SheFeatures: Paula Wilks
Name: Paula Wilks
Camera: Sony A7RV
Favourite type of photography: Landscape, nature and wildlife
Website: paulawilks.com
Instagram: @saxtraction
Location: London, UK
How did you get into photography?
I started carrying a camera as motivation to walk more and be more active.
Do you have any photographic qualifications or accolades?
I don’t have any formal photography qualifications, but I was recently made a Lensbaby Ambassador.
Read our Guide to the Best Lensbaby Lenses and find out what a Lensbaby is
What's the first photograph you remember seeing or shooting?
I can remember photos before this, but for my recent interest in photography, it was a misty photo of trees in Greenwich Park that got me hooked.
What do you love about photography?
The almost meditative quality when you get into the zone with a shoot.
What do you wish you'd learned about photography earlier?
Just try it - doesn't matter if you get it wrong.
Where is your favourite place for photography?
By the sea.
Do you have a favourite photographic technique?
Using Lensbaby Omni kit, especially combined with long exposure.
Can you briefly outline your approach to image processing?
I take everything through Adobe Lightroom, discard all the ones that didn't work and adjust levels etc. Then I make a second pass with some more detailed masking and refinements. I will then take some photos into Photoshop to work on specific areas.
What's your favourite lens?
The one I use most often is Sony FE 50mm F2.5 G.
Read our Guide to the Best Lensbaby Lenses
Do you have a favourite accessory?
That’s easy, the Lensbaby Omni system.
Have you found the perfect camera bag yet?
I have a ThinkTank Urban Access 15 backpack that works well for me.
Which photographers have influenced or inspired you, and how or why?
I love the subtlety and beauty of Jo Stephen's work. Kieran Metcalfe (@kiers on Twitter) has got me thinking about using portrait orientation more.
Please recommend 2 or 3 female photographers to follow on Instagram.
@joannunaki, @my_beautiful_scotland and @jocelyhorsfall
Is there a camera, lens or accessory that you don't have yet but you'd like to buy at some point?
Something high-end and properly weatherproof.
Is there a genre of photography that you love but you haven't tried yet?
Underwater.
What's your proudest photographic moment?
Becoming a Lensbaby Ambassador.
If you could have one superpower that could help you with photography, what would it be?
To click my heels and instantly be back at the car so I wouldn't be forced to pack up for fear of having to traipse back over rough paths in the dark.
Your favourite baked goods are?
Cinnamon bun.
Please tell us a little about yourself.
I'm a middle-aged late-starter photographer. My education and profession are very much science-based; my hobbies are artistic (photography and music). My initial joy in photography was that it took me out and about and I saw beautiful parts of the countryside that I otherwise might have missed. Since joining SheClicks that joy is still there, but coupled with sharing some of the joy with others. I don't have any set plans or ambitions for my photography other than to keep enjoying it and see where it takes me.
Read Paula’s thoughts on the Lensbaby Sweet 22
