The Photographer

My name is Jen Kula. I am a college student and photographer located in Northfield and Chicago, Illinois, USA. I have studied photography intensely for the past four years, though I grew up around it. The earliest part of my life was spent fiddling with my father’s Canon AE-1 Program SLR, until I was old enough to buy my own Nikon film camera in sixth grade. My love for the hobby shot skyward after acquiring that camera. I didn’t realize this till I was eighteen, though for years I came back from outings with ten rolls of film.

I continue trying to shoot and learn everyday, in hopes of improving my knowledge and skills.

 

The Name

Northfield is situated in northeastern Cook County, an area abundant with trees, forests, and houses. Despite its location in the heart of suburbia, my area is largely concerned with conservation and nature. We have efforts ranging from the North Branch Restoration Project to the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. Places like the Skokie Lagoons help set aside habitat for wildlife, while allowing residents to enjoy nature.

When I was only a child, my town went door to door for a petition outlawing the hunting of White Tail deer. I was too young to understand why people would want kill animals in the first place. As I grew and spent time in the neighboring woods, I adopted the same environment mentality as my area. Whenever I spotted a White Tail, it was exciting and reminded me of what we saved. My mother and I drove around many evenings just looking for them. Every time I pick up a camera, I feel a similar joy and thoughts of how photography is preserving the world. This is why I picked the name White Tail Photography.

Subject Matter

I have always loved nature photography in its many forms, from landscapes to animals. I started out shooting it, because it was very prevalent in my area. Throughout my years as a photographer, I have branched into other subjects and adore them as well. One of my favorite ways of seeing the world is candidly.

Equipment

Canon 40D DSLR
Canon Elan 7E SLR
Canon Speedlite 580EX II
Canon 17-35mm f/2.8 L USM
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM
Canon 80-200 f/2.8 L
Hoya filters

Polaroid 320 Land Camera
Agfa PD 16 Viking Medium Format