Meet Beached Eskimo: A Wonderful Photographer & Writer

GUEST POST OVERVIEW: I want to take a moment to introduce you to Claire Holmes and her beautiful photography.

A kindred spirit in her thoughts on travel and life, Claire has left behind her home of Australia for a life in Canada and is documenting the journey along the way. This is her story … and her photographs.

Growing up I was always fascinated by far-off lands. Growing up in Australia – that’s pretty much everywhere. I used to walk around with my head in the clouds imagining I was somewhere else. As much as I love my country, I always wanted to see what was out there.

I think it was always my destiny to travel, and I have visited many of those far-off lands I dreamed of, however there’s still so many places I want to visit. Africa remains high on the wish list, along with the Trans-Siberian Railroad in winter.

I’ve always been an observer, which makes a good fit with photography. I received my first camera when I was 8 or 9, a good old point and shoot, but I really became hooked on photography when I bought my first SLR – an Olympus OM-1 at the age of 14. I loved that camera, and spent a lot of time learning to meter and everything else one needs on a fully manual camera. Which I promptly forgot  when that camera was stolen and replaced by the insurance company with a Canon EOS. Since then I’ve gone through a number of cameras and I’m rediscovering the love of manual mode photography in the digital space.

The last year has been a year of change for me. I left my finance job in Sydney, spent six months traveling to Canada the long way round, and now I’m settled in Toronto for a couple of years, visiting lots of places in Canada and America and getting as much as I can of that lovely snow. We’ll see if the novelty wears off this winter!

My work in progress is beachedeskimo.com – it is the chronicle of my photo expeditions, life in general in Canada, and thoughts about my home in Australia.

Claire’s photography tips

• Memory is cheap. Get snap happy!
• Experiment. Some of my favorite photos are non-textbook shots.
• Carry a camera wherever you go. Even the crappy iPhone camera can capture a memory (note: my iPhone is crappy. I hear the current ones are much better!)
• Shoot in continuous shooting mode, especially with people and animals, as it can take a couple of frames to get the keeper. Remember… memory is cheap.
• You don’t need to impress anyone but yourself. Take the photo YOU want to take.

Note: A huge thanks to Claire for sending over this awesome post. I’ve had a pleasure getting to know you and your work and look forward to following it in the future.