Nature dweller, animal lover, peace keeper, adventure seeker, chocolate eater. This humble description, depicting a person seemingly part-woodland-nymph and part-Peace-Corps-volunteer, is the first introduction, by way of her Instagram profile, many have to Vancouver-based photographer Elizabeth Gadd.
At 24 years old, she counts 54,000 followers on Facebook, 178,000 on Instagram, and 209,000 on the Canada-based photography community site 500px. Past collaborations include producing work with travel brands Air New Zealand and Fairmont Hotels, all the while staying true to what she considers her signature, describing her formula to Adorama as “nature, a subject (usually me, a self-portrait), along with elements of weather to create a feeling of magic, peace, and awe.”
Gadd is a self-taught photographer who credits the freedom of her home-schooled education for helping her to develop the independence and flexibility she now relies upon in her freelance projects. But it was a self-portrait project in 2010, involving one photo taken every day for a year, a process Gadd calls “therapeutic,” that ignited her desire to commit to the camera as a career.
Adorama spoke with Gadd to tap her insight on the topics of travel both inside and outside Canada, girls who wear gowns on Instagram, and freeing oneself from the dreaded “creative rut.”
Adorama: First things first. What is your gear setup and your usual editing workflow?
Gadd: I use Sony a7R II or a7R III, and my 3 favorite lenses: Zeiss 55mm f/1.8, Zeiss 16-35mm f/4, and Sony 135mm f/1.8. I also use a Vanguard VEO tripod, and a Vello Wireless Shutterboss remote control to set up and take my self portraits. I edit most of my photos in Adobe Lightroom. I prefer to start each edit completely fresh, with no presents or filters, and then I simply experiment. I take anywhere between 30 minutes to several hours per photo and often leave my work overnight (or for several days) so I can come back with fresh eyes and see if I still like how the image is looking. I mostly work with the light, highlights and shadows, contrast, colors and tones. I’m not one to do any major compositing as I like to keep my work as real as possible, just working to bring out the light and colors to their best potential.
Adorama: What kind of planning do you do in preparation for making a single, impactful image?
Gadd: To be honest, not much planning goes into each image. I usually have no idea what I’m going to photograph until I’m photographing it. I love hiking and exploring and spending time in nature, so I simply bring my camera gear and usually a dress in my backpack, and then I just go out and explore with no serious expectations.
My main goal is to enjoy simply being in these beautiful surroundings. If the light and weather all come together and I realize, ‘Hey, this would be a perfect opportunity for a photo,’ then I’ll set up the camera, throw on whichever outfit I have at the time, and see if I can create something magic that depicts how I feel in that exact moment.
Adorama: On your Twitter account, you admit to being an introvert, and your images obviously reflect a focus on a solo self, with one person (or, in some cases, one dog) communing with nature. What is the story you’re trying to tell?
Gadd: I find spending time with just myself (and my dog) in nature to be an extremely special time, a time where I feel like I can really connect with my own thoughts, and just simply be. I think nature has powerful peaceful and healing qualities that are important for people to spend time in and I think it’s important for everyone to find these kind of peaceful moments.
As an introvert, I find it easier to connect with myself and my surroundings when I’m alone. I tend to take most of my photos when I’m in this kind of mindset, alone and at peace. It’s a therapeutic thing, and I try to capture it with my work. I may be an introvert, but I still love spending time with friends in these places. I don’t photograph that as often, but it’s something I value deeply still, this spending time adventuring and sharing the beauty of nature with other people who appreciate it as I do.
Adorama: Your images have been licensed as covers for novels. How does it make you feel to see something born of your own vision illustrating and essentially representing the story of another?
Gadd: It’s a strange feeling! I’m always very honored and humbled when people value my work enough to want to use it to illustrate their own stories.
Adorama: What would you say to a critic who decries Instagram as a place where success is guaranteed for conventionally beautiful girls in gowns posting photos of themselves?
