Self Portrait Artistry

One of the most enjoyable aspects of doing the Behind the Shot podcast is the wonderful artists I get to meet. All are photographers that I truly admire, and that I am inspired by. Hand-in-hand with that is the way that I meet them. Elizabeth Gadd is one of those that was a chance discovery. I recently had the opportunity to be a guest on SmugMug Live!, with Alastair Jolly. I love that show, the way Alastair does an interview, and the next level guests he has on. The episode right after mine was Lizzy Gadd, and wow… I don’t even know where to begin in describing the feeling I had watching the show. Amazing is a place to start I guess. Shortly after that my friends Larry Tiefenbrunn, of Platypod, and Skip Cohen mentioned Lizzy to me, suggesting I needed to get her on Behind the Shot. Lucky for me that is now happening. Let me back up a bit… Elizabeth Gadd is a Vancouver, Canada, based photographer that combines self-portraiture with landscapes to create “ethereal images, evoking peaceful solitude and portraying the beauty of matching one’s heartbeat with the beat of nature”. These are not “Selfies” mind you, oh no. These are works of absolute art, images that are mesmerizing. They are stunningly beautiful photos like I have not seen before. Whether it be mountains, forests, fields or ocean, Lizzy makes the scene inviting and special. Sorry, but I am struggling to describe her work in a way that does it justice. This is one of those shows I fear trying to describe the image we are discussing for the audio listeners. That. Will Be. Difficult. Along with her self-portrait series, Elizabeth also shoots client portraits, pure landscapes, and a series called “Adventure Pepper”. I’ll let you head to her site to discover the wonder that is Pepper. Her client list is amazing too, having worked with Sony, Air New Zealand, Daily Mail, Whistler Tourism, Canadian Geographic and Practical Photography Magazines, and many more. You’ll even find her images on the covers of books by authors such as Nora Roberts and John Grisham! Elizabeth has accumulated over 475,000 followers across social media, and if you look at her work that’s not the surprising part, it’s why there are not many more. I am so honored to have the talented self-portrait artist Lizzy Gadd join me to discuss how she made this image, which my wife calls “Reflections of Beauty”, on this episode of Behind the Shot. Connect with Elizabeth Website: elizabethgadd.com Instagram: @elizabethgadd Facebook: @elizabethgaddphotography Patreon: @elizabethgadd Elizabeth on SmugMug Live! Smug Mug Live! Episode 34: youtube.com/SmugMugFilms Lizzy’s Photographer Suggestion Laura Zalenga: laurazalenga.de