Karen Messick

Photography has always been a part of my life. As a child, dad was constantly taking photos of the family, nature and later in life work. I was usually in front of the camera. I never really had an interest in creating images until I began to travel, even though I was an art student in different medias, at Maryland Institute College of Art. I decided to take my first workshop in 1997 with John and Barbara Gerlach. I received the suggested list of gear to have in order to maximize the experience and shortly realized I was in over my head. What the heck was a spot meter? So I did some quick research and purchased a Nikon N90S.

I decided to take the digital leap in 2006, after having the experience of using Nikon's slide scanner and working a little in Photoshop.I bought my first Mac in 2004 and I was ready to take the plunge.

I enjoy being behind the viewfinder where every other thought in the world disappears, trying to capture the most beautiful images possible. My articles and images have been published in Nature Photographer Magazine, Maryland Department of Natural Resources Calendar and in the Maryland Wine Association News.

In 2008 I decided to give the Photo biz a try, with my first Gallery Show. I have subsequently had images displayed in the Rehoboth Art League, and The Seaford Historical Museum; in support of the Smithsonian Museum's traveling show "Fences". A collection of my orchid images are available at Valley Fine Art and Framing, in Timonium Maryland, and The Hemingway Gallery in Kill Devil Hills, N.C.

I teach privately, as well as conduct field workshops. I am an instructor at Johns Hopkins University in the Odyssey Program, http://odyssey.jhu.edu/ and lead workshops and lecture for Penn Camera in Washington DC. http://www.penncamera.com/ I have lectured at the Mid-Atlantic Photography Expo on Impressionism in Photography; Creative Macro Photography and in Washington, D.C. during PhotoWeek on the Art of Seeing Creative Compositions and Color Theory.