299: Mieke Boynton - Aerial Photography is [not] a Cheat Code!

Aerial Nature and Landscape Photography is often viewed by more traditional landscape photographers as somewhat of a cheat code for making surprising images; however, I don't think this is necessarily the case. Capturing interesting, compelling, and thought-provoking images from the air still requires a great deal of artistic talent, technical talent, and perfect execution, especially when photographed from an airplane. This week on the podcast I was joined by Aussie nature photographer and aerial specialist, Mieke Boynton (pronounced Mee-ka), who has an incredible passion for aerial photography. You may recognize Mieke's name from last week's episode with her partner, Matt Palmer. They co-manage a gallery together in Bright, Australia. Mieke was also the winner of the Natural Landscape Photography Awards Abstract and Details category with an evocative, elegant, and thought-provoking aerial photograph that will absolutely astonish you. Mieke and I cover such a fun variety of subjects this week, including her passion for an area called the Kimberley, which is an area of Australia that has deep Aboriginal roots, which we discuss at length. On this week's episode, we discuss: Mieke's journey into photography, The story behind how Mieke and Matt Palmer met and become Australia's photography power couple, Why Mieke has chosen to open a gallery in her small home town of Bright, Australia, population 2,600, Mieke's connection to the Kimberley Region, Mieke's desire to share the cultures of the Aboriginal people with her audience, Advice for others seeking a connection with place, Tips and stories about aerial nature and landscape photography, Why Mieke doesn't believe that aerial photography is cheating, Mieke's stance on processing her images, And a lot more! Other topics/links discussed on the podcast this week: Support the podcast on Patreon. Join me over on Nature Photographer's Network and use the code "FSTOP10" for a 10% discount! Matt & Mieke's Gallery, Alpine Light. Natural Landscape Photography Awards. Join us on Patreon for our fun bonus conversation where Mieke tells us about her history as a competitive athlete and making it to the Olympic games, and how competition drives each of us in different ways. Here is who Mieke recommended on the podcast this week: Viktoria Haack. Tania Malkin. Jordan Cantelo. Paul Hoelen. Ricardo Da Cunha. Chris Saunders. Tony Hewitt. I love hearing from the podcast listeners! Reach out to me via Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter if you'd like to be on the podcast or if you have an idea of a topic we can talk about. We also have an Instagram page, a Facebook Page, and a Facebook Group - so don't be shy! We also have a searchable transcript of every episode! Thanks for stopping in, collaborating with us, and listening. See you next week. P.S. you can also support the podcast by purchasing items through our B+H affiliate link.