A note from the Archive
This was the first ever story published on Creative Ripple.
This was the first ever story published on Creative Ripple.
From the Scottish Highlands to the gently rolling hills of Botswana and the Kalahari Desert, Emma Willetts has visited a diverse array of wildernesses. Her time travelling spanned 10 years, and accorded visits to over 60 countries whilst on the crew of a private super-yacht.
Willetts finds the ocean to be both inspiring and incredibly diverse, and spending many years travelling mainly by sea presented endless opportunities to capture its beauty.
Long journeys between destinations could sometimes last up to two or three weeks. “We had a lot of down time on those long passages, so a lot of time to spend out on deck meditating, observing, just watching”. It was in this watching that Willetts learned the best moments to photograph her vast subject. “You get to know the times of day where the sky is a certain colour, and typically the ocean becomes a little more still at the end of the day or very early morning".
There would, though, be stopovers on these long trips, and the crew would have time to explore for a day or two in each country. “We had a great captain who wanted us to see/experience as much as we could. As did the owner of the yacht.”
When on land, Willetts’ photography focuses on capturing the unique nature of the location, and the personality of its inhabitants. Already fond of photographing horses and cows, Botswana presented the opportunity to extend this animal-trend to zebras; a subject she found fascinating. “They’re not hard to capture, but I always try and photograph subjects slightly differently to the norm.”
A generous amount of negative space applied to awe-inspiring, exotic locations imbues a luxurious feel to her work, which Willetts has now begun selling online.
Willetts talks about the importance of developing her own style. “There are so many incredible photographers out there, and it's hard not to be too influenced by them.” For her, social media presents both inspiration and challenges. “It's really, really important to stay true to yourself. Keep producing work you love, and try not to get too caught up in what other people think.”
Being overseas presented Willetts with opportunities to take part in workshops and retreats with other photographers, including Dan O'Day and Samm Blake’s ‘Art and the Heart’ workshop in New York.
Like many contemporary, self-taught photographers, the internet is also a valuable source of learning. “I love Sue Bryce’s work and, although I’ve never met her, I’ve done a lot of her workshops online”. Willetts recommends Creative Live: “It’s an amazing platform for creatives.”
Willetts’ work is available from her recently launched website, emmawillettsprints.com. The site brings together a carefully curated collection of images from both New Zealand and her travels. “Each piece has been chosen to invoke feelings of vibrancy, tranquility, warmth, peace, and of course, wanderlust.”
Willetts finds the ocean to be both inspiring and incredibly diverse, and spending many years travelling mainly by sea presented endless opportunities to capture its beauty.
Long journeys between destinations could sometimes last up to two or three weeks. “We had a lot of down time on those long passages, so a lot of time to spend out on deck meditating, observing, just watching”. It was in this watching that Willetts learned the best moments to photograph her vast subject. “You get to know the times of day where the sky is a certain colour, and typically the ocean becomes a little more still at the end of the day or very early morning".
There would, though, be stopovers on these long trips, and the crew would have time to explore for a day or two in each country. “We had a great captain who wanted us to see/experience as much as we could. As did the owner of the yacht.”
When on land, Willetts’ photography focuses on capturing the unique nature of the location, and the personality of its inhabitants. Already fond of photographing horses and cows, Botswana presented the opportunity to extend this animal-trend to zebras; a subject she found fascinating. “They’re not hard to capture, but I always try and photograph subjects slightly differently to the norm.”
A generous amount of negative space applied to awe-inspiring, exotic locations imbues a luxurious feel to her work, which Willetts has now begun selling online.
Willetts talks about the importance of developing her own style. “There are so many incredible photographers out there, and it's hard not to be too influenced by them.” For her, social media presents both inspiration and challenges. “It's really, really important to stay true to yourself. Keep producing work you love, and try not to get too caught up in what other people think.”
Being overseas presented Willetts with opportunities to take part in workshops and retreats with other photographers, including Dan O'Day and Samm Blake’s ‘Art and the Heart’ workshop in New York.
Like many contemporary, self-taught photographers, the internet is also a valuable source of learning. “I love Sue Bryce’s work and, although I’ve never met her, I’ve done a lot of her workshops online”. Willetts recommends Creative Live: “It’s an amazing platform for creatives.”
Willetts’ work is available from her recently launched website, emmawillettsprints.com. The site brings together a carefully curated collection of images from both New Zealand and her travels. “Each piece has been chosen to invoke feelings of vibrancy, tranquility, warmth, peace, and of course, wanderlust.”
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