Ali Muspratt
Name: Ali Muspratt
Camera: Canon EOS R3, R5 and R5 Mark II
Favourite type of photography: Wildlife
Location: Chester, UK
Instagram: @ali.muspratt
How did you get into photography?
My interest in photography was sparked whilst working as a model for book illustrations. To save model time, the artist used photography to capture some of the poses, and as he was an art teacher as well, he talked through a lot of the process. I got tuned in to how light works and how important it is to an image.
Do you have any photographic qualifications or accolades?
Being a bit of a late starter in any serious sense, I decided qualifications were not for me, I don't want to jump through other people's hoops, I want to invent my own.
What's the first photograph you remember seeing or shooting?
My earliest photo memory is my brother's photograph of my hand, painted white, holding an egg, painted black - very 70s stuff!
What do you love about photography?
I love that photography takes me to places where I wouldn't otherwise go - and that once there, I can just lose all my troubles in finding the best ways to capture my experience of what I find.
Read about Creative Photography, What it is and How to Get Started
What do you wish you'd learned about photography earlier?
If I could travel my photography journey again with a single input from where I am now, it would be to be more experimental and playful with the camera. I think starting in film times was a bit of a handicap to this, as it took a long time before I left counting the frames behind.
Where is your favourite place for photography?
My absolute favourite place to photograph is on the coast - there is something about the quality of light, and a good chance of interesting flora and fauna.
Do you have a favourite photographic technique?
I dabble in lots of techniques, but in a way, my favourite is intentional camera movement (ICM) with long exposure, mostly because it enables shooting in failing light!
Can you briefly outline your approach to image processing?
With processing, I always try to use as little as possible, but it's very final image-dependent. A wildlife image would be a few swooshes on the sliders to make it look more as I remember. Some images and techniques demand more. I really enjoy multiple exposures in processing to blur street scenes, and this can require multiple layers and blending.
What's your favourite lens?
Picking a favourite lens is a bit like picking a favourite offspring... the one I use most is a Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8 - it’s light and bright with good reach.
Read the SheClicks Guide to Lensbaby Lenses
Do you have a favourite accessory?
The accessory I use most is a Peak Design Slide strap, but my favourite is really my lovely Brian, a 3 Legged Thing tripod/monopod/minipod combo that is light and easy to pack!
Have you found the perfect camera bag yet?
Finding a perfect camera bag is like the eternal quest to find the best headjoint for my flute! (only flautists will understand).
Which photographers have influenced or inspired you, and how or why?
My photography has had many influences, but I have to mention fellow SheClicker Colleen Jackson, who was a huge support in my early expansion into higher-end cameras, and I am extremely grateful for the time that she put up with me as a shooting companion.
I really love the photography of Rachel Talibart - whose subject range very much fits into my comfort zone, but whose eye and dedication are definitely inspirational.
Another huge influence when more processing is involved is Andrew Brooks whose expansive landscapes and cityscapes are just breathtaking, but he's also someone who experiments.
Listen to the SheClicks Podcast with Rachael Talibart
Please recommend 2 or 3 female photographers to follow on Instagram.
I think these three are well worth following - Tekla Evelina Severin @teklan , a recent discovery, with such excellent colour use. Regan Young @regan_young_photography who has become a good friend through 52Frames and Sara Humphrey @sussex_sara who creates lovely wildlife photos through the seasons.
Is there a camera, lens or accessory that you don't have yet but you'd like to buy at some point?
I'm quite content with my gear at the moment, but the accessory that I would love to buy at some point is that perfect camera bag!
Is there a genre of photography that you love but that you haven't tried yet?
Fine art still lives are a thing of beauty and I love the variety within the theme, but I haven't attempted my own yet.
What's your proudest photographic moment?
The photographic project that I have found most fulfilling was as a very lowly videographer for a guitarist friend, to enable him to publish a set of arrangements for guitar while he was running out of time due to cancer. It was a delightful honour to spend those precious hours together, in the company of his partner and a couple of friends.
If you could have one superpower that could help you with photography, what would it be?
Oh please grant me this super power - remembering to check and recheck settings and images frequently while out with my camera. I tend to get so lost in the moment.
Your favourite baked goods are?
My favourite baked goods are potatoes.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a biology graduate, with animal behaviour and ecology as particular interests. I am also a musician and music teacher. Two sides of me that are united in photography, as I find it a particularly grounding place within my science-thinking and my artistic, creative thinking. I have always had a tendency to dabble in anything that interested me at the time, and it means I have experiences and interests in many fields, (sometimes literal, very muddy fields). Photography is my way of tying those things together – making images helps me to understand the world, and hopefully express my view of it through sharing.
I envy people who have happy relationships. I had a disaster of what I now understand to be coercive control, and it has taken many years to reach my current level of healing – I don’t want to linger here, but I have to mention it, as photography has been a huge part of that healing. It has helped me regain a level of self-confidence that I am deeply proud of, after really struggling to find a way to survive after my divorce. My biology training and my upbringing in a family of very keen ornithologists mean my interest in natural history feels like part of my DNA, so wildlife photography is a genre I keep returning to. It brings me to wonderful wild places that increase the healing power of the camera. (My kids were the other huge part – for which I am equally grateful.)
The experience has made me very interested in the way arts can aid healing in different ways, something I might pursue vigorously if I were younger, but definitely an area I would like to explore further. I believe everyone has a key to their soul, in the sense of something that unlocks the truest part of ourselves. I am lucky enough to have three – music, photography and assisting others to find their own personal key.
I'm pretty eclectic in my photography (thanks 52 Frames) but the experiences I seek out are all about the wildlife - growing up in an ornithology household, this is not a big surprise!
