SHEEN WATKINS
Gradual obsession is the clearest way of sharing my story. As a kid in Arkansas, my family packed up the car and traveled across the west for many of our vacations. While the roads were long, adventures always outweighed our hours in the back seat.
My love of nature, the outdoors inspired many attempts at drawing, sketching. I tried so hard in art classes! My lack of eye to hand talent was a hard pill to swallow. Especially after my art teacher encouraged me not to pursue art.
My subsequent adult career trajectory carried me far away from my potentially artistically creative side. Throughout my childhood and adult life, constants emerged. My happy zones. The outdoors. Travel. Hiking in the woods, high mountains and local forests. Riding horses. Listening and observing birds darting in the trees and feeders. Embracing adventure sports.
All of these starting as gradual obsessions with my toe barely in the water before diving in full force. If the adventure is outdoors, bring it.
Gradual Obsession Leads to Photography
Always a birding enthusiast, birding as a significant hobby soon became part of our family lifestyle. After watching birds through binoculars, I jokingly shared my wish for a camera. When my husband surprised in 2012 with a Nikon and two lenses, my approach? Gradual. The camera came out of the box one time in the first four months!
Then, the shift. On a 16 hour roadtrip, I pulled out the camera, manual and nature photography guide. I navigated every button, menu, settings listed in the guides. Arriving in Arkansas for Easter, I photographed just about everything that moved. Birds, skinks, lizards, flowers, turtles, squirrels and more.
Then, I loaded up my work onto my computer. While waiting for those first images to load, I was nervous. Nervous of my ability to execute what I learned. Was the learning going to translate into images that I felt good about? Well, I guess the answer is yes.
The gradual dive switched to a full-on never leave my house without the camera mindset. Every night I immersed into learning. Photography techniques, post processing, time in the field consumed my free time. A full-on obsession for honing skills, playing with compositions and artistry.
An Evolving Circle
Today, my art spans photography, content, writing and offer individual/group workshops. I developed Aperture and Light, originally designed as photography site dedicated to photographers on the go.
That too evolved to a photography lifestyle blog. One thing is certain - artists are never one dimensional. We merge our love for the creative with many aspects of our lives.
Add in the events of 2020, and many of our travel lifestyles took on a different approach. An RV! The open road is a perfect pairing for our love of adventure, nature and photography.
Gradual Obsession Lands Here
As a photographer, there are times where it feels like we’re spinning our wheels. But when looking backwards, you realize milestones along the way.
My work is featured in Audubon Society’s newsletters, chapters and social sites. Over the past few years and today, my work appears in The Leelanau Conservancy, travel magazines, art galleries, numerous articles and a news story on Fox 2 News in Detroit, Michigan. I wrote with the global photography & writing team for Light Stalking and Loaded Landscapes.
I serve as a Director on the board for Northport Arts Association, a past board member for Saving Birds Thru Habitat and a sustaining member of the Leelanau Conservancy. As a photo Ambassador for Michigan State Parks since 2022, it’s a privilege to share Michigan’s amazing parks, forests, lands and campgrounds.
Sites for Sheen’s work:
Website: www.sheenwatkins.art
Social: www.instagram.com/swnaturephotowww.facebook.com/sheensnaturephotography
