1stAngel & Friends

Gail Bridger

Welcome to the Artists Blog

1stAngel: When did you first become interested in art, in general?

Gail: As long as I can remember I have had a passion for art, I think it portrays your soul.

I have been always told, that I have an excellent eye for finding beauty. There is beauty in every piece of art, no matter what it portrays.

1stAngel: When did you first become interested in photography, specifically?

Gail: One of my friends is married to a photographer, and one day I was looking through a few of his pictures, I came across one that I thought was very beautiful. It was a rusty old can hung upside down on a white picket fence, it fascinated me.

I said to him, “George, this picture is absolutely beautiful.”

He looked at me and said, “Gail , you have a good eye.”

From that moment on I knew what my passion was.

I’d like to have a dollar for every time I told that story about the rusty can and the white picket fence that inspired me.

Roxy Rose

1stAngel: In what other forms of art do you also work, if any?

Gail: Anything that a camera can capture. I have 5 cameras in total, 3 of them I take everywhere I go.

1stAngel: On which style(s) of photography do you specialize?

Gail: I specialize in wildlife and scenic, because I works lots and that’s where I take most of my pictures, from my workplace. I work at a custom offloading dock. We offload fish, so there are lots of eagles and sealions.

On occasions, if the weather is really nice, I can get some amazing sunrises and sunsets.

I also take pictures of all the boats that come and go in the bay and the boats that we offload. I then turn around and sell the pictures of the boats to the fishermen.

1stAngel: Has your style changed from when you first began? If so, why?

Gail: No, it hasn’t changed.

1stAngel: What kind of equipment do you use?

Gail: I have one film camera, which I don’t use anymore. I have 2 digital cameras, Fuji Film, FinePix E900 which is a 9 megapixel and a Panasonic Lumix ,12X optical zoom, 35mm EQUIV 35-420.

I also have a camcorder that I don’t use much anymore, but I have a Canon ZR 800 with 35x zoom, digital video camcorder that I use all the time.

Brave Heart

I have also got a desktop computer, which never had close to the amount of memory I needed for my pictures. Then I’ve got my laptop which has lots of memory, it’s a Gateway MX6931, Intel(R) Core (TM) 2 CPU,
T5500@1.66GHz , 1.99 GB of RAM.

1stAngel: What made you choose that equipment?

Gail: My Fuji Film camera I bought myself, I bought it because it good reviews and it was a 9 megapixel.

The rest of my equipment my man bought me. He’s my greatest fan, and my inspiration.

1stAngel: How do you choose what you’re going to photograph?

Gail: My choice of pictures mostly come to me. I am an amateur and, like I said earlier, it’s got a lot to do with my surroundings. If we go on a road trip, everywhere I look, I look for a great picture. It just comes naturally. It’s a passion to always capture beauty.

1stAngel: What kind of editing do you perform on your photographs, if any?

Gail: I do cropping mostly and adding some color. Sometimes if the picture I take don’t turn out the way I want, I will play around with it and turn it into something funky.

1stAngel: How much time (on average) does it take to complete a work?

Gail: As little 5 minutes and up to 30 minutes, maybe.

A Brilliant Sunset

1stAngel: How do you know when a piece is finished? Is it easy to walk away?

Gail: When it WOW’s me. Yes, then it’s easy to walk away.

1stAngel: What do you do to overcome a “block”?

Gail: With the type of photography I’m into I don’t get blocks.

1stAngel: How well do you take criticism and how do you make use of it?

Gail: I love criticism, it makes me step back and look at it from different angles. As an artist we have to listen to our peers.

1stAngel: Who is your favourite artist?

Gail: I have many favorites, where do I start. Eric Engbretson, he’s a nature & underwater photographer, from the United States. Richard Alan Mulford, one of your own, he has some fantastic pieces of art. A given would be Vincent van Gogh, he is one of the masters. I can go on and on.

1stAngel: Which one of your photographs is your favorite?

Gail: This is probably the hardest question you have asked me. I don’t have only one favorite, I love them all.

My eagle pictures and my Baby’s pictures are my favorites.

China Girl

1stAngel: Have you exhibited any of your work in galleries?

Gail: No, not yet anyway. I’m still hoping and praying for that day to come.

1stAngel: Will your work be included at any upcoming contests or galleries? If so, where and when?

Gail: No , I’m not that far advanced yet. Hopefully someday.

1stAngel: What are your plans for the future?

Gail: Keep taking pictures and god willing, someday, I might be famous. (Smile)

Portrait Of An Eagle

1stAngel: What advice do you have for budding photographers?

Gail: Keep clicking, keep being creative and follow your heart.

Your seal pictures are sometimes sad and sometimes funny All times gorgeous! Thank you for the interview!!

You can see more of Gail’s work at http://www.redbubble.com/people/newfiedish