Sadie Hine (@shine_photography__ on Instagram) is a young nature photographer with a unique photographic style. His work incorporates contrast, color and texture across a range of taxa to create bold images of wildlife and nature. I realized I could describe Sadie Hine without reading her name. it made me curious Ask Sadie more about her unique style and journey as a photographer.
i got acquainted with sadie clicking girlsA non-profit organization that connects women and girls to empower them as nature photographers. We are both ambassadors, which gives us the opportunity to connect with other women in the area, find opportunities to share our photography, and attend meet-and-greets as well as workshops.
When I look at your photography I see a classic “Sadie Hine Photography” style. How would you describe your style? And how do you maintain a consistent style when photographing a wide variety of subjects?
I like texture. Most of my favorite shots focus heavily on unique textures and patterns. Things get really exciting when I find wildlife living within these formations. This happens a lot in macro photography, but I have some shots of owls and mammals that fit the same theme. Sometimes, the textures are even on the animals themselves! I’ve also had a lot of fun with close up plumage/fur shots.
In addition to more environment-textured shots, I also take a lot of black background photos that focus on the different marine life found off the coast in California. Unlike my other work, this completely removes any environmental elements from the shot and focuses on highlighting the beauty of each individual creature. All my black background photos are taken above the surface, either by underexposing and using kelp as a background or using an artificial black background. I don’t use any fancy flash setup (although I probably should have looked into that), just simple LED lights I found on Amazon for a few bucks. My favorite is a little dive video light, which is very simple.
How do you decide how you want to frame or compose a photo?
Framing came from a lot of experimentation and practice. I really enjoy environmental shots, so I’m constantly on the lookout for subjects with unique foregrounds and backgrounds. I think at this point I’ve just developed an eye for it, it’s more intuitive, and I don’t think about it as much.
What’s usually in your camera bag?
Right now I have a Canon R6, Tamron 150-600mm, Sigma 24-105mm, Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro and a ton of inexpensive LED lights. On specific outings, I’ll also take out my Lava Probe lens, which I mainly use for shots of tidepools and sand dunes.
What are your favorite places and subjects to photograph?
I love the intertidal zone. I grew up landlocked in Colorado, so I think that makes the ocean even more exciting to me. Tidepools create the most biodiverse ecosystems I have discovered, and it is very easy for me to get lost in them. If you sit in one place for long enough, you’ll often start noticing things you had no idea existed. It’s almost noticeable to me, because I’m always completely present in the moment when looking for sea creatures.
As far as subjects go, I love nudibranchs. Growing up, I didn’t know they could be found on America’s shores. I thought you had to dive somewhere tropical to see them, but after moving to California I discovered they can be found without even getting in the water. These sea mollusks have changed my life.
This is one of my favorite photos! Can you tell me more about how you came up with it?
For that shot, I was using the Lowa Probe lens, which was perfect for including the algae in the background. This subject is from the Coryphylla genus, which is on its way to being split into three separate species. They are commonly known as three-lined anolids and are common on the west coast. I shot this in an extremely small tidal pool, no more than a few inches deep, and used my small dive video light. Due to low tide that morning we had to get up at 3 a.m. and drive to a location near Santa Cruz, California.
Texture and color are big factors in making your photography stand out. What goes through your mind while taking a photo?
I would say the biggest part is taking the time to look at everything closely. If you have a great scene, look at it from as many different perspectives as possible. I like shooting many macro subjects from a bird’s eye view rather than just classic portraits, which can be a very effective way of telling a story and incorporating a sense of place into my work.
When and how did you start taking photographs?
My photography journey started with owls when I was about 13 years old. My dad used to take me to see the families of screeching and great horned owls that lived in our neighborhood. He got me my first camera, and I was so excited when I really started getting into this hobby. Recently he passed away, which I think makes photography even more special to me. I hope that as I grow up, I will continue to share the beauty of the natural world that she introduced me to. There were many moments that I shared with him that continue to inspire my work.
How has Girls Who Click changed your path as a photographer?
I became an ambassador in 2020, and it’s been crazy. My first mentor was Karin Aigner, who really helped me learn the basics of using a DSLR and opened my eyes to the importance of composition and storytelling within my photographs. Our relationship eventually led to my first trip to Africa, where I took an award-winning shot that landed my work in the Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles.
That experience has led to many other opportunities. In addition to these accomplishments, the community I have found through Girls Who Click has been vital. Hearing about other women’s stories, accomplishments, and challenges has had a huge impact on my life and has helped me persevere through my struggles.
How has being a woman impacted your experience in nature photography?
Since I started photography at a fairly young age, I joined a lot of “young wildlife photographer” group chats on social media. These communities were wonderful, but it was hard to ignore the fact that I was always one of maybe two or three other girls with dozens of guys. Sometimes, things would get uncomfortable. People would react differently because we were girls. I still made a lot of good friends through these chats, but it really made me understand the importance of groups like Girls Who Click, which give women a safe space to connect with others.
I’ve also had some viral videos in which I didn’t show my face, and surprisingly a large number of commenters automatically assumed I was a man. Seeing the way other female content creators have been vilified for simply showing their faces online has made me hesitant to be more open about who I am on my social media pages.
What do you hope people take away from your photos? Do you feel there is an underlying message in your work?
Our world is full of diversity. There are countless, seemingly “alien” worlds at our feet that often go unnoticed. No matter how obscure some creatures may seem, we still share this planet with them, and that’s what amazes me. I hope to encourage people to take a closer look at the world around them and become excited about their local flora and fauna.
