We’re so excited about all the snow we’ve been getting! To celebrate the snow, we wanted to focus on one of its most beautiful components: snowflakes! We love wandering the craft fairs here in Grand County, and one of the most remarkable booths at these events is Karla’s. It’s a beautiful and breathtaking display of tiny, intricate snowflakes, each in its own unique splendor on all kinds of surfaces, from coffee beans to aluminum foil. With the holidays quickly approaching, we thought this would be a great gift idea for loved ones, and while we were at it, we reached out to Karla to ask her about her process. Read on for the interview, or purchase your own snowflake prints at www.realsnowflakephotography.com .
If you’re thinking of visiting us over Thanksgiving, perfect timing! You’ll be able to check out Karla’s exhibit at the Old Fashioned Holiday Craft Show November 27 & 28 at the Arts Council Building in Grand Lake.
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What inspires you?
Seeing the look on peoples’ faces the first time they see a snowflake up close. I have seen a lot of emotions in my snowflake booth at shows. For me the message is, if a snowflake this small can impact someone so much, imagine what an impact we each can make in our lives every day.
When did you take your first snowflake picture?
My first snowflake shot was taken December 2006 and I have since taken over 90,000 snowflake shots.
How long does each photo take to produce?
Every photo is different, with the new style. I shoot the snowflake on slides, so I end up cleaning up any dirt on the slides with photoshop. The rest of the pics are natural, no photo stacking or snowflake manipulation up to this point.
What’s your favorite photo you’ve ever taken?
All of them. Every new snowflake is just as exciting as the first. I am a snowflake addict!
What did you do before you were the snowflake photographer?
Since 2006 my winter job is snowflake photography and my summer job and passion is custom landscaping in Grand County (stellarbooth.com) I create natural moss rock mountain landscapes, I built the pondless waterfall at the new courthouse, pondless waterfall for 9 news in Denver and I go on 9 news frequently to teach home owners about water and landscape things.
What’s the best time of day for capturing these images?
Best temperatures 0 to -20 degrees, this gives more working time on the shot. No wind, usually morning, but if it is snowing I am out.
What’s your favorite thing about Grand County?
I love everything about Grand County, I love late September waking up and going to bed hearing the Elk bugling. The crisp fall mornings, with beautiful sunrises. Walking into City Market on Tuesdays and knowing you will see and socialize with at least 10 of your local neighbors. I love the support you feel in this County, the fundraisers for those in need, cannot be topped with the generosity of this County, we should all be proud to be a part of it, I know I am.
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For more on Karla and to order your very own snowflake prints online, check out http://www.realsnowflakephotography.com/ or give her a call at 970-509-0433 to see what she has in stock at home!
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