Featured Travel Photographer: Bethany Salvon

I have to admit. I never thought I would meet so many amazing travel photographers that would inspire me so greatly in the travel blog community. One person that I draw daily inspiration from is Bethany Salvon of Beers & Beans and Nariko’s Nest. Not only does she have a rockin’ travel blog but she also features fantastic photographs that are truly eye candy.

Before she head out on her soon to be Round the World (RTW) trip, I thought I would catch up with her before she became too busy becoming a citizen of the world.

Tell us a bit about yourself Beth:

Well I’m 34 years old and I have been described as a sleeping volcano. I don’t think this description is fair physically or emotionally. However I can be a bit fiery. I prefer to think of this as passionate. My favorite food is the blueberry, I like cheese plates and wine and I never want to be eaten by an alligator.

How and when did your photography bug hit you?

My father gave me a Pentax K-1000 for my 17th birthday. I remember opening the box and thinking that it was very random, since I didn’t ask for a camera. But strangely I looked at the camera and I instinctively knew that it was going to play a huge role in my life. It really was a conscious thought, I knew it was going to change my life and I remember thinking that very clearly. That sounds corny I know. After having that random thought I put the camera back in the box and didn’t look at it for another year. On graduation day, I took it out and took a picture of myself in my cap & gown. Then I put it in the box again. When I went to college I was undecided and leaning towards marine biology. I had an elective class to take and I decided to take photo 1 so I could actually learn how to use the camera.

Once I discovered the darkroom there was no going back. I was hooked. The next semester I became a photography major and transferred to the art program. I dyed my hair purple and got 2 eyebrow rings. It was awesome. I have to credit my father completely though. He has always known what I have needed in life long before I ever did and the minute I looked at that camera in the box on my birthday I knew it was gonna be huge for me – I just didn’t know exactly how or why. Thanks Dad!

What is your weapon of choice?

I just got a Nikon D300s and I freaking love it. I have a small arsenal of cameras and right now the two I would never part with would be the Nikon D300s and of course the old, trusty Pentax – which I guard with my life!

One of the things that I love about your photography is your tacit love affair with the desert and the South/Southwest. What has drawn you to these locations?

I’ve always been in love with the desert. Really. Some people are water people and really love the beach. To me the desert is so mysterious & romantic. I guess it’s just a feeling I have when I go there. It’s like stepping back in time and living many lives at the same time – cowboys, Indians, sexy desperados, drinking sangria, riding along the Mexican/American border. To me the desert is one of the few places that I can almost sense the emotion in the landscape. Not to mention you can spend all day in 90 degree heat and then wake up to 3 feet of snow in the morning. It’s magical. The desert lets you in and loves you quickly but she doesn’t forgive easily. And she has a good memory. I like that.

My favorite set of yours is the extraordinary “Rainy Day Vegas” set due to the fantastic circumstances and interpretation you had of Sin City. What were your experiences while shooting in the rain and where did you draw your inspiration?

Well to be honest I was shooting from the comfort of an RV. We went on a multi-generational Vegas trip with Randy’s family. His grandparents had never been there before and his mom was really excited to bring them and she has an RV so we all piled in and drove out there. I climbed onto the top bunk and as we entered Vegas it started to rain. I’ve been to Vegas many times but I have never seen it in the rain so I was pretty psyched. I started shooting what I could through the top bunk window while it was raining. I was playing with depth of field and shutter speed and trying to actually work the rain into the photos. I wanted the rain and the grey skies to be strong elements in the frame and overpower the typical Vegas landmarks as much as possible. I actually like shooting in the rain because it’s such an amazing element and changes the feel of everything so quickly. I grew up on the east coast where it rained all the time and I’m pretty deprived of it in San Diego so I get really excited whenever it rains. I can never get enough of it. If I can shoot in the rain and not ruin gear I usually jump on the opportunity. Las Vegas was a unique place to shoot in the rain and I was pretty happy about it.

I didn’t have any real inspiration for that series in particular except for the thought that it was really cool to see Vegas in the rain and I wanted to show the grey, no lights, subdued side of the city. That being said there are photographers that I love and look up to and their work is a definite underlying influence throughout all of my photography. Some of my favorite photographers include Sally Mann, Nan Goldin, Cindy Sherman, Henri Cartier- Bresson, Julia Margaret Cameron and a new photographer I have been following, Matt Eich.

What has been your favorite travel experience in regards to your photography?

Other than a specific experience for me it’s more about the actual marriage of travel & photography as two moving, yet frozen in time experiences. What I love most about travel is the actual physical sensation of going from one place to another. It sounds cliché but it is really the journey that I get excited about, even sometimes more than the destination. When I am moving from one place to another I feel like I can really think. I can just observe, think and translate. That’s where the photography comes into play.

To me photography is quite literally the reflection of moments in time. These are the moments you play over and over again in your head, the moments that can never be repeated but the ones you will never forget. I never get tired of attempting to capture those moments and when I’m traveling I start seeing those moments like rapid fire. When my emotions are all wired up over going to a new place and seeing a new environment I get really addicted to my camera. I can’t stop shooting, It’s like my tactile way of engaging with a new place and new feelings. I shoot a lot from the hip because I don’t want to lose connection with people by having a camera in front of my face all day. I realize that it looks pretty obnoxious and it can be disengaging. Eventually I just started shooting while I was in actual motion of one place to the next and that’s when travel photography started really making sense to me. There is something very special in being a witness and whether I’m witnessing my own feelings or someone else’s – I don’t take it for granted.

Over and over again that feeling is my favorite experience when it comes to travel & photography.

As for a specific location, Day of the Dead in Oaxaca was amazing! Being a female photographer there was such an asset as well. Women approached me to ask me to photograph the graves of their family members. I noticed that this didn’t really seem to happen as frequently to men who were shooting. I would recommend Day of the Dead to anyone interested in travel photography.

We are all very excited about your upcoming RTW trip that kicks off in Iceland. What gear are you taking with you and what are you most excited about capturing while abroad?

Oh man, I am excited!

I can’t believe it! Gear wise, I haven’t really decided. I’m going light for sure. Nikon D300s, SB900 flash, a 18mm – 250mm lens I have and I might buy a 35mm 1.4 because the pictures are amazing with that lens and it will be nice to have one good, but small lens with me. I have tossed up the idea of bringing my TTV camera along because I think it will be fun but I’m not sure on that. On top of that a 13” Mac Book Pro, 2 external hard drives, 3 memory cards, 2 Nikon batteries, a small Sony point & shoot, a tripod, a camelbak that I’ve retrofitted for all the gear, a smaller shoulder bag from the army navy store and of course my handy makeshift beer cozy loupe!

I’m pretty excited about what seeing just unveils itself on the road. I don’t have any set in stone ideas about what I might shoot. I’m just excited to get out there and see what happens, see who we end up meeting and see what moments reveal themselves throughout the trip. Professionally, I am going to be working harder at the complete package – getting the details, the portraits & the landscapes in addition to my moment in time style photographs. On a personal photography level I really just want to see & feel the late afternoon sunlight in Venice. I have this really bad feeling I might not leave!

If you could sum up your travel photography philosophy in one sentence, what would it be?

Somewhere in time.

You can find Beth blogging regularly on her travel/travel photography blog, Beers & Beans. Also check out her presence on Twitter via @Beersandbeans.

Thank you Beth for this opportunity to interview you!