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Merr Watson

@merrwatson

Aerial photographer based in Australia

Introducing Merr Watson

Merr Watson is an aerial photographer born in the Philippines, based in Perth, Australia. She has always loved being creative and while growing up she was either active with playing music, filming and editing videos or photographing anything that was around her. She lives for experiences and connections, and having lived in a country that struggles with extreme poverty, she is inspired by the Filipinos – smiling and enjoying little things despite their circumstances, to live her life feeling extremely grateful for everything.

She got a Nikon D90 when she was 18 years old. Being amazed by new perspectives and inspired by photographers such as Salty Wings, Warren Camitan and Jordan Hammond, she lost herself into the world of photography. Five years ago, she got caught by aerial photography: “Being able to put a camera in a place I physically can’t get to, to capture something so incredibly magical, is what blows me away with the art of aerial photography.”

Merr has found the niche that she truly enjoys, and also feels she’s kind of good at. She has been learning about drone photography and her art shows the hard work is paying off! In this interview, Merr shares some great advices about aerial photography and what is important to keep in mind. Keep reading for more!

Interview

Welcome Merr!

On your website is written: “I’ve always had a passion for photography since I was fairly young” Can you explain us what had evoked the interest in photography and how it became a passion? 

Hey! Thanks for having me here amongst many other incredibly talented artists!

Since I can remember, I’ve always loved being in the creative space, whether that was through music, film or photography. I was in a music band when I was 16,  held my very first high school art gallery when I was 17, and dabbled a bit with filming and editing videos for fun throughout my teen years. Whatever it was, I just loved immersing myself in this space and found it as a way to creatively express myself at such a fairly young age.

At 18,  I got my very first DSLR camera which was a Nikon D90. This was when I started getting really fascinated with photography. I’d constantly photograph my friends, or find myself looking for interesting points of interests to shoot whether that was a flower in my backyard, a bird or animal, or a landscape at sunset. Everything to me at that time was photo worthy and interesting to shoot as I was starting to see and capture different perspectives that I wasn’t normally used to seeing. This was what originally evoked my interest in photography in the first place and what quickly led to being a passion of mine in the coming years.

Since five years now, you are focussing on aerial photography. Of course a drone provides amazing new perspectives, much different from what you can get with a camera, but what made you decide to specialize yourself on aerial photography?

To me, I just love the idea of turning my perception of everyday life and my surroundings into something so richly visually appealing, whether that’s a simple top down shot of my favourite local beach or creating a composite of shots that captures the vast beauty of an entire landscape from above.

"Being able to put a camera in a place I physically can’t get to, to capture something so incredibly magical is what blows me away with the art of aerial photography and what sparked my interest in the first place."

For doing aerial photography you probably need some different skills compared to shooting with a camera. For those of our readers who are interested in developing themselves in the aerial photography as well, could you mention three of these skills they should acquire?

As with any type of photography, the same skills apply when shooting from above; such as your rule of thirds and mastering lighting and composition . However, there are additional steps one would need to take when flying drones.

The first one is definitely KNOWING THE RULES. It’s not necessarily a skill but more of a mandatory step you need to take when getting into the field. Every location has different rules when it comes to flying drones so it’s pretty important that you fully do your research before going to a destination to know what the flight rules are and whether or not you need a permit to fly.

The second one is understanding how your drone works and how to fly it! Drone flying is like an art in itself… You really need to understand every aspect of your drone in order to achieve maximum quality in your footage. Learn the essential camera settings and see what settings work best with the type of shots you want to achieve. Practice flying your aircraft as many times as you can!

"The more knowledgeable and confident you are flying your drone, the better footage you’ll be able to produce."

The third one is being creative with your angles. Drones give you opportunities to shoot in a variety of different angles that a normal camera simply can not achieve. Be super creative with your angles by experimenting different heights and camera positions using your gimbal when taking photos. It’s incredible what angles you can achieve if you just play around with it!

Is there any artist/photographer who has inspired your art? Can you name three?

There are so many artists that have inspired my art along the way but to name the first three that pop up in my head, it would be…

Salty Wings – Captures breathtaking aerial shots of Western Australia’s coastlines and have inspired my art greatly since day one.

Warren Camitan – The way he captures the blues in all of his shots is truly remarkable. His work makes me proud to call the Philippines my home.

Jordan Hammond – What’s not to love about his photography… Each image he produces is so incredibly unique and has really inspired me to keep exploring this beautiful world we live in.

As a photographer, I am sure that you feel attached to all your photos. All your pictures represent unique moments of your life. However, among your works, do you have any picture that you really like? What is your favorite photo?

Each image really holds a different story and a unique moment that makes each photo equally as special as one another. It’s hard to pinpoint a specific photo that I favour most but if I had to choose one that I was super proud of, it would be the sunrise shot I took from Tegallalang Rice Fields in Bali. For me, this was a huge step towards my growth in photography.

I started out shooting coastlines and a lot of my work previously specialised in capturing beaches all over the world. I loved shooting the water and it was what I was good at. Getting outside my comfort zone by pushing into new territories and learning how to shoot and edit landscapes that I’m not normally used to was a bit challenging for me. Yet, I learnt so much and I was pretty stoked with the end result!

Can you tell us about your editing style and explain your editing process with an example?

Most of my work consists of a lot of vibrant rich colours with a clean dreamy look to it.

When it comes to my editing workflow, this can vary depending on the shot, but all my photos are edited in Lightroom and I mostly use Photoshop to clean them up.

"To give an example, if I were to edit an ocean aerial shot such as this one, I almost always start by adjusting the highlights, whites and shadows to brighten the image."

