Donna Greene: Nature Photographer

When I was growing up, a strong appreciation for nature was highly encouraged. My grandfather would try to point out constellations to me (I couldn’t always see them . . .). We’d sit on their big front porch just to experience a good summer thunder storm. My parents would take us on family vacations to see all manner of beauty in nature, from the Rocky Mountains, to the east coast: all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.

"Mt. Rainer, WA."

My earliest childhood memories include my dad’s enjoyment of photography. He used a Agfa 35 mm Camera he purchased while in the service. He used a light meter to get the settings for his camera. But the concepts of f-stop, shutter speed and depth of field eluded me.

I stayed with a simple Instamatic camera for many years until my older sister bought a new 35 mm Olympus OM1. Again, I tried to understand how it worked, as I still wanted more from my pictures than what an Instamatic could produce. Eventually, I understood it's functionality. When I had the picture in focus, and kept the needle of the meter in the middle, I could actually get some recognizable photos. So I purchased an Olympus for myself and continued to learn and experiment. I developed my skills through a series of successes and total flops, still struggling with understanding why some pictures would turn out beautifully, yet others were almost beyond recognition.

"Knowledge is power, but enthusiasm throws the switch"

After I got married, I discovered, to my delight, that my husband also enjoyed photography. We began to explore together. We shared our successes and failures, but I remained dissatisfied with the results.

One day I was at a camera store and talked with a salesman, who had been in photography for many, many years. He was still so fascinated with it that his enthusiasm was contagious. I was thrilled to learn that he taught classes in photography and went home, excited to tell my husband all about this gentleman and his classes.

"May the blessings of God rest upon you. May God's peace abide in you . . ."

In short, we spent a good share of that summer in his photography classes. At the end of the summer, he invited us to assist him with the classes the following year. We continued working with him for several years following. He became a mentor to me. We were thrilled with this opportunity, and I learned so much from him!

I realized then, and am even more aware of today, that photography is much more than a hobby to me. It feeds my soul and gives me life. I want my pictures to portray both what I see and feel when I take them. One of the best compliments I ever received was after a woman had seen one of my pictures of a waterfall. She had never been to the falls, but when she saw my picture, she said she felt she was there.

"Love is the miracle cure. Loving ourselves works miracles in our lives."

In May 2002, I went through the Woman Within training near Seattle, Washington. By the end of that weekend, I knew I had to find a way to give back to this community for what I had received and learned.

That seed grew into an idea to combine my photography and inspirational quotes and poems allowing me to weave them together in a meaningful way: my interpretation of the beauty in the world around me together with words of deep meaning and inspiration. I have created both note card and prints using these two elements. It is my hope that this combination can speak to hearts and inspire others to continue on their own journeys of personal growth.