Photographer Spotlight: Eileen Roche

I got into photography in yearbook in high school, mostly with a point-and-shoot. That summer, on a backpacking trip with my dad, he taught me how to read the light meter in my great-grandpa’s old Pentax. I shot a roll of slide film and was very careful with each exposure. The images feel like a love letter to the California backcountry. My family still goes back to that same spot and it’s neat to have those images of one of our first trips there and memories of my father sharing his passions with me.

Photography has always been a creative outlet for me. There’s something so natural about having a camera in my hand, capturing candid and authentic moments around me. Translating the aesthetic and mood of a scene and presenting it to the rest of the world is so inspiring and challenging.

I would love to teach beginner photographers someday. There are so many things I wish I would have known starting out and now I know how important it is to have a welcoming, encouraging voice to help nurture you along the way. I’ve had some bad mentoring experiences that felt financially driven instead of genuinely supportive and uplifting, and that’s not how it should be. Community over competition, always.


Photographer Breakdown


FIELD SCOUT SINCE: February 2018
COMPLETED FIELD SCOUT TRIPS TO DATE: 7
PHOTOS UPLOADED TO DATE: 366
WHERE SHE SHOOTS: San Francisco, CA
WHAT’S IN HER BAG: I mostly use a Canon Mark IV for assignments, but love having my Fujifilm X100F for hiking. What else you’ll find in my bag…a scarf that doubles as a towel or blanket, ultra light down that fits in a little stuff bag but keeps me super warm, sunblock and bug repellent, watercolors.
HER STYLE: I’ll scout things out and get an idea of images I’d like to make, but also like to document as events unfold. I’m very landscape-inspired and finding, with Hipcamp, farm animals make great subjects.
PHOTO HACK: I’m loving the ability to use the camera remote on my phone to frame a shot and be in it, rather than running from a self-timer or coaching my boyfriend on the exact way I want something framed.
POST-PROCESSING TIP: I come home with way more images than a Hipcamp review needs. Lightroom helps me to view only selected images so I can see if I covered everything.
EILEEN’S INSPIRATION:


Eileen’s Field Scout Trip Highlights


AutoCamp Russian River, CA

One of my favorite Field Scouting memories was an impromptu happy hour with the Hipcamp team in front of our safari tent at AutoCamp!

If you look closely, you can see I’m pressing the remote on my phone. It’s fun to have a more creative documentation of a trip together beyond the standard iPhone selfie.

Romantic Treehouse, Mossy Bench, CA

 

Happy Valley Ranch, CA

I love the still water and reflection, with this beautiful tranquil scene in front of him. Due to bringing littles along, this trip was not quite as relaxing as I may have been envisioning. This was a moment of pure calm.
A horse in the kitchen, I mean, c’mon. Pippi Longstocking, anyone?

See Across California, CA

For most of the weekend, we shared the picturesque homestead property with no one but the horses and a few lovely birds. There are several great locations for camping: one just inside the property if you’d prefer easy access to HWY 120, several up on the ridge with an incredible view of the valley, or you could even camp inside the barn to stay dry on a rainy night and for easier access to the cabin.

Follow Eileen’s adventures on Hipcamp and InstagramApply to be a Field Scout!

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