I started taking photos at the age of 12 after saving up $200 to buy a Minolta. In 1999, while studying Photography & Graphic Design at SBCC, I was invited to do a freelance wedding shoot. I did wedding photography for 14 years thereafter.
I then focused on experimental fine art photography until about 2016.
Currently I mostly do hiking, travel and cat photography to try to raise awareness about the beauty of natural resources and cats.
Cameras:
- Nikon D3100 with a 35-55mm lens and 55-300mm lens
- Samsung Galaxy S9
- GoPro Hero 6
Skills:
Photography: on-location portraits; special event photo-journalism; photo-restoration; color-correction & time-remapping on videos; high-density range modifications to digital SLR shots.
Graphic Design: modifying vector illustration files, digital painting, designing layouts for fliers/pamphlets/posters, retouching images to improve resolution for larger output, logo creation, adding motion graphics to videos, and printing on fabric for heat transfers.
Sites i’ve helped out on:
- WFVZ.org
- REFAT.org
- RemigioSol.com
- CJMEngineering.com
If you would like photography tips, feel free to contact me and i will be happy to critique your work. Or you can find the camera setting information on my photo files.
My Photo-Philosophy:
The camera is just a tool; i do post-adjustments to photos to try to get them to cause the same impression to the observer that the image caused in me when I saw it in person, or i use the photos as a foundation for an art piece.
Etc:
Originally from Santa Barbara, I lived in Mexico for 7 years where my husband (and often-times photo assistant) and i worked extensively as ministers of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the sign language field. We now live in Ojai, CA with our cats, where I work in Sales and study Music.
Other media: poetry, guitar & keyboard
Social media: Twitter @avevalenciaart & @avevalencia | Instagram @suedenoir (monochrome photography) & @ojai_life (local musings) | YouTube, SoundCloud & RedBubble (store): AveValencia
In lieu of coffee, please make a donation to your local animal rescue.
Ave Valencia 
Eva – i loved your highlight posts. Also have a Nikon 3100 but i have no idea how to use it. Do you have a facebook page or on your blog, how to get the best out of it. I was ready to sell it to a friend, but I invested so much into it, I wish I could get into it. I tried practicing, but i don’t know what I am doing -so I just get exasperated. LOL!!!
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Hi Toni!
Thanks for your enthusiasm.
I don’t do many tutorials since photography is a very hands on thing to learn.
I suggest taking a class for SLR cameras and joining a group that offers constructive criticism. You may be able to find one on meetup.com or by asking local gallery curators.
Photography is the study of light but great photography involves the fundamental principles of design, so if you’re not familiar with those, i would also recommend taking that at your local community college.
Try to keep your camera on manual and play with the range of settings. Focus on ISO 100 first and once you’ve nailed the aperture and shutter speed balance of that in one environment, (i.e. your garden throughout the day) change environments and master the next one.
Take hundreds of photos per week always varying settings for the same subject and then comparing the results, and you will master photography.
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