Cotton's Interview with a Photographer:  Kahli Hindmarsh

Cotton's Interview with a Photographer: Kahli Hindmarsh

 

What does wanderlust really mean? Well if you take one look at Kahli Hindmarsh's work you will know. Her work speaks for itself so prepare to feel awe struck! Without further ado here is the next installment of our "Interview with a Photographer series" featuring Kahli Hindmarsh.

Cotton Carrier: Where do you call home? 

Kahli Hindmarsh: I’m originally from Australia, but now spend my time between Canada and New Zealand.

CC: How long have you taken photographs for unprofessionally and professionally? 

Kahli: I took a photography course in high school with a film camera and developing in a dark room, however I didn’t really do much with it, instead pursuing a career in graphic design. When I moved to Canada, I started snapping pictures of the mountains with a point and shoot, then decided to buy a decent camera in 2014.

CC: How would you define your style as a photographer? 

Kahli: I mostly shoot landscape and nightscapes, hoping to capture unique light and showcase the beauty of the incredible places around us.

CC: Have you ever gone to photography school? 

Kahli: Just a basic course in high school but I’m mainly self taught, spending a lot of time on trial and error in the field and “googling” techniques online.

CC: Where is your favorite place or thing to shoot?

Kahli: It’s so hard to pick a favourite but anywhere with mountains is high on the list! As I grew up on the beach, I find the contrast of the mountain environment so breathtaking.
CC: What Camera(s) / Lenses do you use?

Kahli: Canon 6D. Canon F/4 24-105mm. Canon F/4-5.6 75-300mm. Rokinon F/1.8 20mm. Tokina F/2.8 16-28mm

CC: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done to get “The Shot”?

Kahli: Probably a 50km ice skate across a frozen lake in the Canadian Rockies in search of bubbles frozen in the ice. It was crazy to be in the backcountry with nothing but ice skates and a camera! The bubbles weren’t the best I’ve seen but it was more about the adventure anyway. What made it crazier is that I can barely stand on ice skates but somehow I made it! 

CC: Who has inspired you as a photographer?

Kahli: There’s so much incredible talent out there today and I’m constantly finding new amazing photographers to draw inspiration from. However without a doubt my main inspiration is Paul Zizka. He inspired me to first pick up the camera and has been a great mentor and friend to me.

CC: What advice would you tell an aspiring photographer?

Kahli: Practice practice practice! You can’t expect results just because you bought a good camera or read a couple of books. The only way to really learn is to get out there with your camera and enjoy learning how it works and what your style is! 

CC: Can you share a photographic resource you personally use?

Kahli: We’re so lucky to have so many fantastic resources available on the internet today. I’m continually researching different things and I feel like there’s always more to learn. I’m fortunate to be a contributor in a fantastic online photography community, OFFBEAT, which is full of so many supportive and knowledgeable people in every genre you can think of! 

CC: How has photography shaped your day to day?

Kahli: Photography for me is a great excuse to get outside and explore. I’ve always been fascinated in the natural world anyway, and crave being outdoors, but photography has given more purpose to exploring my surroundings. It’s a good excuse to get off the couch, no matter the weather and find an interesting shot. It has also been a great way to meet likeminded people from all over the world. I love being able to share my knowledge and inspire others to get out and find their creativity.


CC: Where has photography taken you, and made you experience? 

Kahli: I’m lucky to live in some pretty spectacular places, so a lot of my time is spent close to home with the occasional stopover further afield. I have some exciting international destinations planned for 2019. The main thing photography has made me experience is countless nights watching the Aurora Borealis dance across the sky. No matter how many time you see it, it still takes your breath away! 

CC: Any exciting photographic events in coming up you’d like to share? 

Kahli: I will be heading to Antartica in March next year to join One Ocean’s Photography Symposium along with some other amazing photographers. I can’t wait to experience that untouched part of the world. I’m also hoping to head to Northern Canada later this year in search of the Northern Lights

    Check out Kahli's work @

     instagram facebook @kahliaprilphoto www.kahliaprilphoto.com