Hello and welcome! My name is Charlotte and I am a photographer whose goal is create images that embody who I am as an artist and to inspire others to find their inner passion for self expression.
I spend most of my time with my head in the clouds, daydreaming, trying to imagine the next photo I want to make. What you will find here are the images I release, why they were created, as well as how some of my photos were made. I will also be posting behind-the-scenes as well as practical approaches to embracing a lifestyle of creativity. I am not a writer by any means but rather a photographer who wants to share my love for imaginative photography and I hope I can inspire you along the way.
Testing out my Rolleiflex medium format camera.
I live in Fairbanks, Alaska with my husband and daughter and recently graduated with my Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography. It only took me 15 years! At that pace I could get my masters by the time I'm 60. (I can literally hear my husband groan as I type this). In all seriousness, he is my biggest supporter and my artistic journey wouldn't be possible without him. *Insert heart eyes emoji*
As a Fairbanksan, I didn't make it too far from my home town. I grew up on the outskirts of Nenana, Alaska which, if you’ve driven past it, is pretty much a blip of a town. It felt like living in the middle of nowhere, which perfectly suited me as a child as my wish was seclusion. Nenana provided a unique backdrop of solitude combined with the freedom to explore the great outdoors. I could be deep in the wilderness of Alaska if I walked out my door and headed any direction for 10 minutes. Our family took full advantage of this throughout my childhood by camping, hunting, fishing, and snowmachining; your typical Alaskan childhood.
Creating art was second nature to me as a child. My mom was always doodling and creating beautiful things in our home; whether pressing flowers or beading, anything she touched she made more beautiful. I grew up wanting to emulate that in my own life, and was always encouraged to do so throughout my childhood. My mom was my first art teacher and she taught me that I could make something wonderful out of nothing.
My mom was also my first costume designer; the love of dressing up and becoming someone or something else has followed me into adulthood. Her sewing skills crafted many a Halloween costume but I'd be lying if I told you they were only used for Halloween. I was probably the most elaborately dressed kid in my Kindergarten/ First Grade class.
I'm still in love with costumes and should buy stock in Value Village where I find most of my outfits for composite photos (is that my husband groaning again?). I've always wanted to work for a costume department at a theater company so I could steal costumes. Picture it: me wearing a giant shirt with fifty costumes stuffed under it. There are worse ways to go down honestly.
I took a film photography class in high school back before digital camera's where even a thing. I graduated in [information redacted]. I'm sure you could fathom a guess as to what era I grew up in by all the amazing home decor in the photos above. Check out that green kitchen linoleum! (Raphael was obviously the best Ninja Turtle by the way).
Photography was something I dabbled in for a long time, shooting here and there but never really settling into it until 2014. I bought a medium format camera and took a darkroom film class at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and haven't stopped since. The time spent away from photography was necessary as I felt like I didn't have anything to say in my earlier work. Time and distance allowed me to figure out who I was as a person and a photographer.
