Ann Collins
Photographer & Writer
Ann has dabbled in photography since she purchased her first 35mm camera while a sophomore at the University of California, Irvine. Her first published images resulted from an intercollegiate sailing regatta she photographed.
Her photography interests evolved from sailing to travel when she toured national parks in the American West one summer and studied French in France during another. In the years since then, Ann’s travels have taken her, literally, around the world. She worked in Italy, Switzerland, Mexico, the Caribbean, Colorado, and Japan. Her photos—35mm slides—became her souvenirs.
From time to time, Ann sold more of her photos, which illustrated a variety of articles that she wrote. Her work has appeared in Westways, MotorHome, Highlights for Children, San Diego Family Magazine, the San Francisco Examiner’s Sunday travel section, and other publications. In late 2006, Ann embraced digital photography and the scenic world of landscapes, seascapes, and nature. In September 2008, Arizona Highways magazine published “Northern Exposures,” a feature article she wrote about her experience as a participant on an Arizona Highways Photo Workshop to Monument Valley and Canyon de Chelly. Five of her images accompanied the article. The workshop was great fun and a wonderful chance to learn more about photography while shooting iconic locations in the American West.
Ann's publishing credits have increased over the years with images appearing in Sierra Club Calendars and in her book, La Jolla: Jewel by the Sea, a coffee table photo book about her hometown.
She enjoys the group learning experience of workshops, camera clubs, and critique groups. The best photographic education she has found, however, has been to take lots and lots of digital photos. Of course the job doesn’t end there. Processing the photos in the digital darkroom of her computer has taken Ann even further in her photography career. The learning experience is ongoing and will likely continue indefinitely.
In 2016, Ann changed from Olympus cameras to the Canon 5D Mark III for more resolution and therefore bigger prints. She processes her images with Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, Nik plug-ins, and Photomatix.
Odds & Ends
There are so many beautiful places to visit and photograph in the United States, especially at home in San Diego! La Jolla is featured in Ann's coffee table book, La Jolla: Jewel by the Sea.
Ann loves to travel, especially when the colors of fall spread across the landscape. One year, she flew to New England for a photo workshop on Cape Cod followed by fall color shooting in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. For a Southern California girl, the vividly colorful change of seasons was an awe-inspiring experience. Every yellow, orange, and crimson-colored tree seemed worthy of a photograph.
Winter and the purity of snow on trees and mountains also inspire Ann to hit the road. She once drove to Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park in time for a winter storm that dropped six inches of snow on the hoodoos by sunrise. The contrast of white against reddish-orange rock formations made for some special photography opportunities. Her travels continued north through the Wasatch Range and even included some skiing at Deer Valley and Park City.
Another road trip took Ann to the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. She familiarized herself with the area by first attending a photo workshop then spending the next few weeks photographing on her own and working her way south along the Oregon and Northern California coast. Such beautiful areas!
Ann’s speaking engagements have included the following presentations: Photo Workshops: How to Choose the Right One for You; How to Create Panoramic Photos; The Digital Darkroom: Tips & Tricks; and Photography on the Road: Adventures, Workshops, and Lessons Learned.
