I am happy to see that NHPPA’s membership has grown with the addition of many new members. LENKA FLAHERTY is one such member who joined NHPPA in 2011.
Lenka comes to us from a little mountain valley town in the Czech Republic first visiting the United States in 2002 when she worked here for six months under the Work and Travel International Program in the Grand Canyon National Park. Returning to her homeland, she graduated from the University of Environmental Science then moved back to the US and became a citizen.
As a self-taught enthusiastic teenager, she traveled Europe with her pocket sized point and shoot camera with a compulsion to photograph wherever and whatever. Though she is not a traditional artist of paint and canvas, the camera to her became her paintbrush. She captures the beauty of the world through expression and emotions while blending it with her own style of artistry. She has a unique talent to make small commonplace objects, which are sometimes unnoticed, into very interesting renditions of art. Her love of photography presents challenge and artistry as she captures line and form within the viewfinder. Her camera is a way of life and a constant for her today.
She started out photographing a few weddings (which she now specializes in) for her friends with a Nikon D300s with F2.8 and F1.8 lenses loving the challenge and versatility weddings bring to our industry. Three years ago, she began photographing newborns, maternity, families, and pets. She photographs many of her clients on location as well. Lenka uses a D700s at present. She edits mostly in Lightroom and Photoshop. She has taken photography classes at NHIA to learn technique and lighting, which sparked her interest in controlled lighting. She has attended workshops with outstanding photographers such as David Ziser, Doug Gordon, Bob Davis among other famous teachers. She is also a PPA member joining in 2012 with interest for its educational programs, Indemnification Trust, and insurance benefits PPA offers. She enjoys NHPPA and wants to educate herself to a higher degree in photography through NHPPA’s programs and meetings, its annual conference and seminars, with her goal to become successful in mastering photographic techniques in every way possible.
She balances her career by also working as a dog handler having worked with sled dogs for eight years. She loves animals, enjoys the outdoor environment, and has an unquenchable love for the 25 Alaskan Malamutes she works with.