It takes a keen eye and a whole lot of patience to master wildlife photography, but for STEPS Pathways College student Sarah Wallace, spending hours behind a lens has become part of her daily routine.
Sarah admits she’s excited to see where her photography skills will take her in the future, and when catching a glimpse of her work for the first time, her sense of optimism is well and truly justified.
Sarah prides herself on incorporating a wide spectrum of colours and styles into her work and says she’s truly grateful to be able to capture such beautiful flora and fauna in the STEPS Pathways College backyard.
With a little under four years’ experience in the hobby, Sarah said her friends and family have been blown away with the progress she’s made in such a short time.
“I got my first Canon camera in 2018 as a Christmas present then I started to teach myself how to use the right settings for different lighting situations,” she said.
“Ever since I got my camera, a lot of people are amazed at the excellent eye I have for photography.”
Sarah has since upgraded to quite an impressive setup and now boasts a lens with a whopping 800mm focal length, allowing her to capture even the smallest details in her photographs.
Often referred to as one of the hardest subjects to capture, Sarah says she feels at peace when photographing birds and other wildlife.
“Nearly every day of the week I would spend my time out capturing the amazing images and identifying all the bird species that are living in the Australian wilderness,” she said.
“When going birdwatching all the time I get to meet other photographers who would give me photography tips for my camera settings. I am lucky enough to have fellow photographers and family and friends surrounding me that are so supportive.”
Sarah has been a student at the college since October of 2021 and has already come a long way on her journey towards independence.
She hopes to eventually live in her own place and become employed after graduating, preferably in the field of photography.
“My experience at STEPS Pathways College so far has been so amazing. I have learnt so many independent skills already and gained lots of independence which I didn’t have before arriving here,” she said.
Sarah currently has three Instagram pages, @sarahwallacephotography, @sarahwallacebirdphotography and @birdlife_photography.2000, all with a combined follower count of more than 5,000.
