SheFeatures: Janina Wilde
Name: Janina Wilde
Camera: Canon EOS R6 Mark II
Favourite type of photography: Anything outdoors. I find the peacefulness of the outdoors is enough on its own, but being able to capture it means I see much more than I would normally, as I am really taking notice of it.
Website: janinawilde.com
Instagram: @janina_wilde1
Location: Shrewsbury, UK
How did you get into photography?
I have always had a camera since I was 19 and I was given one as a present for my first travels to Africa. Although I had an SLR and then a DSLR, I didn't get off auto mode until about 2019, just before the pandemic. Since I did my first course, there hasn't been a time when I have not been trying out new techniques, things I read about or see on Instagram or visualise in my head. These days I do need to be careful when in the car as I compose pictures as I am driving!
Read our Canon EOS R6 II Review
Do you have any photographic qualifications or accolades?
No.
What's the first photograph you remember seeing or shooting?
My Dad was into photography when I was really little (too young for me to remember) but the black-and-white photographs lived on, so they were probably the first photographs I remember. The first photographs I took were when I was in Africa on my first travels. As I had such a mind-changing trip, they document my eyes being opened to the wonders of the globe.
What do you love about photography?
The freedom to show off my creativity, I guess that's freedom of expression. I can portray the world how I see it rather than any other way. The multiple exposure techniques that I use enhance that creativity and help me to put emotion into my work rather than just create a pretty picture.
What do you wish you'd learned about photography earlier?
That you don't have to be able to paint to be artistic. I didn't think I was creative, so I didn't think photography was for me, and I could have had extra years doing it!
Where is your favourite place for photography?
Anywhere outdoors, from incredible scenery in Iceland to the local woods, it’s too hard to pick just one place.
Do you have a favourite photographic technique?
Multiple exposure, both in and out of the camera.
Can you briefly outline your approach to image processing?
My aim is to make unique images of places I have been, my image processing reflects that. It's not just what the subject looks like, it's how it makes me feel that I want to show in my images.
What's your favourite lens?
My Canon EF 100mm F2.8L IS USM Macro.
Do you have a favourite accessory?
I am not a big fan of accessories - I don't even like a tripod!
Have you found the perfect camera bag yet?
On a day-to-day basis, I love my Lowepro Tahoe BP 150.
Which photographers have influenced or inspired you, and how or why?
Pep Ventosa for being the first multiple-exposure photographer whose work I had seen and who inspired me to go out, and Jo Stephen for inspiring new techniques. However, the first photographer whose story inspired me was Lee Miller. She was an incredible pioneering photographer and she pushed the gender boundaries for women photographers.
Please recommend 2 or 3 female photographers to follow on Instagram.
@elizabethhockney3, @clare_pistache @bethshepherdphotography
Is there a camera, lens or accessory that you don't have yet but you'd like to buy at some point?
I need a 70-200 mm lens....
Is there a genre of photography that you love but that you haven't tried yet?
Intentional Camera Movement (ICM). I have dabbled briefly but haven't explored it as much as I would like.
What's your proudest photographic moment?
Being able to share my images of multiple exposures with an audience at The Photography Show.
If you could have one superpower that could help you with photography, what would it be?
To pause time when I want to rearrange an image with the same conditions or I need an extra couple of hours in the day!
Your favourite baked goods are?
A jam doughnut - is that baked? It's definitely my favourite sweet treat!
Please tell us a little about yourself.
I live in the beautiful county of Shropshire and enjoy the openness of the countryside. I teach science at a secondary school where I have honed my expertise in education, and which I recently turned towards photography as I now teach courses about multiple-exposure photography. Don't worry, you won't be treated like a teenager if you join one of my courses!
I have a particularly pampered cat called Hermie, who is the focus of many an Instagram story; I haven't yet started to use her as a model for my 'big camera', but the time is soon approaching.
I love trying new things, which is probably why the experimentation of multiple exposure suits me so well. And if all of this wasn't enough, I have also just restarted horse riding after many, many years and am enjoying the challenge.
