February Featured Artist, Anca Gaston

February’s Featured Artist is Anca Gaston, a fine art photographer from Brantford. Anca has been passionate about photography since her teen years and enjoys spending as much time as possible photographing local wildlife and the night sky. She has won a number of photo contests, including being the Grand Prize winner of the 2016 Grand River Parks and Waterways Photo Contest with a photo of a bald eagle fishing, and the 2016 Winner (and 2017 runner-up) of the Canadian Wildlife Federation photo contest.

Anca’s photographic journey began in her early teens with her first subjects including snails, pets, flowers and family members who patiently posed for portrait sessions. Her photography continues to be shaped and inspired by nature and the beauty that surrounds us. Anca adds, “In my opinion, Brantford’s natural spaces – its trails and the grand River – are its greatest assets. The Grand River attracts many species of birds from Bald Eagles to migratory birds such as ducks and shorebirds. Most of my photos are taken around the Wilkes Dam area or in Brant Park.”

Admirers of Anca’s work have the opportunity to purchase her photos through fine art prints, canvases, calendars and cards. Every year, these works are available at her annual Christmas open house or other vendor’s shows she may be participating in. In addition to her gorgeous photography work, the smart and talented Anca also holds a PhD in Health Psychology from the University of Western Ontario, where she graduated in 2012. She has spent the last ten years working as a health planner.

Through her photos, Anca aims to capture the personality and essence of the wildlife around us by showcasing the beauty of all birds or animals, whether that be a chickadee, squirrel or a more rare species. Her hope is to encourage a greater appreciation of the natural world and motivate people to preserve habitat.  While on location it is important to Anca not to disturb her subjects. She uses a 300mm telephoto lens to photograph wildlife, which allows her to zoom in and capture faraway subjects such as deer or tiny birds. One of her top tools of the trade, this lens is lightweight and allows her to hike and do most of her photography handheld.

When asked who inspires her artist pursuits, Anca credits numerous books, websites and videos. She also notes that she has received instruction from two local photographers including Jorj Takacs and Paul Roedding. When it comes to astrophotography, Mike Kukucska from Hamilton inspired Anca to purchase a wide angle lens and try her own hand at this genre.

When asked what tips she has for developing artists, Anca says “Take LOTS of photos. I will sometimes take 600 photos during an outing if I am doing a serious bird shoot. Taking this many photos increases the chances that you will capture that one very special photo where the bird or animal is really showing off its personality or looking right at the camera. Secondly, try to photograph the animal at eye level. This means sometimes getting down on the ground or crouching so that you are not looking down towards the animal.” Anca explains that, not only is this an extremely rewarding hobby, it can also help one to better connect oneself with their surroundings/environment and see things from a new perspective.

For more information about Anca Gaston and to view her photos, connect with her on Facebook at facebook.com/anca.gaston.