This morning we're out here photographing this beautiful church called St. Thomas.
It's like this little hillside suspended, you know, in a cloud - it's just beautiful.
You know those moments in your life when you experience something profound, something beautiful, or awe inspiring?
That's the space I'm always trying to step into.
It's in those moments that our senses become heightened, our consciousness is elevated. We're more connected.
The photography for me is a way of looking at the world through those eyes.
Because it's there where those magical moments and unique experiences seem to unfold.
I'm Karen Hutton and I'm a photographer.
Slovenia. It's this tiny country tucked away between Italy and Croatia.
And it has this concentration of the most epic beauty and scenery and color.
It's autumn and it's my first time here.
Sometimes it's a trail that I've never hiked. Sometimes it's a country halfway around the world.
A change in culture or language, or maybe it's just the scenery.
Experiencing a new place with fresh eyes is one of the most inspiring things that I do. It's a new story.
We're in Piran, Slovenia this little seaside town right at the point.
We're starting here at the seaside and we're gonna work our way up into the Alps, and I'm so excited to see this country.
I love getting lost in the alleys. I love all the textures and the way the light bounces off the wall.
I could get lost in these streets for hours all day.
Photography has been a part of my family for a long time and part of my life since I can remember. As a kid
I got all my mother's hand-me-down cameras.
I was fascinated by the magic of photography and how a single snap can bring back a whole afternoon.
For me coming to Slovenia meant Lake Bled. We had to come here.
It's epic. It is picturesque. It is classic. It is so gorgeous here.
As much as I talk about being in the moment
I am a big believer in technique and knowing my gear. And it's only through repetition and
experience that that technique has become second nature and that along with trusting the gear I choose
It frees me up to think less about dials and buttons and settings and more about what's right in front of me.
One of the reasons we came to Slovenia was the fall color.
The particular
shades and tones and ranges of colors - it's unbelievable here.
When I'm out shooting I can't help but feel like the earth has this
consciousness and that she expresses herself.
And in the simplest terms, I guess I'm looking for those expressions.
I experience these moments as a feeling in my gut or I'll gasp or maybe I'll hear it like this swelling of an orchestra.
Whenever I come to a new place like this, I don't just sit there and shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot.
I actually have to stop and listen
and take it in. I don't always need my camera in front of my face.
It's a whole inner journey for me and it culminates with a photo but the whole experience is what I'm after.
There's so much beauty that fills our world and it comes in every shape and scale
and texture.
I am awestruck by amazing vistas and cityscapes but as a citizen of the earth
I want to appreciate the smallest components as well as the grand design.
Because I see photography as an extension of myself and my life experience
I photograph the things that intrigue and fascinate me and I will continue to shoot those magical moments and unique
experiences that fill me with love and awe.
I am Karen Hutton and I'm a photographer.