Nancy Borowick
Hey buddies! My title is Nancy Borowick, and I’m a documentary photographer, storyteller, and as of late, instructor, writer, and speaker.
I’m initially from New York, however since early 2022 I’m now a resident of the island of St. John within the U.S. Virgin Islands within the Caribbean.
I’ve cherished images my total life; massive shout out to my superb highschool photograph instructor Ms. Brady. I began working professionally in 2010 after graduating from the one-year certificates program on the Worldwide Heart of Images in New York Metropolis.
As an editorial photographer, I first targeted on native New York tales, eating places, portraits, and virtually something actually; nonetheless, my ardour was all the time in long-form documentary storytelling.
Whereas I used to be not anticipating to work on an excellent private mission simply but, life occurs when it occurs, and my work took a flip for the private quickly after college.
It was late 2012, and my mother and father had been each abruptly in parallel remedies for stage 4 most cancers. I didn’t know help them with out utterly falling aside, so I picked up my digicam and determined to make use of it to inform their story, our story, because it was unfolding.
In doing this, I not solely received to have fun their lives whereas documenting their deaths, however I additionally received to share them and all of their knowledge and wonder with the world.
As we speak I proceed to inform tales of life and loss, with a specific deal with motherhood. I turned a mom in 2019 and am anticipating a second little one this Christmas Eve.
In 2017 my gear and my equipment began to actually change for the higher. Whereas I discovered images on black and white Tri-X movie and a beautiful outdated SLR digicam in school, I moved into the DLSR realm with a Nikon D70.
Over time I stayed with the Nikon as a result of that was what I knew, however I wasn’t proud of the load of my gear or the standard of the digital photos they produced.
Whereas dwelling on the Pacific Island of Guam, my good friend Jun Michael Park came visiting on task together with his Sony equipment, and I used to be so smitten. It was compact and full, and his photos actually stood out.
He loaned me his Sony Rx1R II, a cute little mirrorless with a first-rate 35mm, and I used to be immediately hooked.
The dynamic vary dazzled me, and the dimensions and capabilities of this little factor blew me out of the water. Inside a yr, regardless of my fears of going mirrorless and altering methods, I utterly converted to Sony and have by no means regarded again.
I’m not a techy particular person, however I simply know what I like and what works for me.
Whereas somewhat intimidated by all of the superb options of the Sony mirrorless know-how, the training curve was simpler than anticipated, and now I’m obsessive about all of it, particularly its real-time eye focus for animals. I like to {photograph} my canines.
My primary physique as of late is the Sony Alpha 1 as a result of it actually has all of it. It’s light-weight, it’s quick, the stills are excellent, the video crisp, and the recordsdata are simple to work with.
These are qualities which are of explicit curiosity to me as I usually have my nonshooting hand/arm holding a child on my hip. My lenses of alternative are primarily the Sony 35mm f/1.4 and the Sony 85mm f/1.4 as a result of, actually, I’m a first-rate snob.
I’ve all the time been a minimalist in my gear as a result of my background was photojournalism, and being transportable was key for me. I’m very snug with one digicam physique (2 if I’ve room) and one or two lenses.
As Robert Capa mentioned, and I is perhaps paraphrasing, “in case your photos aren’t ok, you aren’t shut sufficient”. Who wants a zoom lens you probably have toes that may transfer you nearer, proper?
When I’ve room for extra gear, I’ve different kits that I can convey alongside, but when I solely have my:
- Sony A1 and Sony A9II
- Sony 35mm f/1.4
- Sony 85mm f/1.4, then I’d really feel assured in no matter I used to be taking pictures.
These all slot in my Manfrotto digicam bag that I sling over my shoulder, and if I’m headed on an airplane and need to convey a number of extra lenses, plus my laptop computer, I exploit the most recent version to the pack, my Suppose Tank Airport Navigator Curler Bag.
My different gear contains:
Sony Alpha 1 – that is my go-to physique, because it does all of it and retains me mild on my toes.
Sony a7s III – I exploit this one primarily for its video capabilities.
Sony a9II – I particularly love this digicam for its pace, so I usually use it after I {photograph} canines, which is one thing I like to do.
Sony Zeiss Distagon T* FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA – tremendous versatile and sharp.
Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 – stunning bokeh
Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM – I just lately began into Astrophotography, and this lens was the gateway.
Extra objects embrace a pack of reminiscence playing cards, batteries and their chargers, a impartial density filter, a Mophie transportable charger for my cellphone, lens wipes, gum (gotta have recent breath), and enterprise playing cards with my particulars!
For post-production, I attempt to follow the principles of the darkroom, that’s, get the photographs in digicam. If I must handle some distinction or publicity points after the actual fact with my RAW photos, I exploit Adobe Lightroom. It’s my organizational and enhancing program of alternative.
I all the time inform photographers that I want I might inform my youthful self to put on smarter footwear. This may appear apparent, however I lived in my flat-bottomed Converse, and now at thirty-seven, I’ve a whole lot of ache in my again as a result of I selected vogue over operate.
If you wish to be on this enterprise for the long run, deal with your physique!
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