Blogging it Forward

 As derby girls we all know how awesome a team can be.  The support you get from your team on and off the track is something that is sacred to every derby girl.  We do amazing things with our team that we could probably do on our own but the journey wouldn't be half as fun.

We belong to an Etsy team as well.   The support and information that we share in Team Discovery makes life a little more fun and enjoyable while trying to sell in an online market.

I have asked one of my teamies for a little interview.
Jennifer from Creative Cabin happily stepped up to the job. 

HAB: Tell us a little bit about yourself.


JEN: I am work at home mother of 2 boys, ages 6 and 8, as well as a devoted wife. I grew up in the Midwest and moved to NC in 2007. I have always longed to be in the mountain woods and am finally here. This to me is home.

Iced Berries by Creative Cabin

HAB:  What do you love about what you do?


JEN: Photographing nature is more of a hobby than a profession for me. I say this because I just love doing it and never think about if this shot will sell. I just love doing it. Being able to sell my photography is just a bonus that helps support the habit.
However, the photography in my shop is not mine alone. My husband shares the same love of nature photography as I do and the shop is a collection of what have both taken.


HAB:  How did you first got involved in photography?

JEN:  I have always enjoyed taking pictures but hated film cameras because I did not get the instant gratification of seeing what I just shot. But when I got my first little digital camera that held something like 10 pictures at 480x620 (lets just say really small), I was hooked.
I could see my shot and if I did not like the angle, I could take another one right then w/o losing the opportunity. I think that was back in 2000 or 2001.

As far as my husband is concerned, he says he can not remember what sparked his interests as a kid. Photography is just something he has always loved to do.

HAB:  Please tell us quick history on how you got started on Etsy


JEN:  I have known about Etsy for a few years. My mother actually found it and said I should make stuff to sell on there. At that time, I was not at a point in my life where that was an option.
But I held onto the thought of Etsy as a place to do something.
It was only last summer that I opened my web design shop, Bisi Designs, on Etsy.
Then I thought I would do crafting since Mom was still on my tail about selling crafts.
At first I started putting a few things in my design shop but it looked tacky to me so I created CreativeCabin131 in October and put some craft stuff there. That was a flop.

I am one of the leaders of Team Discovery. We have a few photographers on the team and after I saw them selling photography, I thought about it and said something to the hubby.
He said "I have been telling you we should sell our photography, so get to it!" And there it was, shortly before Thanksgiving, I ditched the crafting and listed some of our photographs.

HAB:  What do you find most challenging about photographing nature?

JEN: Not having my camera with me when I see those perfect shots.
I always walk out of the house to head to town w/o the camera. I almost cried one day, it had been raining and on my way home, there is a ziggy-zaggy spot in the road. It was wet, the leaves were peaking in color and littered the road. There was a heavy fog and the road just faded away in front of me.

Banner designs by BISI Designs

HAB:  What do you do when you aren’t working on your photography?

JEN:  I am also a web designer. I create websites and Etsy shop banners.

HAB:  How did you pick nature as your main focus of your photography?

JEN:  Nature is something we both truly love and admire. We have this deep drive to capture it.

We love to eat wild mushrooms so when we go out to find them, we take the camera.
Not everything we find is edible, nor can we identify, but if it looks interesting, we take its picture, same with wild flowers.
Our nature landscapes are really just one of those "Oh Wow!" moments that we feel we just have to capture.



Creative Cabin



HAB:  If you could go anywhere in the world to take pictures, where would you go?

JEN:  I would love to do underwater photography of the Great Barrier Reef but I would probably stop in Hawaii for some surfing first. Then I think I would have to pop down to Antarctica to visit the penguins. They are just some cool guys!

I would like to thank Jennifer for taking the time to answer my questions.
If you like what you see, please stop by Creative Cabin and check out all her photos.
You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter!



Anya