A Few Minutes in Suffield With...

Today Suffield Patch launches a new periodic series entitled "A Few Minutes in Suffield With..." These columns will be published in interview format with a resident or small business owner in town. The opening interview is with Libby Lord, a longtime town resident and amazingly talented nature photographer.

Suffield Patch (SP): What got you interested in pursuing photography as a hobby?

Libby Lord (LL): I think I’ve always been interested in photography – ever since I was little. A friend from grammar school reminded me a little while ago that she was there when I won a camera at one of our Dads’ Firemen’s picnics. That was probably my first camera. It had the flash cube on the top, really old school!

I’ve always loved art and while I have done a bit of painting and drawing, that was never my strong suit – I think I have the eye to capture beautiful things but not so much to draw or paint them.

SP: Specifically, what is it about nature and wildlife that has made it your primary focal point?

LL: A few years ago, a friend of mine from town, Dana Humphries, brought me on a walk and showed me where I could find some bald eagles to photograph – I was in awe! I started watching them and couldn’t get enough of it. And when I couldn’t find eagles, I was finding all sorts of other birds that I had never paid attention to before. Before I knew it, I was out all weekend every weekend and after work, or before work, trying to find other birds and wildlife to photograph.

I have become a self proclaimed “bird-nerd.” Taking photos of birds and then having to go home and look up what it was I was photographing was a great learning experience.

I also found a community of people who enjoy doing the same thing. And it’s a community of people who appreciate being outside and discovering wildlife, birds and landscapes to photograph. I find that we are all very supportive of each other and truly enjoy seeing each other‘s work, which is shared on a few different Facebook pages in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

So not only do I get to enjoy being outdoors, which is pretty much my sanctuary, but I also have found lots of new friends to share my passion with.

And that keeps expanding – I’ve added photography trips to the menu, and I’ve met a lot of really great people and enjoyed some wonderful trips over the last year and a half. I’ve been to Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, Acadia in Bar Harbor, Maine. I also went on a trip to the Cape and, this winter, spent time at Chincoteague Island in Maryland and Virginia. I also stopped at the Conowingo Dam in December to see the hundreds of eagles who come in the feed on the abundant fish at that time of year. For the Eagle Lady, it was heaven!

SP: Tell us about the award you just won with your incredible snowy owl photo.

LL: I recently joined a photography group out of Hartford, The Charter Oak Photographic Society. There are photography contests in the group and statewide. I joined in September and I’ve won two first place awards, and one honorable mention for my bird photography. It’s fun to see what other people are doing, and it inspires me to keep learning and improving.

SP: Do you sell any of your shots, and if so, how can people order them?

LL: I sell my photographs on Fine Art America, and do occasional fairs and farmers markets in the Suffield area. I typically create a calendar of landscapes, birds and sights from Suffield for my loyal Suffield followers. And if someone private messages me on my Libby Lord Photography Facebook page, I will happily print and deliver to them the photo of their choice in the size they’re looking for.

SP: What do you do as a full-time job, and tell us a little about where you grew up?

LL: I do have a day job – I work as an advertising representative for a family owned weekly newspaper out of Rocky Hill. This is something I’ve been doing for the past 30+ years. I think I have ink in my blood at this point – but I enjoy it - it’s what I do.

I have been studying art and photography since high school in Windsor, and also studied art history and photography at UConn. I'm a huge lover of art of all kinds – but photography is clearly my favorite!

I’m also Mom to a wonderful 25 year old, Hannah, who graduated from Ithaca College and has begun a career in banking. Bringing her up and watching her grow into a strong, intelligent woman has been the other passion of my life.

If you would like your small business considered for this column, or have a suggestion about an interesting person in Suffield to interview, email tim.jensen@patch.com.

Photos courtesy of Libby Lord