Scenes of New England | Featured Photographer Kindra Clineff

DESCRIBE YOUR CONNECTION TO NEW ENGLAND.

My formative years growing up in Illinois were accented with frequent trips to New England, and from the age of 9 until 12, when my family made the move to New Hampshire, I had an aberrant interest in Yankee’s “House for Sale” articles! I remember scouring each issue of Yankee for colonial homes and land and dreaming of living in New England. The diversity of landscapes and beautiful seasons combined with colonial antiquities will always be home to me. Even before I had a license to drive, I was photographing the Cornish Fair. I loved the excitement of the horse pull, the interactions between people and their livestock, and the pursuit of capturing that on film. Through the years I’ve traveled well beyond New England on photographic assignments, but I’m grateful that so much of my career has been devoted to discovering the hidden places and the genuine people of this region.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

Although chasing all facets of light has been a driving force in my work, I’m also drawn to subjects that are evocative of a simpler time. I’ll always remember stumbling on and photographing old fair poster remnants — torn bits of a bygone era — in a covered bridge in Vermont. These, like the pieces of horsehair plaster and lath in our barn, are precious elements to me. The old New England ways of farming, homesteading, and honest living with the land are things that I hold as true, and what I compulsively need to capture in photography. I’m not a brilliant gardener and by no means a farmer, but I resonate with and honor those who continue to keep a connection to and preserve our land.

DESCRIBE YOUR BACKGROUND AND EQUIPMENT.

I studied fine art at UNH. A serious illness curtailed my studies, but it also enhanced my perspective on life. My father, an artist, was my primary mentor. Thomas Eakins, Giorgio Morandi, Mary Cassatt, and Whistler are all favorites, but I’m fascinated by many artists and am always learning. My primary training in commercial photography came from assisting other photographers. Plus, I attribute a lot of my growth as a photographer to the camaraderie that I’ve had as a member of the American Society of Media Photographersfor nearly 30 years. I love square format (Hasselblad), but a 35mm Nikon 810 is currently my primary tool. My staple lenses are 70-200 mm f2.8, 17-35mm f2.8, 105mm f2.8 micro, and, my new love, 85mm f1.4. To see more of Clineff’s work, go to kindraclineff.com.

SCENES OF NEW ENGLAND | FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER KINDRA CLINEFF

MORE FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHERS: Coastal New England | Featured Photographer Ray LaroseLife at Sea | Photographer & Lobsterman Joel WoodsScenes from Maine | Featured Photographer Greta Rybus