CAPTURING FLORAL FASCINATION

Kristine's journey began from a father's influence and a curious eye grew into a deep, self-taught journey into the miniature world. She specialises in capturing flowers alongside insects, capturing and excelling at an intriguing perspective in macro photography. Asian Photography spoke to her about how macro photography shaped not just her creative process, but also her perspective on nature, patience, and purpose. Excerpts:

- Kristine Zale

Were you always a photographer, or did macro come after exploring other genres?

My photography journey really started thanks to my dad. He always had a camera with him, capturing our family moments, and he was the one who put my first camera in my hands. Watching how he worked with his own, much more advanced camera, inspired me to keep learning and improving.

He also helped me choose my first DSLR, which was a big step forward. I remember the first time I tried manual mode and suddenly realised how much I still had to learn. While my dad's guidance started me on this path, most of what I know now is self-taught through years of experimenting and making mistakes.

In the beginning, I just shared my photos on social media as a way to post something I'd made, just like sharing travel pictures. I never thought much of it, but as people started to give feedback and encouragement, I realised this was something I wanted to pursue more seriously. Looking back, those early steps, the learning curve, and my dad's support really shaped who I am as a photographer.

What’s something people often misunderstand about macro photography?

A lot of people think macro is easy. They think you just get close, and the background will blur out, and you have a nice photo. But macro photography takes much more skill and patience than most realise.