Veronica Reist, co-founder of the Olds Image Seekers Club, loves not only loves taking pictures, but also displaying them with pride and joy.
Recently, her photography could be seen at the Mountain View Museum.
Her creative journey is going on 11 years and she enhances the skills of others in her photography class that she developed after kick-starting her own skill-set.
“I’ve gained a keen eye for the details in nature, that nobody else sees,” Reist said, referring to macro photography.
Macro (extreme close-up) photography, along with double exposure photographs (using two images to create one), are some of her favourite methods of capturing moments.
The most valuable trait of a photo, she says, is the power that it has to “take you back to the moment.”
Her passion is what fuelled her experience and her constant practice of photography is what led to her exposure and eventual profession.
“Opportunities create opportunities,” Reist says. She encourages her students to be proud of their work, show it off and to do it for their own enjoyment.
Thanks to her independent "exposure," she has avoided advertising but has made it possible to share her projects successfully within Alberta.
“I am very passionate about photography,” said Reist. “I photograph for myself first, then I photograph for others.”
Her self-implemented daily task is to take a picture in nature, to fuel her passion.
She recommends that beginners immerse themselves in their artistic endeavours every day and to show off work with pride. Her favourite feature of teaching is to “see students bloom with their photography.”
Reist is delighted each day to share the beauty of nature in art through displays of her work around Olds.
As the saying goes, a photo says a thousand words. Reist finds the story of the picture to be more impactful than the image or subject itself.
“If a photo tells a story, it doesn’t matter what kind of photographer you are. The story it tells is what I find most impactful,” Reist says. Her connection to her practice is “captivating, like a good book”.
Pursuing her interests has brought Reist pride, joy and delight. Each day she practices, she's bringing the images she is trying to visualize to reality through her camera.
“I’ve got it all.”
