Simone Steuxner
Name: Simone Steuxner
Camera: Canon EOS R3 , Canon EOS 5D Mark IV , Canon EOS 90D
Favourite type of photography: Wildlife, nature and macro
Location: Sweden
Website: behance.net/simonesteuxner
Instagram: @simonesteuxnerphotography
How did you get into photography?
I started in the analogue times in 1995 and loved it. My Canon EOS 50E travelled the world with me. I had a break of 25 years when the first digital cameras came out. I could not afford it, and I honestly was too scared of the digital side too. During the pandemic I took a leap of faith and jumped right back in again and never looked back since. I focused on (and still am) learning everything digital. I love my cameras and what you can achieve withthem today. Why was I so scared?
Do you have any photographic qualifications or accolades?
I am self-taught from the beginning, but today, it´s much easier to learn with not only books and trial-and-error but all the YouTube tutorials you can watch. Pus online courses and so on.
What's the first photograph you remember seeing or shooting?
Growing up in Austria / Tyrol, my first pictures were of the mountain landscape in front of me and the flower fields surrounding our house. I had no idols or gurus I could look up to and learn from.
What do you love about photography?
I love nature and wildlife photography, animals and macro photography, and in winter, I can´t wait to head out and photograph the northern lights. And I love to take pictures of my sledgedogs. What you will nearly never find in my pictures are people.
What I love the most is that you can use it for conservation photography. Raising awareness for the beauty of planet earth, mother nature and all the animals. Changing the world one picture at a time is my goal.
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What do you wish you'd learned about photography earlier?
I wish I had a friend or like-minded person in my life who would like to share knowledge and adventures. I would have loved to learn everything about macro photography from a professional.
Where is your favourite place for photography?
Right now, I am homebound, so the answer would be the nature that surrounds me, the forests and tundra - moors. But I love to travel and can´t wait to go on adventures again. My favourites are New Zealand or, more doable right now, the north of Sweden, Norway or Finland.
Do you have a favourite photographic technique?
I have more than one, so I would say macro and landscape - northern lights. I don´t know if that´s exactly a technique, but that’s what I love most.
Can you briefly outline your approach to image processing?
My goal is always to get it as right in camera as possible. I use Lightroom and use it for the basics like adjusting the highlights, shadows, cropping and so on. I am still learning to edit.
What's your favourite lens?
My favourite lenses are the Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM and the EF 100mm macro.
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Do you have a favourite accessory?
Given I live in northern Sweden, I probably should say mosquito spray, but I love the ECKLA-CamDisk (a camera stand), which lets you get close to the ground even with heavy lenses.
Have you found the perfect camera bag yet?
I’m saving for the MrJan Gear Boris IV backpack , or a GuraGear backpack.
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Which photographers have influenced or inspired you, and how or why?
I am self-taught, but since last year, I have followed a few photographers. Like Simon dÉntremont and Brutus Östling. I am inspired by Ami Vitale and Cristina Mittermeier lately because my direction is conservation photography and storytelling with photography.
Please recommend 2 or 3 female photographers to follow on Instagram.
I am not yet on instagram, but I look at the work of Ami Vitale @amivitale, Cristina Mittermeier @mitty and Dani Connor @daniconnorwild.
Is there a camera, lens or accessory that you don't have yet but you'd like to buy at some point?
My dream lens would be the Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM and a 2x teleconverter.
Is there a genre of photography that you love but that you haven't tried yet?
I haven´t tried timelapse so far. I would love to do a timelapse of the northern lights or star trails.
What's your proudest photographic moment?
I just got notified that one of my pictures was featured in Outdoor Photography magazine as a runner-up.
If you could have one superpower that could help you with photography, what would it be?
Teleportation, so I could travel and be home before anyone notices that I was gone.
Your favourite baked goods are?
Chocolate cake.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I was born and raised in Austria and emigrated to Sweden in 2013. Now, I live on a farm in the outback of northern Sweden with my six rescued sledge dogs and my lifemate. We are nearly self-sufficient and try to live as close to nature as possible.
