We’re looking forward to introducing you to Deirdre Denali Rosenberg. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Deirdre Denali, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
I would say I have two types of normal days these days. There are the outside days, where I head out at 3am to make photos, find wildlife and get myself into the wilderness. A lot of times these kinds of days are stacked because I am backpacking to make photos. The other kind of day is an inside day, where I buckle down and sit at my computer for hours on end editing images, writing, and working to get my stories told. I’m also doing a lot of research typically, trying to figure out routes, and decide on photoshoot locations. Of course on inside days, I am also trying to catch up on housework, meal prep and cleaning up my backpacking gear! I’m happy that I enjoy what I do, because there is not a ton of down time these days.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Sure thing! I am Deirdre of Deirdre Denali Photography. I’m a conservation photographer based in the San Juan Mountains. I focus on southwest wildlife and some of the more extreme biomes of the southwest region, specifically the alpine and our deserts. For many years now, one of my main subjects is the American pika. I would say what makes my work interesting is my approach. I rely on type two fun to create my work and tell my stories. Most of my images are created on backpacking trips, via mountain biking, or through some other form of adventure. I try to access extremely remote areas so that I can observe wildlife in a more natural state of being. The ethics of photography matter a lot to me, so I always work within the confines of Leave No Trace: I do my very best not to leave an impact on the lands I’m tromping through, and I give wildlife the utmost respect and space.
At any given time I am working on many projects. My two long-term projects are my Pika Project, where I am mapping out pika colonies of the San Juan Mountains. This is just an effort to access colonies that have never seen humans pretty much. I find it very interesting to observe pikas that don’t know what I am! My other long-term project is documenting every square mile of the San Juan range (one photo per square mile) in order to create a visual catalog of what this region looked like in my life. We all know that public lands are changing, so I felt called to do this. In 100 years from now, I assume people may find it very interesting! I have many other projects, but those two are always being worked on.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
Definitely my husband, Jon. Way back when, I knew I wanted to be a photographer, but I was so incredibly shy about it and was not sure if it was something I could do as a career. I was working multiple jobs at the time, fitting photography in whenever I possibly could. Jon believed in me so much that he took on a second full-time job so that I could quit my own jobs in order to pursue conservation photography full-time. I did not believe in myself as much as he believed in me at the time. He always saw me as my biggest dreams. Sometimes we reflect on all this, and he always says that he knew I would succeed as a photographer, that I just needed time. He gave me the gift of time so generously.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes. A few years ago it felt like I wasn’t making the progress I needed to be making. All at once, everything became stagnant after a few huge successful years. I was starting to feel like maybe my time as a photographer was up. All those feelings of imposter syndrome boiling up. I was exhausted and honestly, was feeling very guilty that I was not getting the financial opportunities I needed. I felt like I was letting down my husband, and that maybe it was time to find some other career. I went so far as to sign a job offer for a job that I seriously did not want to do. Before my first training day at that job, the biggest opportunity I had ever had in conservation photography was presented to me. And with my husband’s support (he is nothing but support!) I took it. And it changed my path, swerving me right back onto the path of conservation photography, but in a much bigger way.
From that opportunity I learned that I needed to go with the flow a little more, and to put myself out there more. My career isn’t necessarily linear, but it seems that for every step back, I will take two or three steps forward. It was a very important lesson to learn.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Certainly! Publicly I am a lot more social than I truly am. By a lot. I am a little bit more chilled out when I am public-facing. The real me is pretty type-A and struggles with understanding people. I would say the real me is also less confident in some things than the public me. Which isn’t a bad thing! Public me helps real me to fake it till I make it, to try new things and to get out of my comfort zone.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
What I am doing and how I am doing it is absolutely what I was born to do. In hindsight, that is beyond clear when I think about the entirety of my life. Photography, playing outside and storytelling have all been massive parts of who I am since my earliest memories. The process of turning it all into a career was super hard, but the work itself? It could not be more natural to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.deirdredenaliphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deirdredenaliphotography
Image Credits
The photo of me: Jon Rosenberg
All other photos are by me.
