About Me

Hi, I'm Michelle!

I'm an amateur wildlife photographer currently based out of the US Southwest. While I love photographing all wildlife, I specialize in birds.

Photography Background

I've been interested in photography and videography for as long as I can remember. As a 90s kid, I always wanted to be behind the lens of my dad's camcorder. And while he (understandably) refused to hand over the expensive equipment to a 6-year-old, my time to shine came in the mid-late 2000s when handheld cameras and eventually the iPhone put a camera in every pocket. I finally had my time behind the lens.

I started taking pictures of everything -- marine animals, wilderness landscapes, family events, friend hang outs, concerts, sports games, you name it. I loved the feeling of documenting a moment to remember long after the moment passed. And in rare cases, like at a family event, I loved fading into the background and photographing the moment from outside of it, transitioning from participant to witness.

Beyond my interest in taking photos, I also loved organizing them on our home computer afterwards. So, surprising no one, I began a career in libraries and archives after college. I started working with historical photograph collections, both physical and digitized. I loved seeing history, and my brain lent itself to the type of work required to ensure future generations are able to see it too.

Birdwatching Background

As a kid, I enjoyed birdwatching. My dad and I occasionally packed our binoculars and field guides to look for American Goldfinch (the Washington state bird). We also spent a ton of time fishing for trout and salmon -- as you can imagine, those spots attracted many types of birds (especially Great Blue Herons!). And my mom loved gardening and putting up hummingbird feeders which attracted fun birds to our yard. I never viewed birdwatching as a hobby, but more as a byproduct of being out in nature.

In my early 30s, I found myself looking for new hobbies that would get me outside more. Following in my mom's footsteps, I started gardening. Lo and behold, my new plants quickly attracted new birds.

And that's when it happened.

One day I was innocently planting new flowers in my yard and wondering what birds were coming by for a snack. A few short weeks later, I was in full bird photographer mode: I had a borrowed DSLR camera, I was uploading bird photos to iNaturalist to identify them, I was going on as many walk breaks as possible at work, and frequently local parks on the weekends to see more.

Within the first year, I started listening to bird podcasts (shoutout to The Science of Birds), reading bird biology textbooks and Audubon conservation essays, taking bird photography courses from The Cornell Lab's Bird Academy, and volunteering with my local Audubon chapter.

Contact Me

I love meeting other birders and photographers! Email me at michelle@birdingforward.com

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