Gadd: Good question. I am often that exact critic! But when I think about my own work on Instagram, I know it is very personal for me. I don’t consider myself “beautiful” as, to me, the “beauty” in my work is not me, but my feelings and my stories. I’m not posting these photos to gain followers or to make my mark in the world; rather, I consider each of these images a glimpse into my thoughts, my feelings, and my passion for connection with nature.
This is my art. When I share it, I hope others can feel even a glimpse of how I felt taking each of these photos. If my work can connect deeply with even just one person (even if that person is just me), then I’m happy.
The fact that my work seems to be connecting with thousands of people on Instagram still blows me away. In fact, it becomes overwhelming to think about, so I try not to think about the “success” very much. As for all the other conventionally beautiful girls in gowns posting photos of themselves, I’m sure they each have their own stories, even if it’s as simple as looking beautiful. I suppose that’s something we all want to feel.
Adorama: Do you ever find yourself running out of image ideas, and how do you crawl out of a creative rut?
Gadd: I rarely have ideas beforehand for each image, as they just come to me on the go. But that being said, I definitely do have creative ruts, some of which will last for months at a time. I’ve come to realize that creative ruts are okay and often needed.
When I face a creative rut, I use it as an opportunity to step back and reevaluate what’s important, or use it to try putting my energy into a different form of creativity. For example, during a rut I left my camera at home and went to walk 900 kilometers (560 miles) across Spain for a month, just to give me time to think and to step outside of my comfort zone. I ended up coming back home refreshed with a whole new perspective, and that fueled me to pick up the camera again.
So now when creative ruts hit I don’t fight them. I embrace them and let them teach me something new. More often than not, my creative energy will come back stronger than before.
Adorama: You do stray beyond British Columbia, and your feed shows posts from as far afield as Machu Picchu in Peru and Mauna Kea in Hawaii. How do you decide where to go next and what draws you to a destination so much so that you *have* to go there and shoot?
Gadd: I’m drawn to so many places that it’s near impossible to decide where to go next, so I follow opportunity. If a client wants me to shoot somewhere in the world for them, I’ll use it as an opportunity to shoot some of my own work in the area as well. If I have friends traveling somewhere, I’ll use it as an opportunity to join them and save money by combining all our efforts.
There are still so many places I would absolutely love to see, but cannot afford to travel to until the right opportunity arises. The world tends to decide for me where I go and I’m happy to go along for the ride.
Adorama: What is the one thing you wish you could take on your travels, but that for space or practicality reasons, you must leave at home?
Gadd: I would love to bring my dog, Pepper. When I travel abroad, it almost feels as though I’m missing an arm or a leg! My Pepper is always loyally at my side at every second of every day when I’m at home. He joins my adventures and hiking/camping expeditions around home, but it’s not easy to travel abroad with him. My family graciously looks after him when I’m gone, but it does break my heart to leave him every time!
Adorama: Can you recommend two favorite locations photographers shouldn’t miss in or around Vancouver?
Gadd: One of my favorite locations is Golden Ears Provincial Park. This is where I’ve really fallen in love with nature over the years. Perhaps because it’s right by where I live, or maybe because it really is beautiful, but I spend a lot of time wandering the trails of the park and enjoying the quiet of the forest, the lakeside, or the mountain peaks. Another favorite location of mine is Joffre Lakes Provincial Park, about three hours north of Vancouver, where you can hike up to some gorgeous blue glacier lakes and enjoy views of the glacier and mountains all around.
Adorama: How do you see your photography evolving twenty years from now?
Gadd: Anything can happen in 20 years. Right now, self-portraits are a big part of my life, but things shift and change and perhaps my passions will evolve also. Maybe I’ll drop self-portraiture altogether and dive into photojournalism or purely landscapes or dog portraits. Maybe I’ll drop photography altogether and pursue writing or painting.
I have no idea how my work will evolve over the years, but I’m excited to see where it takes me. All I know is that I want my art to be a reflection of my thoughts as life continues, no matter what form that takes.
Check out Elizabeth’s full Through the Lens: Canada episode below:
For more inspiration, check out our Through the Lens: Canada-influenced Spotify playlist here:
