Today we’d like to introduce you to Deena Sveinsson.
Deena, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My love for photography started during my college days at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. During one summer break, I decided to follow David Bowie across Europe and the United Kingdom. Over 20 concerts later, I had some really awesome photos that I photographed with my disc camera!
After returning from my extensive road trip I quickly got a job as a concert photographer for the college newspaper media insert, The Glass Onion. This was during the “grunge” era in the 1990s. And for over two years I had the opportunity to photograph bands like Nirvana, Sound Garden, Candlebox, Mudhoney, and many more. My photos have also appeared in other Seattle publications as well as a book written about the Seattle music scene.
After I graduated from college, I spent nearly all my money to train to become a commercial airline pilot at a flight school at Boeing Field in Seattle. With no extra money to spend on film processing or free time, I hung up the camera to actively pursue my career in the airline industry.
I worked as a commercial airline pilot for over 20 years experienced in flying numerous aircraft, including type ratings in the Boeing 737, 757, and 767. For well over half of these years, I performed as an Airline Captain. Luck would have it that several years ago, my airline career had an unexpected derailment, and I was forced to change career paths.
My husband Knut and I live in Estes Park, Colorado near the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. We live in the beautiful mountains of Colorado with their abundance of wildlife. I was naturally drawn to wildlife photography as a new, exciting chapter in my life. I can be seen almost daily trying to find unique ways of photographing the wildlife in Rocky Mountain National Park and the surrounding mountainous areas.
Photographing wildlife, really, is a way of life. Capturing unique photographs of animals in their natural habitat takes up most of my time. I pride myself on spending enough time with my furry friends, so they get used to my presence. This also allows me to get to witness more of their natural behavior. This has taught me to enjoy the peace and quiet of the mountains and the forests, and the wildlife that call those places home.
Patience is another thing I really had to learn. To sit outside for hours and hours in the heat or the cold is something I really never did before I picked up a camera to photograph wildlife. I have also learned to respect the fast-changing Colorado weather, and I try to always be prepared for that potential mishap.
Last year, I was finally able to create a photo website, deenasveinssonphotography.com where I showcase and sell my photo prints. If desired, I can mount the art prints so they are ready to hang on empty walls calling out for some art! I also have cards and calendars for sale. So far, I have had great success selling some of my favorite photos to buyers across the world.
When I am not out photographing, I enjoy traveling to exotic places (I have traveled to almost 100 different countries), sailing, skiing, and being a slave to my two Continental Giant bunnies, Jackson and Cooper.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Has it been a smooth road? Nope. My husband always says that if I didn’t have bad luck, I would have no luck at all. That honestly, hits the nail on the head. It hasn’t been easy moving on from my airline career, especially since it wasn’t expected. I get down and depressed on some days but then realize I need to pull my bootstraps up.
My husband has been my rock, and without him, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I often have to look at my wall to see my photos, awards, and accomplishments to see how far I have come. It isn’t easy being a female photographer in a male-dominated field. There are still a small amount of women in the wildlife photography sector compared to men. That is just the way it is. Women should support women more but unfortunately, that isn’t always the case.
There is a lot of jealousy in the field from many photographers and that is really too bad. Luckily, I have a small but good group of photography friends who are there to help one another and offer support.
Unfortunately, wildlife doesn’t work on a schedule so there is a lot, and I mean a lot, of waiting and downtime. I have days, weeks, and months when my work doesn’t result in any photographs. Getting that special photo isn’t about clicking a camera. It is about visualizing and hoping your animal subjects cooperate. Sometimes it gets to be difficult to see the end of the tunnel, but then I finally get that photo I have been envisioning. When that happens, the fact that I spent endless hours in the field, doesn’t really matter anymore. The image I produce is usually awesome!
Wildlife photography requires a certain amount of physical fitness. Hiking long distances, snowshoeing, and skiing into a location is often necessary – snow, rain, or shine. But these past two years have been physically challenging for me. I tore my meniscus in both knees which required surgeries to repair. I sprained my MCL on my right knee which required limiting my physical activity for 4 weeks. And that wasn’t easy.
I almost managed to break my tailbone slipping on a patch of ice. Recently, I pulled a tendon in my wrist. That was okay because you should see the photo I got that morning! My back from carrying all the heavy camera equipment, ugh, just adds to the pain I endure to produce beautiful and compelling images. A woman has gotta do, what she’s gotta do!!!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I currently sell wildlife photographs via my website at deenasveinssonphotography.com. My main subjects are moose and anything bunny, including the snowshoe hare, white-tailed jackrabbits, black-tailed jackrabbits and pika. I have other species, of course. Check out my website for some amazing wildlife photographs. I also sell calendars and cards which showcase my lagomorphs.
I am one of, if not the only award-winning female wildlife photographers living in Estes Park, Colorado. I am so proud to say that!
The Year of the Rabbit was a great year for me photographically. For the second year in a row, I had one of the Top 25 Shortlisted photos for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Awards, one of the most prestigious wildlife contests in the world. One of my photos, “It’s A Jeep Thing”, placed as Highly Honored for the Animal Antics Category in Nature’s Best Photography International Awards. Just recently, I have had two photographs. “The Fast and The Furriest” and “Da Feet” as finalists in the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest.
I placed in the Top 100 of the Audubon 2023 Photography Award Contest with my photograph, “Penguin Angel”. In addition, I was the Humor In Nature Category Winner for the Share the View International Nature Photography Contest with “Three’s A Crowd”. These are just a few of my awards and accolades. The rest can be seen on my website, deenasveinssonphotography.com.
What do you think about happiness?
All things bunny make me happy. On a serious note… When I sell my photos, I love to hear from my customers that they love the items they receive. I take pride in how I package my items and how they are printed. It feels good to have customers excited about hanging my photo on their walls. When I know that my hard work brings joy and happiness to a family, it makes me very happy.
Pricing:
- 8×12 Lustre or Metallic Paper Print is $45.00 plus s/h
- 12 x 18 Lustre or Metallic Paper Print is $85.00 plus s/h
- 16×24 Lustre or Metallic Paper Print is $110.00 plus s/h
- 24×36 Lustre or Metallic Paper Print is $210.00 plus s/h
Contact Info:
- Website: https://deenasveinssonphotography.com/
- Instagram: @deenasveinsson
- Facebook: @Deena Sveinsson Photography
Image Credits
Knut Sveinsson (Featured photo)
