An Interview with Photographer Naomi Ovando

on photography as a spiritual practice and healing modality, advice for beginners, and the intrinsic creativity that lies within us all

I am beginning a series where I will share interviews I’ve done with creative people who inspire me. My first interview is with photographer Naomi Ovando. Naomi and I both launched our eldest children to college away from home last fall after years of homeschooling. She has been a dear companion on my journey and has sent me beautiful, light-filled photos exactly when my heart needed them most. I’m delighted to share her work and words with you. You can find more of her work on Instagram here.

What originally drew you to photography?

After having my daughter, my youngest child, I struggled with postpartum depression and anxiety for quite some time. I first picked up a DSLR camera when my little girl was about two years old. I still remember the first time I looked through the viewfinder and not being able to believe my eyes. I couldn’t believe the dimension, depth, clarity and beauty that was on the other side of the lens. Something came to life inside of me. I didn’t take photos with my DSLR regularly for a while, but once I did start to practice shooting with it on a consistent basis, I began to notice so much beauty all around me. As I learned to use my camera and started to capture beautiful images, I felt as though God was saying “I love you” over and over again through the beautiful sunsets, magnificent landscapes, amazing skies, and especially through the blessing of my family. Taking photos and being able to capture beautiful moments and my children’s fleeting childhood was like a salve to my soul, and it filled my heart with gratitude and healing. Photography opened the eyes of my heart again, and helped me to see and recognize the light of God shining everywhere. There is beauty all around and sacred graces in the everyday. Miracles are taking place daily, and we can be witness to them if we’re open to seeing them.

What has been your biggest breakthrough?

My biggest breakthrough has been that through photography I can connect with our Creator. For others it be may be painting, cooking, gardening, sewing, writing, music, hosting, etc. Time spent creating can be a devotional practice in which we spend time with God.

What part of your journey as a photographer has felt most challenging?

Although I know how much photography nourishes my creative soul, there have been seasons in which I haven’t picked up my camera much. The last couple of years I struggled with taking photos when I felt resistance or lack of inspiration. This occurred after having gone through a few difficult years, and I felt as if my inspiration and motivation to take photos had diminished significantly. I felt like I was closing up, and it was a really hard place to be in.

Last year, during my oldest son’s last year at home, I taught him how to use a DSLR camera, and we would go out shooting together. I remember seeing his excitement to capture beautiful things, and how he would notice so many details. I grieved that I had lost some of that awe and sense of wonder, and I wanted to be open to all the beauty around me again. I hadn’t taken any photography classes in quite some time, and I signed up to take a class that I had been wanting to take for a few years. It helped me to notice the light again and to start seeing the extraordinary and miraculous in the ordinary and mundane. Since then, I’ve slowly been working on picking up my camera more often and pausing to be in awe of the beauty that God gifts us.

As creatives, I don’t think it’s unusual to go through seasons in which we feel uninspired, and at some point we will all feel resistance, but I am relearning how important it is to try to push past it and to keep creating.

You have an incredible ability to capture beautiful, sparkly light. How did you hone that skill?

Capturing beautiful light was one of the things I was most drawn to in the beginning of my photography journey, and that is still true today. I truly believe that the light I capture is God’s light and that it is a gift from him. I see his light reflected in nature and in the persons in front of my lens.

Often times, I’ll see the light I want in my images, but I don’t know exactly how it’s going to be captured with my lens and camera and how it’s going to look in my images until I take the photos. Sometimes, it’s not what I was wanting, and I try again. Other times, when I look at the back of my camera I’m in awe of the beauty captured, and I thank God for the gift of light he’s given me.

I love shooting into the light with my images being back lit. This can be tricky, but it is worth learning and practicing if you want to capture beautiful light in your images. By practicing on a regular basis, I learned how to adjust my settings and focus. It really is just a matter of practicing and playing more than anything.

Your eldest child is now in college. Are there any photos you wished you had captured before he left home?

I wish I had taken more photos with him before he left for school. I wanted to set up my tripod and do a quick photoshoot with him, but I didn’t get around to it. When he comes home on one of his breaks, I’m planning to take those photos with him. I do have one image that I took on a day that we went shooting together, and it has our shadows in it. I love this photo, and it holds a special place in my heart as it is a memory of us going out together to chase beauty and light.

It’s always been easier for me to be behind the camera, but I know it’s so important for us moms to get in the frame with our kids. This is something I want to work on more consistently. The years go by so quickly, and I know that both my children and I will treasure the images I take with them.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in photography? What do you wish you would have known when you were a beginner?

I think it’s so important to have fun and enjoy the learning process. Be patient with yourself and keep practicing. Classes are a great way to learn, but practicing and playing with your camera is how you will learn the most. Try taking photos of anything and everything. The more you play, the more quickly you’ll learn to use your settings and to get the kind of images you love.

Most importantly, remember that photography is art. Don’t be afraid to break the rules and create images that make your heart sing. No one else sees the world the way you do. You have your own story to tell and no one else can tell it the way you can. Capture the things that speak to your heart, and you’ll create images you love.

What is your favorite lens and aperture setting?

I love to shoot with a pretty wide aperture. I usually keep it between f/1.8 - f/ 2.8, and rarely use anything higher. I love the bokeh that a wider aperture creates, and I feel it allows me to be creative with where I want my focus to be.

My favorite lenses are my 24mm and Lensbaby lenses. I love my 24mm lens, and it is the one I have probably used the most. I love it for capturing my kids out in nature as it allows me to get quite a bit of the environment in the frame. When I shoot into the sun, I can sometimes capture a really pretty flare with this lens which also makes it a favorite.

I love playing with light and trying to capture its beauty in my images. I love my Lensbaby lenses for the creative effects that can be achieved in camera when shooting into the light.

I recently bought a used and inexpensive 50mm macro lens, and it is also quickly becoming a favorite. Until very recently, I had never really done much macro photography. By using this lens, I’m able to capture details that might be missed with other lenses or even with the naked eye. Slowing down and noticing all the beauty and intricacies in nature is a gift.

What’s making you come alive right now?

My morning walks bring me so much joy. I get fresh air and sunshine, and it’s a part of the day that I really look forward to. I can think, pray, cry, sing, listen to audio books or just walk in silence and listen. So much can be worked out when one is out on a walk.

I haven’t done much macro photography, but recently I took a flower photography class, and it has inspired me to not only try and capture the beautiful details in flowers, but in all of the nature around us. Pausing to notice these details is definitely making me come alive and helping me to see things with new eyes.

For the past couple of years, I’ve been wanting to learn how to create digital art, and I’m finally doing it. It’s challenging as I am not the most tech savvy person, but it feels good to have started the process of learning the program, and I’m excited to see what I’ll be able to create in the future.

Are there any final thoughts that you’d like to share with us?

I’m going to be 50 years old next month, or as my children like to say, “I’ll be half a century!” I’m excited to see what the future holds and to see how I can further step into the purpose God has for my life and to live into the future he has for me. It’s never too late to learn something new, to have new dreams or to start over again after hard seasons. I know that the future will hold seasons of joy and seasons of difficulty, but I hope that as I am witness to grace upon grace, I’ll continue to pick up my camera again and again.

I believe we’re all creative, and I encourage everyone to discover what it is that makes you light up and come alive, and to try and nourish your creative soul. In doing this, not only will you be blessed, but you’ll bless so many others.

In the words of Mary Oliver, “Maybe the desire to make something beautiful is the piece of God that is inside each of us.”