Ep 318: How to shoot authentic and meaningful photographs with guest Angela Percival

We talk to outdoor and adventure photographer Angela Percival. Angela is a completely self-taught who has gone on adventures that most of us only watch in movies or read about in adventure magazines. She once convinced her crew to sail the coast of Greenland when they couldn’t find a boat from Iceland and she has bike-packed 750km through Northern India, truly experiencing the isolated corners of the Himalaya.

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Show Notes

Angela Percival
Adventure and justice are the two threads that make up Angela Percival’s creative DNA. Evident in her photography is a deep love for wild places and a genuine concern for people.

Relentlessly curious, with the stamina to match, she doesn’t shrink from storms or suffering: in fact, that’s what pulls her closer. She’s drawn to where the drama is – in light, landscapes, or the human quest to sidle up to the insurmountable and tap the joy that can be ridden there. National Geographic called her one of the planet’s top nine female Adventure Photographers who are pushing the limits.

As the Senior Outdoor Photographer for global brand Arc’teryx for over a decade, spearheading logistically mind-bending expeditions in remote locations, Ange has been documenting rad humans having adventures in landscapes that dwarf them since 2009. She operates in two modes: full throttle, and off… in either mode, no matter what longitude, altitude, or temperature she’s in, she’s going to get her shot, relish the adventure, and let her heart open wide.

Once a Graphic Designer for the brand, her natural shift from designer to photographer was inspired by all of the outdoor imagery she worked with which firstly led her to launch a video program at Arc’teryx before dividing her time equally between the two mediums: video and photography. As the team expanded, she moved to a senior role and gradually resumed her primary passion as a full-time photographer.

What she loves the most about her role is photographing real people, doing the things that define who they are and where they belong. Then taking those images back from the mountains into the creative room and watching them evolve into the many forms of storytelling.

Originally from Australia, Ange calls Whistler home; skiing, mountain biking, and kitesurfing when she is not out in the back alleys of the Coast Range or seeking remote corners of poor weather with the Arc’teryx athlete team.

We chat about:

  • The challenges of working in -40 degree conditions where everything including the alcohol freezes and the time her face froze to the back of the camera;
  • How to protect yourself from Grizzly bears when you are in the wilderness alone
  • The importance of having the right crew around you
  • Shooting authentic portraits that viewers care about vs the generic guff we see on Instagram
  • Angela’s 90-10 formula for preparing for photoshoots.
  • Working with minimal gear
  • Previsualising the shoot and allowing for images to evolve naturally
  • When to put the camera down and be in the moment
  • And much more

WEB: https://angelapercival.com/
INSTAGRAM: @angepercival
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angepercival/
Instagram: @angela_percival

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About Gina

About Gina

Gina Milicia is one of the most widely known and respected photographers in Australia. She is the master of capturing that ‘magical moment’... READ MORE

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