Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jenny Baumert. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jenny, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
I keep my creativity alive by constantly trying to find inspiration around me, if it’s not there then I go find it! For me, the ocean is my main source of inspiration. When I get into the water and go below the surface, an entirely new world surrounds me; it opens up the floodgates of my mind and ideas begin rushing in. To keep the creativity alive, I try to create something every day, if I can’t physically shoot something then I’ll retouch a photo or plan an underwater shoot or go out to a show and capture stills of that.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
In addition to nature and documentary projects, my work focuses on capturing the human experience underwater, in both surreal natural landscapes as well as pools and tanks. I utilize weightlessness, reflections, refractions, and distortion in my scenes to provide a different way of looking at the world and oneself. I use my images as a way to explore our collective relationship with water and how vital this connection is to our survival.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I believe that having a great attitude takes you a long way, you will keep working if people enjoy being around you. Network as much as you can and treat everyone with massive respect, you never know who you’re talking to.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
I think it’s so important to surround yourself with people who inspire you and encourage you to grow in your craft. I’ve been lucky enough to have some incredibly talented people take me under their wing; they’ve helped me learn different techniques and have provided me with many unique perspectives.
Whether it has been working as an assistant or being brought onto a production to shadow someone, the experience of being on a set and seeing how it works and getting hands-on experience has helped me develop the essential skills needed to be successful at my craft.
Getting in the water and practicing buoyancy, trimming housings, and following marine life around to practice framing have also been great ways to amplify my underwater imagery.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jenny-baumert.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenny.baumert/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JennyBaumert88
