what makes me happy and makes my creativity flow.
What is your favorite nature preserve?
There are several areas in Holland where I like to go to. In springtime I love to go to the small Amelisweerd forest. During autumn I prefer the beautiful colors in the Amerongse Bos and Speulderbos. The Leersumse Veld is always a beautiful place to visit with great variety of nature. During spring I also like to visit Hallerbos in Belgium.
What is your favorite shooting position?
It really doesn’t matter as long as it gives me a nice background and light conditions. Sometimes I have to move my body in an impossible twist to get this.
Which nature photographer do you admire?
There are so many inspiring photographers in the Netherlands and abroad. I love photographers who are passionate and creative in their work and pushing boundaries. It’s important that a picture touches me regardless who took the picture.
What quality must a nature photographer absolutely have?
Passion and patience, these two qualities are in my opinion fundamental for being creative.
Which light situation do you prefer?
I like to work with different light situations. That means that I use the beautiful morning glories or sunsets but also the light in the middle of the day. During sunny hours you can get warm and intense colors by putting the subject in the shade and playing with the light in the background.
Which setting do you prefer: Manual-Aperture Priority-Shutter Priority?
For macro photography I always use aperture priority mode because I like to be in charge of my depth of field. Besides this I work with under- and over exposure.
In percentage terms how much time do you take to create an image and to process the image?
I always try to make the image ready to print into the field. That can be in a few seconds but also an hour or more. So 95 % is creating and the rest is post processing.
Which processing program do you use?
I use Nikon Transfer for transferring the pictures. After transferring I use Adobe Lightroom for post processing.
Do you have any advice for future nature photographers?
Enter nature open minded and be surprised. Shoot not only with your head but also with your heart. Dare to try and dare to be different. Go ‘out of your box’ every now and then.
You can find out more about Andrea Gulickx on her website: http://www.andreagulickx-photography.nl/