Danielle Austen

My Story

I always see the world as though I am looking through a lens. Photography feeds my soul. It is where I find serenity. Since childhood, I have always been drawn to the creative fields, including painting, fashion design, and architecture. Ultimately, it was photography that truly clicked when I received my first SLR camera in high school, a Canon AE1. Raised by scientists, moving from state to state, and attending seven schools before the age of 18, I felt a bit like a fish out of water, so creating art was very therapeutic. I should confess that I received a C in high school Biology. I was fortunate enough to have parents who loved the arts and took me to museums while growing up, and supported my choice to pursue my passion. 

What I also learned during my childhood was to be adaptable, independent, and to get out and explore the current surroundings. This adventurous spirit led me to try new things, from various organized school sports to hang gliding, scuba diving, rock climbing, sailing, horseback riding, kayaking, and I'm always out hiking. This desire to learn and to explore continued in my choice of college. Cornell University's fine art program was designed to create well-rounded artists by requiring students to take various disciplines in the art fields. Through this process, I was introduced to graphic design and loved what could be achieved on a computer. I discovered that my interests in art varied from abstract to documentary in style. After years in the design industry, I missed photography, so I returned to school to study photojournalism at Syracuse University to become a visual storyteller. 

Now, years later, once a graphic designer, then a photojournalist, I combined all my skills and training and returned to my fine art roots, where nature is my primary focus. I see that art is everywhere, waiting to be discovered. 

What has stayed with me throughout my career was something I learned at a design camp while in high school. The instructor would repeatedly tell the students to "take it another ten steps further." In other words, to constantly push their creativity and to never stop.