Forum Takeover with Criz Quinn

[alpha-jessica-a]

@Criz Quinn (@crizquinn) is a dedicated traveler, photographer, and licensed drone pilot known for her breathtaking landscape and aerial shots. She runs photo tour companies in the U.S. and Iceland, sharing her passion and expertise. A Sony Alpha Female micro-grant recipient, Criz is dedicated to empowering and inspiring female photographers within the Sony Alpha Female community. Outside of her creative work, she is a clinical laboratory scientist at Vanderbilt, specializing in molecular pathology, and is studying marketing management and digital strategy at Harvard.
 
It’s our pleasure to announce that Criz will be participating in a text-based Forum Takeover from December 2nd to December 6th!
 
If you’d like to ask a question, post it in this thread and Criz will answer it during her takeover. 
 
You’ll have a week to chat with and learn from Criz. The takeover will also be saved and available to view after the week ends! 

[Criz Quinn]

I’m truly grateful for the opportunity and so stoked to be a part of this community! 🥰 

[Jackie Kido]

I had an opportunity to meet Criz at the SONY Creative Space in NYC. Her unique perspectives are truly inspiring.  The captures she shares are extraordinary and she's a pleasure to be around. A few questions

Q1. Where do you find inspiration?

Q2. What's your favorite place you've traveled to?

It will be amazing to hear what she shares with all of us.

[Janice Duong]

Your work is amazing. 16-35mm GM ii is my landscape lens. I am debating whether to also get 12-14mm lens as well. What’s your thoughts?

[alpha-jessica-a]

So excited for this Takeover, Criz! 

Now this might be like having to pick a favorite child, but out of all the photos you've taken, which one is your favorite and why? 

 

[download]

Hey Criz! Thanks so much for being here! I have a couple of questions for you.

1 - I'd love to know how you go about choosing your travel destinations? 

2 - Could you share any tips for finding lesser-known spots that make for unique photo opportunities?

3 - How do you balance experiencing a place first hand with capturing it through your lens?

[avmil]

Thanks for taking the time to answer questions here, Criz!

I'd love to know more about how you got your start on your creative journey?

And what is something that you know now that you wish you could go back and share with your beginner photographer self? 

[Christy Ashby]

Criz is such an amazing human. I have been lucky enough to get to know her over the past year. She is such an inspiration to me.  I learn so much from her. Can’t wait to see what we all learn from this take-over. 🥰
 

[SRodriguez]

Hi Criz! How do you juggle your professional career and your creative endeavors?

[Criz Quinn]

On 11/26/2024 at 8:33 PM, Jackie Kido said:

I had an opportunity to meet Criz at the SONY Creative Space in NYC. Her unique perspectives are truly inspiring.  The captures she shares are extraordinary and she's a pleasure to be around. A few questions

Q1. Where do you find inspiration?

Q2. What's your favorite place you've traveled to?

It will be amazing to hear what she shares with all of us.

Thank you so much, Jackie! It was so cool to see you at Sony Creative Space several days in a row. What a treat! I hope that we can hang out more again next time. 🥰

"Where do you find the inspiration?"

This is a great question and one that I ask myself often too! I'm definitely a little bit all over the place and I have to admit it's not easy to find inspiration when I'm home. I work in a very depressing field (Pathology) and I have seen a lot of death and despair around me when I am at the day job at the Medical Center. The Covid pandemic almost broke me and many of my colleagues and it was the biggest reason why I took a step back from working full time to flexible hours so that I can travel more.

One thing that has kept me going though is knowing that any day, could be my last day too. With this in mind, I have a fearless approach to travel. I try to use any free time I have to have what a call a "productive vacation" which is essentially a photo trip. Because of this, many of the participants in my are from the healthcare industry. The travel and photography and the connections we have built during these adventures, have become our escape. And a continuous inspiration for the next get together, the next sunrise we can photograph together. 

"What's your favorite place you've traveled to?"

I was born and raised in hot and humid Philippines so as a child, I longed for winter. I love cold places so I have an affinity to winter destinations. My favorite place will always be Iceland and it is one I've traveled to many times and will continue to visit often each year. The second one would be Greenland, I have been back each summer since 2019. One that I would have to work many overtime shifts for to make the next trip happen is Antarctica, but it was a dream come true and one of the most amazing places I've ever visited for sure.

Thank you for all these questions, Jackie! I really appreciate you. 🧡

[Criz Quinn]

On 11/27/2024 at 10:56 PM, Janice Duong said:

Your work is amazing. 16-35mm GM ii is my landscape lens. I am debating whether to also get 12-14mm lens as well. What’s your thoughts?

