Charly Savely was originally from Bristol, England but is currently based in the Pacific Northwest. She was given the nickname “Little Wolf” from a friend of hers “many years back” and “it just stuck,” she says. Her photographic style is diverse from sharing poignant portraits of her best friends to educating her 180,000+ followers on environmental topics such as the wolf. Her feed is a vibrant mix of travel, photography, and heart.
For Charly, life is all about learning and collecting memories. While she documents her travels through visual storytelling, she said, “sometimes I have to remind myself to put my camera down, so I can really take a place or moment in. Who knows if you’ll come back to that place ever again.”
From her animal portraits to her simplistic landscape imagery, Charly’s passion for the outdoors is showcased in her gallery. With an affinity for colder climates, she enjoys every opportunity to travel and document her life.
Welcome Charly! First of all, can you share with us what motivated you to pick a camera in the first place and what is driving you nowadays?
I’ve kind of had a camera since I could use one. In my childhood I loved polaroids and used disposable cameras all the time. I have some pretty embarrassing photo albums that I made. Nowadays for me it’s about capturing a moment and collecting the memory. Sometimes I feel like a hoarder haha. It’s also about constantly learning new things and slowing down to notice things that catch my eye. I also love to use photos as gifts to give people.
You and other photographers do workshops in Iceland. What has your experience been like facilitating international photography workshops?
The workshop I taught in Iceland was SO much fun. I bonded with the girls that attended & still chat with them.
I see that your feed is very diverse, with wildlife and life moments and self-portraits. What is your favorite subject to photograph and why?
I love photographing wildlife and humans in the wild. Animals are a challenge because they are always moving & don’t care that you’re taking a photo, which I like. I also love taking portraits of people I encounter for the memory & also to be able to give them something.
Do you have any picture that you really like? Which is your favorite photo?
Recently I got to go photograph bison on a friend of a friend’s farm. We had such a wonderful morning & it was so exciting photographing these handsome beasts. This was the result:
How has life in the PNW shaped your creativity?
The PNW has shaped what I like to shoot for sure. It’s made me prefer the cold. My favorite weather to shoot in is moody bad weather & fog. The fall colors & wildlife here is also gorgeous & motivates me.
What are the three most valuable personal lessons you have learned traveling?
Traveling is one of the best things you can do in life to learn about the world and about yourself. I have learned so much on each trip I’ve experienced. If I had to narrow it down to three things I would say:
1) Always try to learn the language of where you are. It’s polite & good for your brain. It shows you care about where you are, the culture and the people. It helps you to build relationships with locals, which could be very beneficial if you return!
2) I also learned not to tell the people that work at the airport that you are photographer haha. I’m not totally sure why, but they don’t like it. I think they assume you’re a journalist or up to something wild. They will make your life hell with endless searches. I learned this the hard way in the Iceland airport. I made the mistake of telling them my career is being a photographer & then I was thoroughly searched three different times in secret small rooms & I almost missed my flight!
3) Try your best to be awake/present to the experiences while traveling. It’s very easy to get stressed and distracted while traveling. Be open to whatever happens or comes your way. Sometimes I have to remind myself to put my camera down, so I can really take a place or moment in. Who knows if you’ll come back to that place ever again.
The restorative benefits of nature have been proven scientifically. I know that you find inspiration in nature as well. So, I am curious about your thoughts in this regard. Would you be able to describe how do you feel when you are outdoors, in the wild surrounded by nature?
Being outside is definitely what keeps me alive and happy. Fresh air and moving my body get my mind off of everything. It becomes increasingly harder to take in nature as it becomes increasingly tied to my work. Sometimes you have to put down the camera or not even bring it and take in the views.
Imagine yourself at the beginning of your professional career as a photographer. What four pieces of advice would you give to yourself?
I think being a freelance photographer is such a trial & error career. You constantly make mistakes, learn from them and adapt. I think the advice I would give myself would still be the advice I give myself today:
1) Don’t doubt yourself. Even if you feel super far behind or overwhelmed, press on. Don’t look at others success & compare or get down about where you are. You are there for a reason. If you work hard, you will find your own successes.
2) Never stop learning. There’s always something to learn & you’re never too old. Photography is constantly growing, changing, updating. It can be hard to keep up. But you have too if you want to be on top. I constantly watch online classes to continue learning new things in this realm.
3) Never stop hustling. There’s work out there, chase after it, it won’t just come to you. If you’re not getting any emails, reach out, make pitches. Network, go out of your comfort zone and meet people.
4) Be kind to those you encounter & be thankful for every opportunity that comes your way.
That’s just general advice for your whole life. Every opportunity that has come my way has been a total blessing and learning experience. Being thankful & kind will always help make you a better person.
Where will we find you 10 years from now?
Hopefully shooting for some big outdoor brand & still traveling! Or maybe leading a photography excursion company. I hope I will have locked down a home base by then too.
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