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Sandrine Michelmore
@ivory_mint
Landscape photographer based in Switzerland
My passion for photography is a gift I got from my dad. Growing up I had the privilege to travel a lot with my parents and my dad always had his camera with him to take plenty of pictures wherever we went. So travelling and photography have been playing a role in my life since I was little.
Back then, I of course did not always appreciate the fact that we had to stop at every castle or run to take photos, however this naturally changed in time. When I was about 9 years old, I got my very first camera from my parents (the old school one with film), and ever since then I’ve been taking photos wherever we go and as such started to train my eye for photography. With that very first camera, a seed was planted and has been growing ever since. When my husband got me my first full frame DSLR camera for my birthday in 2015, the seed really began to flourish. This really helped me in bringing my photographic skills up a significant level and I started working with professional editing tools like Adobe Lightroom. I guess he did not know back then what he was in for when he got me that gift.
"Since then he has had to show a lot of patience whenever we go on road trips or hikes, due to all the additional stops I ask him to make, just to take a “quick” photo."
"Growing up in the countryside of Switzerland allowed me to be outdoors all the time."
Be it hiking up mountains or skiing them down, I always loved enjoying our local nature. Due to the travel restrictions in 2020 I finally dedicated more time exploring my own country, going to places I always wanted to go but never found the time as exploring places outside of Switzerland often took priority. I have a couple of special places in Switzerland, which are my all-time favourites, like Zermatt or Grindelwald where you can visit some of the most iconic mountains of Switzerland (Matterhorn, Eiger and Jungfrau). It is not always easy combining photography with my daily life but I do try to reserve a good few days and weekends in order to spend time hiking somewhere with my camera in my backpack. It does help that Switzerland is a rather small country, which allows you to be in different places very quickly without too much travel time.
Additionally we also try to plan one bigger trip to another country each year as part of our annual leave. My photography has often quite an influence in the final decision on where we go and what we want to do and see. Since my husband is South African we also try to travel once a year to South Africa to visit his family, which always gives me plenty of opportunities to focus on wildlife photography down there. Overall, I believe I achieve a great balance in travelling and photography next to my daily life, although I do naturally wish I could have just a couple more weeks during the year to focus purely on photography because I experienced that this dramatically boosts photography skills in many ways.
"Back in 2018 I joined a group of photography enthusiasts from around the world, on a journey through the biggest fjord of East Greenland, on board a beautiful schooner vessel."
This 8-day photographic workshop called the Silent Arctic, was led by @icelandic_explorer and @joe_shutter, two very talented and inspiring photographers whom I have been following on Instagram for a while. Never before had I been to such a remote location, it is literally impossible to describe the beauty of Greenland. It made me immediately aware of how rare it is these days to completely disconnect from the rest of the world, to be somewhere where nobody else is and to sit outside and experience complete silence whilst watching giant Icebergs float by. At the same time it was such a great opportunity to learn from and get inspired by the other people on this trip and doing what we all love to do, taking loads of photos from early morning till late at night, share our visions and learn from one another.
That being said, this might change again in the next few years as we never stop learning, exploring and growing. Photography and editing photos is a form of art at the end, and personal taste changes over time as well.
My edits are pretty subtle; I use it to add a final little spark to my photo, and to ensure a cohesive look. The editing process is also something that feels calming to me; it is comparable to painting a picture or reading a book for others.
I can sit in front of my laptop for hours, browsing through my photos and editing them. I do think perfection is possible, but perfection in photography is also something personal and individual. The perfect photo for example, in my point of view, might be a less perfect photo for somebody else and this is completely ok. I do also believe that if you do not aim for perfection in photography, it will neither push you to go that extra mile or challenge yourself.
I also leverage Instagram to get inspiration for future travels to places I would otherwise not have known. I therefore also like to share places I have been through my photography with others, which may inspire them. It is perhaps a form of giving something back to others. When travelling in Switzerland or to other countries I usually do very detailed research beforehand with the aim to find unique places to see or to stay. So gaining a certain knowledge about the place I go beforehand combined with receiving information about a place or the local wildlife during my trip (e.g. whilst being on a safari) has a high importance to me, and I know other will appreciate finding the information I have shared to in turn help them to plan their trips.
"I also like to create awareness about wildlife as this is very close to my heart."
Rhinos or Cheetahs for example are endangered species and I feel extremely lucky and privileged to have had the chance to see them in their natural habitat. It was my first trip to Tanzania back in 2009 where I developed my love for the African continent and its amazing wildlife. I guess what I have learned the most over the years is that you can’t take the perfect picture for granted. Travelling a lot in Africa and chasing the elusive ‘perfect wildlife photos’ that you wish you can then get on the cover of a National Geographic Magazine feels “almost” impossible to achieve.
"I will not say that it is impossible but you need a tremendous amount of luck, you have to be in the right place and the right time and have endless patience."
I have been driving through national parks where we’ve hardly seen any big game, but I also had days where we saw the most incredible things, like for example a leopard sitting on a tree with its fresh kill. Watching lions, elephants, zebras and leopards out in their natural habitat for the very first time is something I will never forget. I was truly mesmerized in seeing how beautiful wildlife can be close up. This was the point where I started to focus a lot of my travel to places where I was able to observe different species of wildlife, be it in Botswana, Namibia or Madagascar.
"If I have to pick one of my more recent photos as my favorite, then it would be the one with the 5 African Meerkats, perfectly posing during sunrise."
What people often do not see when looking at wildlife photography, is the sheer amount of work and patience that comes with it. This particular photo was taken in the heart of the Little Karoo (a semi desert natural region of South Africa). We had to get up at 3:30am, drive for two hours to get to the specific spot and then wait silently in the freezing cold in-front of a Meerkat den for the sun to come up. The thing with Meerkats is, even though you believe they are deep in the den, you can never be 100% sure they will show themselves. You also don’t know how long it will take until they eventually decide to appear. So all we could do is sit there quietly and wait. We were very lucky that day; about 30 minutes after the sun had risen the first Meerkat popped his tiny head out of the den to check out the situation. Soon we had the entire family out and about, warming up their bodies in the first rays of sunlight.
"This is when I got my favourite photo, when mama Meerkat was surrounded by her four pups, all facing the sun to warm their bodies and looking perfectly into my camera."
"Though wildlife and nature photography I have learned to appreciate the very little things nature has to offer, learning about birdlife, plants and insects."
It really broadens your perspectives on nature and makes you that much more aware of the place you are currently in, all in a completely different way. For instance, when I am not in Africa, I love to travel north to countries like Iceland or Norway. It is the combination of the rough landscapes, the moody weather and the inevitable cosiness of the little cabins that brings me a different form of peace to allow myself to disconnect from my otherwise very busy working routine back home. The contrasting circumstances trigger different reactions within me, new learning and a deeper awareness of what’s happening in our world beyond my neighbourhood.
"It’s also the people who challenge you but believe in you at the same time, that help you develop and grow the most."
It’s situations that bring you out of your comfort zone and experiences that stick with you forever that lead to unforgettable memories in your life. Without the continuous support of my husband, my family and friends, I would not be where I am today. I would not be the person I am today and I would have certainly missed out on many unforgettable moments. Getting up super early in the morning (and I am not a morning person at all) just to capture the lovely sunrise. Dragging myself up a mountain for a breathtaking view and a particular photo or being outside in stormy weather just because the clouds look amazing, are all situations that some people may not understand but are things I wouldn’t want to miss now – because they bring me the most beautiful photos, emotions and memories.
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