I then like to play around with the HSL colour sliders as well as the Camera Calibration to achieve the desired colours and saturation to my shots. I would then use the brush and gradient tools to edit certain elements to the shot such as making the water more vibrant and aqua, the rocks more smooth and saturated, and to smooth out the sand.

I use the brush and gradient tools on all my shots as it allows me so much control as to how I want each element of the shot to come across. I would then use the spot removal tool on Lightroom to clean up any unwanted elements to the photo and play around with the rest of the sliders until I’m happy with the overall look. I would then transfer the image onto Photoshop to clean up the shot even further and make any final adjustments.

That’s just a super quick breakdown of my workflow. My edits usually take quite a lengthy time depending on the shot as I can be quite particular with how I want it to look.

"I love giving my images a super clean look as well so small details to me are everything!"

You are from the Philippines, but you are now based in Perth, Western Australia. I bet there is a whole story in between, as you have been traveling to many different places. Can you tell something about your travels (and maybe moves)? What has impressed you most? And what values, perspectives and/or habits you have picked up from the different countries and cultures?

Having lived in the Philippines for 18 years then moving to Australia, I’ve gained a lot of insight when it comes to adapting to different ways of living and connecting with people from different backgrounds. The same applies when traveling, you learn so much about a place and its people, which in return expands the way you see and view everything.

"Having lived in a country that struggles with extreme poverty, it has always blown me away that Filipinos can be so happy and find pleasure in the smallest things in life."

Seeing this has always made me want to live my life with gratitude. My everyday problems come nothing close to what they go through and yet seeing them smile and find joy from simple things – no matter the circumstances, has always inspired me to live my life feeling extremely grateful for everything.

I’ve also realised through my travels and moves that no materialistic things can ever make one really happy. I live my life trying to invest in moments that I know I’ll remember for the rest of my life instead of buying things that really give little to no meaning to me at all. For me, I live for experiences and connections! It’s probably why I always have a constant urge to travel more because when I do, I’ll be opening myself up to all these new experiences that I know are going to be worth remembering 🙂

Nowadays we see so many young talented artists pursuing a career as a full time travel/landscape photographer. What four pieces of advice would you give them?

My four pieces of advice would be…

(1) Find your niche

It’s like the saying ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’. Don’t feel you have to be great at everything. Find what you really enjoy and focus your time and effort into mastering it.

(2) Shoot a lot!

"Your goal at the end of the day is to translate whatever image and emotions you feel you have in your head into your photography and get people to really feel and experience the same thing. That takes time and practice so make sure you go out there and shoot as much as you can."
@merrwatson portrait
Merr Watson Aerial Photographer

(3) Try Something New

I for one have fallen into the trap of my comfort zone by sometimes taking similar photos over and over again. Truth is, if you really want to grow, it’s important to try something new every now and then (while still keeping to your style of course). It could be shooting a different location that you’re not used to or playing around with your post processing. Almost always will you discover a new technique or skill that will help you progress way further in your photography.

(4) Consistency is everything

It’s pretty important to be consistent because it helps build credibility and trust in your brand. If you’re into dark moody edits, make sure that shows in your work consistently all across your feed. Obviously you first need to come up with your own unique style which does take time. But once you fine tune what style you’re going for, make sure you stick with it as that will shine a light on your strengths and make you unique as an artist 🙂

Probably you have lots of places on your wishlist to visit and photograph! Any new projects coming up or countries you will be visiting soon?

I’ll be heading back to the motherland (Philippines) next week and will be visiting El Nido in Palawan. It’s a place I’ve been itching to go back for years, so I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what I can create from there.

Thanks again for having me on! 🙂

You can support Merr's career by purchasing one of her prints here! For each sale we plant one tree!

Nusa Penida, Indonesia
@merrwatson Nusa Penida, Indonesia

Nusa Penida, Indonesia

€35.00 – €65.00

Year: 2019 Artist: Merr Watson

– Open Edition Gallery Quality Photography
– Certificate of Authenticity
– Printed on Gallery Premium Art Paper
SKU: PT-MR02 Category: Tags: , , , ,

Description

About “Nusa Penida, Indonesia” and Merr Watson 

“To me, I just love the idea of turning my perception of everyday life and my surroundings into something so richly visually appealing, whether that’s a simple top down shot of my favourite local beach or creating a composite of shots that captures the vast beauty of an entire landscape from above. Being able to put a camera in a place I physically can’t get to, to capture something so incredibly magical is what blows me away with the art of aerial photography and what sparked my interest in the first place.”

Printing

Photos are printed on high quality paper at an art gallery that is specialized in printing, having their own equipment.

Eco-friendly

Paper used for the prints is ecological and 100% recycled.

Shipping & Delivery

Each order is unique and will be printed on request. That means that it takes some time to process the order. Once your product has been sent, you will receive a confirmation email.

Please check your contact details carefully when placing your order, so the courier company can contact you in case of unexpected circumstances.

You should receive your order within 2-10 business days.

International deliveries can take a little longer than indicated, as this depends on various logistics partners and their affiliates. You can track the status of your order to be up to date and to be reassured that your order is on its way.

Shipping rates are indicated before placing the final order and payment, and these rates vary per location.

Taxes

For all international orders, import taxes, duties and tariffs (if any) should be paid according to your country’s governing laws in order to clear customs.

Additional information

Weight0.5 kg
Dimensions10 × 10 × 60 cm
size

15×20 cm, 20×30 cm, 30×40 cm, 40×50 cm, 60×40 cm

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