Hello! I am a lifestyle and portrait photographer with a photojournalistic style. I specialize in photographing children and their families and love capturing all their funny quirks and expressions. I also focus on and enjoy doing creative work for branding and marketing purposes working with small business entrepreneurs and nonprofits to capture the uniqueness of each. At heart, I am a nature lover and enjoy photographing grand landscapes, and the small often overlooked things in nature. First and foremost, I like to think of myself as a Storyteller with a Camera!
I was born and raised in Lillehammer, Norway, located at the start of the beautiful and mighty mountain scape within Gudbrandsdal Valley. It holds a special place in my heart, and some of my nature photographs showcase that beauty. A voyage in my early twenties brought me to the United States, and eventually to New York City. This led to my discovery of the Hudson Valley, where I am now living with my family. Photography has been a part of my life for as far as I can remember. I have clear visions of my father’s long-legged strides always accompanied with a camera slung over his shoulder. Photography was a passion that stayed with him until the end, and I believe his love of Photography greatly influenced my own. I was twelve years old when I processed my first image in the darkroom. It was magical and pure joy. Since then, I have always been shooting pictures documenting and observing the wonders of life through a camera lens. I have worked at several photo galleries partaking in the fine art side. I also dabbled a bit in photojournalism. However, my passion lies in documentary photography.
My passion for people and interest in the world led to a degree in International Relations. I have a minor in Photography. My career as an international humanitarian worker with respected NGOs such as the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) brought me to far-flung places working with people affected by conflict. These people carried burdens of unimaginable hardship and plight. I felt privileged to be able to combine my work and Photography.
After establishing myself with my family in the Hudson Valley and raising a fun and loving boy together with my husband, I see Photography as an opportunity to carry out my love for the medium. While at the same time being able to capture the vibe and spirit of the Hudson Valley and beyond. I cherish moments with my family, friends, and the nature around me when we are living at its fullest. What that constitutes for every one of us differs. For me, it can be a cold winter day playing together in the falling snow or a beautiful spring day spent hiking. There are endless special moments in life that we would like frozen in time, to hold and to cherish, and Photography brings us a little closer to doing that.
My goal as a photographer is to capture life as I see it by observing the world around me, and that special light we all have that makes every one of us unique.
“It’s one thing to make a picture of what a person looks like, it’s another thing to make a portrait of who they are.” – John Paul Caponigro
-Ann-Kristin Odegard
