Nadine Bauer
@cinnadine
Photographer based in Mexico
When I was in high school, I had biology in my A-Levels and graduated in it. I was always very interested in how the biological processes are working, the connection between nature and animals, as well as molecular biology processes like protein assembling. So, I didn’t hesitate long and after finishing high school, I immediately started to study biology.
"After doing my bachelor's thesis in plant biochemistry, I decided to focus on my master's degree in human genetics and human biology."
I do really love the work in the lab. Nevertheless, I also had a deep love for the ocean. Studying marine biology would have seemed more logical, but in Germany, it’s quite hard to get sufficient marine-related courses and I also wanted to have a broad knowledge of what I can do afterward with my degree. I know many graduated biologists who switched their fields after they graduated in a specific field. To touch upon marine biology during my Master’s in a different way, I tried to do a semester abroad in Bali but this turned out too complicated. Before starting my master thesis in March 2020, I traveled to Indonesia on my own. I decided to do my Open Water certification and totally fell in love with marine life and diving there. That’s when I knew I wanted to get deeper into this field.
So, after I finally graduated, I googled and looked for every opportunity and internship to get a foothold in this completely new field. This proved difficult for someone like me without a degree specifically in marine biology. My initial idea to go back to Indonesia was thwarted by the pandemic, but I knew I wanted to leave Germany as soon as possible. I continued to look for opportunities, mainly in Latin and South America. Then it finally happened! I found a small diving school with research-related courses on the Caribbean side of Mexico, close to Belize, and decided that I wanted to go there.
"Their main focus is on marine conservation and coral restoration and reef monitoring."
"I would say I have the logical and scientific part of me from my dad. That’s why I’m so passionate about science and research."
The accompanying challenges of experiments in the lab, whether it works or not, always push me to research more. My mom on the other hand has always been a creative person. She paints a lot, creating beautiful pieces of art which are often shown at vernissages. She can sit in her atelier for hours and can be really focused on and fulfilled with what she is doing.
Photography has been my way to be creative since I got my first camera when I was 15. I always had it with me whenever I traveled but my real passion for traveling and photography started when I did my first solo trip back in 2017 to Athens and Santorini. Since then, I have used every free time frame while studying to travel and get out of my home – of course always with my camera. Doing solo trips only emerged when I finally ended a relationship in which I felt stuck for almost two years, and these trips helped me to find myself again and focus more on what I really want to accomplish in my life.
I would like to combine my passion for marine biology and photography. Being an advocate for the ocean and conveying how important it is for our world, and being creative underwater with photography in addition to the usual landscape/travel photography. I love what I do and want to keep doing it. Being creative and photography should be something that supports my intentions and my vision and at the same time something that captures all the special moments in my life.
In photography, conditions can change quickly and you have to do some good research before venturing out if you want the right location and the right light. This makes it challenging to get THAT shot, but this is the nice thing about photography – you’ll never know how it will turn out in the end. You have to try, experiment, research, and be amazed by any kind of result which tells you a lot about what you can do differently next time.
I also like to shoot portraits; when doing so, I’m more focused on what I want to achieve with it, and how to make the clients feel comfortable and happy afterward. With portrait photography, you can catch and freeze the emotions and feelings of a person at that moment. It’s more intimate and you establish a human connection.
"When shooting landscapes, I’m either surrounded by friends or on my own, which makes it so relaxing to capture the whole experience. Both have something special!"
On top of that, I met so many people that became friends, and invaluable friendships were born – because of photography and social media. It is so important to have like-minded people around you, sharing the same passion, and encourage each other that way.
"I’ve always been afraid of traveling alone, taking photos with my own tripod, and making connections in a totally different country. But every time I did it, I was happy I pushed myself."
I learned that no country or culture should be stigmatized, we are all human beings, and everyone has their own story to tell. Listening should get all your attention, and judgments are there to be investigated, not to be believed. They say more about themselves than about the other, and that can be very interesting and confronting! If there’s one thing I learned on these solo trips it’s to step out of your comfort zone – the more it scares you, the more you should really do it! Stepping out of my unhealthy relationship was another trigger that made me realize how important it is to follow your dreams and go after what you really want to achieve in life. From the creative point of view, I would say that not limiting myself to stand only behind the camera, but also trying things standing in front of the camera myself, amplified the diversity of my work and enhanced my creativity.
"That flow I am often losing myself in when I am inspired is the most enjoyable state of being."
"So, both pushing your boundaries and setting healthy new boundaries are essential to accomplish your goals and make your dreams a reality!"
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