Pictas Focus: Interview with the artist
Talking with Jacqueline Schletter
Hey everyone! It’s been a while since the last interview: we’ve been busy launching our brand new community platform, which you can join from our website.
Today’s guest is an amazing and talented photographer, Jacqueline Schletter. Here are her social profiles, so you can check her incredible work.
Let’s start!
Q: Hey Jacqueline! It’s great to have you here today! Would you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit more about you?
A: Thank you so much for this opportunity to share my love of nature photography.
I am originally from Chicago and now reside with my husband in the beautiful coastal area of South Carolina known as the Lowcountry. There is something about the barrier and sea islands, the endless stretches of salt marsh and the abundant wildlife that soothes my soul. Even the hot, humid summers are made tolerable with singing insects and soft sea breezes.
My photography journey began in high school when film was our only option (dating myself, ouch!). I developed sound fundamentals in the old school days of darkrooms and processing chemicals where we developed our film and printed our images. I also enjoyed classes in the arts and photography in college though my career did not follow that path. I have rekindled my love for creating artful images after 20 years in the veterinary industry. It is rather cliche, but it really is a dream come true to blend my love for animals, the natural world, and photography into an artistic venture.
Q: That’s beautiful, and your love for nature does indeed reflect in your work. I see your images are almost all about birds. Where did this passion come from? Why did you choose this among other genres?
A: Yes, the bulk of my work is "bird-centric"! As I began to dip my toes into photographic waters again, I found birds to be the most abundant and easily accessible wildlife to practice my camera skills. I also took the time to become a Lowcountry Master Naturalist. The classes and fieldwork deepened my appreciation for nature, and I was fascinated by the variety of birds I observed.
The South Carolina coast is on the Atlantic Flyway, meaning we see a large number of migratory birds on their journeys to and from nesting sites. Our diverse ecosystem means a diverse array of birds ... shorebirds, wading birds, salt and freshwater dwellers as well as the beautiful woodpeckers and songbirds that inhabit our forests. I am fascinated by the thousands of miles they fly, often through inclement weather to complete their nesting cycles. Many birds also sport breeding plumage, meaning they can completely change in appearance when they are looking to attract a mate. The beauty and splendour of those changes are something I love to share through my images.
At this stage in my journey, I also see the benefits of sharing nature images in a world full of so much screen time. I think nature photographers have the ability to remind people that there is so much beauty just outside of their doorsteps; so, in a way, I hope that my birds will remind people how much there is to appreciate, and protect.
Q: Wow! That’s amazing. I think “protect” is the right word, along with “respect”. These need to be the commitment to preserve what we’ve been lent by nature, as we don’t own the world we live in.
Now, photographing animals, in some ways, is similar to taking people portraits, except you can’t tell them to pose. How do you understand if an image is going to be a great one? What are the basic rules?
A: Yes, I think there are similarities to people portraits but we have much less under our direct control. For great images, preparation and research are key, but never a guarantee. Nature photographers quickly learn how to deal with disappointment. We can't make an appointment with our 'clients'!
Setting up for great images is multi-layered to be sure. Behaviours can change quickly - meaning the photographer must be able to make quick adjustments. I find that muscle memory for your camera controls is essential. The best light can't be manufactured, so we're chasing magical golden hours at sunrise and sunsets to show off animal colours, behaviours, iridescence and habitat. We're often dependent on the weather. Sometimes we're wet with rain, hot from sun and humidity or freezing despite our best gear to catch wildlife in action. No climate-controlled studios for nature photographers! To create great images, we've spent hours, weeks and maybe months observing and learning behaviours so we're clued into great photo opportunities. We're clued in as to when a bird may take flight, strike at prey or exhibit fanciful mating behaviours.
We can't tell the animals how to pose, but our research and study can help us be in the right place at the right time. The hours spent lying in wait for wildlife is a labour of love. Ethical photography means we're never too close, never intruding and doing our best to be as invisible as possible. I might sit for hours, totally silent, not moving. Or, I might have to shift location as quietly as possible because a subject has moved. Perhaps patience is the number one "rule" when dealing with animals - it certainly was in my career in veterinary medicine. When we achieve all of the above, great images come. Of course, we can do everything right only to find our "client" didn't feel like showing up!
Finally, for my artistic style, I experiment a lot with ISO looking for high-key and low-key opportunities. Sometimes you know from the camera image you've hit your mark, other times I might find it in post.
Q: Yep, that all makes a lot of sense. And I love your approach which is always careful not to be interfering with nature, but just to be a spectator of the scene. In this regard, I would expect that bird photography requires specific gear and tools. Can you explain to us what’s needed?
A: Yes, I have gear that makes the work a bit easier, or at least a bit more comfortable.
Tripods are not always easy to use when following animals so I shoot handheld frequently or use a monopod that allows for more versatile movement.
I shoot with two Canon R5s, and use the RF 100-500 for handheld shots and use the RF400 2.8 on a monopod. Both are outstanding lenses for wildlife photography. When I bring both kits into the field I use a Cotton Carrier vest to hold the 100-500 to stay as hands-free as possible.
In a lightweight backpack, I stow a ground pod and a small, portable seat (my monopod can also fit if need be). The seat not only allows for easy rest on long days but allows me to shoot at eye level for critters like insects, butterflies and birds in shrubs. The ground pod allows me to lay on the ground and holds the camera securely for water shots, creating beautiful perspectives with blurred foregrounds. Finally, depending on the terrain, I'll bring a yoga mat to lay on if I need to shoot from ground level.
Now, not all shoots require all of that gear, but those are the mainstays that help create my images.
Q: …and I believe you also need to be very patient. How long do you usually wait for a great image to happen? What’s the longest you have waited?
A: It is hard to overstate how important patience is, as well as silence. I grew up fishing with my dad from a young age and learned quickly to sit for hours quietly. Wildlife photography is much the same. At the end of the day it's the "thrill of the hunt" that keeps me coming back. If I strike out on an intended target, there is always tomorrow! I think you really have to be OK with that to succeed.
I've sat at the beach for hours, sometimes a full day. Many wildlife photographers will pack it in when the sun is up and the "good light" is gone ... waiting until late day to go out again. I will often stay in the high sun looking for high-key opportunities. In a coastal environment, tides often dictate animal behaviour and, unfortunately, tides don't always align with the best light. This will test your creativity and your camera skills. Spending the time to shoot in less-than-optimal conditions has definitely driven my creativity. I find myself looking around and wondering, how can we make the best of what we've got? What artful method might be used that takes advantage of the high sun or flat light?
I've also found the longer you stay, the more you see - and learn. When I see great images, most of the time that photographer researched, prepared, walked or hiked with gear, and waited patiently for the right time to click. Yes, sometimes luck comes our way ... one of my favourite osprey shots happened while I was shooting nesting herons. That bird literally photobombed into a pond 20 yards in front of me. It was almost too close, as I was shooting with the 400mm prime lens. Is that luck? Maybe. But I think we photographers are often "lucky" simply because we were there, waiting.
Q: These are great takeaways, and I think being somehow forced to work in uncontrolled situations is a boost to improvement and creativity.
Thank you so much for sharing with us your skills and images.
A: All my pleasure, thanks for inviting me!
This is it for today’s interview. I greatly recommend you have a look at Jacqueline’s work and I invite you to follow her on her social profiles.
Learn, create and inspire together!
Wonderful shots
Hi Matteo, hope you are well, interesting read and Jacqueline’s photographs are stunning