Today we’d like to introduce you to Viktoria Haack.
Hi Viktoria, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I picked up a camera when I lived on a small 500 acre island nature reserve in the UK and began recording my life there. Because I lived on the island with little chance to go ashore, I used the internet to connect with other photographers and share my work.
In 2007 my family and I moved to Salmon Arm in BC, Canada. I continued to share my work online and gradually a business began to build – initially around my people photography (family portraits, pet portraits etc and then weddings) but I continued to share my nature and landscape work also. Over time, I also began running photography workshops, writing for magazines, doing tourism and commercial work and my business began to grow.
I’m now lucky enough to have multiple photographic income streams and I enjoy photographing across genres from people to nature and landscape and more recently wildlife. I continue to run photography workshops and teach online as well as working commercially doing tourism shoots, weddings & elopements and people photography.
I am drawn to the natural world and find the most pleasure in observing more quietly and allowing stories to unfold.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Living on a small 500 acre island for 10 years with limited ability to go ashore was a challenge, but taught me to really get to know my locality and in the long term I think it is partly responsible for my photographic interests being so expansive. I had to work hard to find my subjects and wasn’t able to chase icons like many people can.
I was also a mother – we adopted a 10 month old daughter whilst living on the island – this provided a great deal of joy but also the limitations and challenges that come with motherhood & caring for a child. My ability to go further afield with my camera became even more difficult but once more, I turned my camera closer to home & she also became my subject. I credit her with teaching me many of my people photography skills.
I struggled with some health challenges when we moved to Canada which made running a photography business with lots of weddings etc quite difficult as I had Parathyroidism – this left me feeling exhausted and ill. Fortunately, once diagnosed I was able to have surgery and continue with a renewed sense of gratitude for the health and well-being I have.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a professional multi genre photographer – shooting across different genres from landscape, nature and wildlife to portraits, weddings, commercial and tourism work. I offer photography workshops as well as private mentoring sessions. I am fortunate to be an ambassador for Nikon in Canada.
I am know for my multi genre work and for the sense of mood that I hope my images convey.
My ethos is to tread lightly and find the subtle stories rather forcing outcomes and situations – this is probably connected to my more introverted nature.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
My risks are generally calculated. I guess it was a risk to leave the UK and move to Canada without an established job, it was a risk to choose to not niche down with my photography but somehow my business continued to thrive. I’m quite happy to head backcountry on my own with the possibility of wildlife but tend to consider the risks and prepare accordingly.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://viktoriahaackphotography.ca/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/viktoriahaack/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/viktoriahaack