Hello Janice, Thank you so much! I do love my 12-24 GM for astro shoots and cityscapes like this Dubai photo because sometimes, those 2 mm really makes a huge difference for the composition! I purchased it after a recommendation from Albert Dros, I did a sunset tour in Amsterdam with him and it was essential for the narrow canals. He loves to shoot super wide angle. I swear this was all he used while we were in Oregon Coast last year too and he got amazing foregrounds on the beach! 

The only downside for me with this lens is the weight and also it can only take drop in filters or the 150mm square filters. A little bit of a bummer especially when I need it for waterfall shots in Iceland. I would definitely keep your 16-35 GM II because of this. I have now also started to use my 14 mm GM lens for astro more and it was the lens I used when I was able to hike the Wave this summer. If you want just a little bit more width, I would recommend checking out this lens too. 

Thanks so much for your question and I can't wait to see more of your beautiful work! 🧡

[Criz Quinn]

On 11/27/2024 at 10:06 PM, alpha-jessica-a said:

So excited for this Takeover, Criz! 

Now this might be like having to pick a favorite child, but out of all the photos you've taken, which one is your favorite and why? 

 

Thanks so much for having me here, @alpha-jessica-a! This is a tough one but definitely my favorite all time photo is this one with the Sumba trees. I was going through a tough time after a business partnership didn't work out and I almost gave up on photography. Photography was always a therapy for me from the day job at the hospital and I didn't want it to be a source of stress. At that point, I was about to walk away from the industry and just travel for fun without the camera. I almost didn't even join this tour that I organized with my friend in Indonesia, because it required 14 total flights and was a true Indonesia Odyssey. The whole trip tested my travel stamina and Sumba was extremely remote back then. I was exhausted and didn't want to even take out my camera anymore. I wasn't thrilled about sitting in one inch of water just to get this reflection shot either. Nevertheless, I did it and it was only then that I realized that we create our best work when we are at our lowest points. Even when we think there is nothing left, we can still find that small spark of hope and create something magical. This photo will always remind me of that time in my life and I will never forget that where I am now is because I was once struggling to get up as well. 🧡  Literally and figuratively speaking! I was stuck in the water for a while and my old age kicked in and I couldn't get up. hahaha😆 

[Criz Quinn]

19 hours ago, Christy Ashby said:

Criz is such an amazing human. I have been lucky enough to get to know her over the past year. She is such an inspiration to me.  I learn so much from her. Can’t wait to see what we all learn from this take-over. 🥰
 

Thank you, @Christy Ashby! It's been fun to be able to say that I've had lunch with you and my family in both of my homes in Iceland and Tennessee! Can't wait to see more of your work and please don't hesitate to drop any questions you have in mind here. 🧡

[Criz Quinn]

On 12/2/2024 at 10:28 AM, SRodriguez said:

Hi Criz! How do you juggle your professional career and your creative endeavors?

Hello @SRodriguez! Thank you so much for this question. This is definitely a tough one especially 2 years ago when I was still working a full 40 hour week at the hospital. I used to work three to four 12 hour shifts in a row, so I could get a week off to travel. It was definitely not the easiest and It was hard to find the time to be home with family. I eventually dropped to 30 hours a week but this saw me burning through my PTO really fast just to be able to travel. This summer, I finally took 6 months off just to focus on the travel photography and I now work PRN at the hospital. This gives me a lot more flexibility to take trips and also a reliable source of income when I am home and not leading photo tours. It's tough but it can definitely be done. I am grateful for my family and friends who were there to help me through the challenges, and didn't think I was just being crazy and all over the place during the most hectic months. 🥰

 

[Criz Quinn]

On 11/30/2024 at 10:31 AM, avmil said:

Thanks for taking the time to answer questions here, Criz!

I'd love to know more about how you got your start on your creative journey?

And what is something that you know now that you wish you could go back and share with your beginner photographer self? 

Hello @avmil! I really appreciate you sending these questions in. My story started in a very scientific way. I was in Iceland training to learn Next Generation Sequencing in a lab that was working on sequencing Iceland's population at that time. After a few days in the lab, someone recommended that I should go out and explore the country too as it is very "photogenic". I had at that point, a Sony a6000, but I decided to book a private tour with a local photo guide. He ended up working for me later when I started my company there and is still a very good friend of mine.  

I loved the country so much that I ended up bringing my family back for Northern Lights one spring break. We booked a northern lights tour and photo shoot with another guide who specialized in Northern lights photography. He became a good friend of the family and he asked if we could start a photo tour company together in Iceland and the US, so that he could expand and teach photo tours during the summer season as well. Since he only did northern lights tours, business was very slow for him during the summer. We started that company and ran tours together in Iceland and the US for about 4 years before we went our separate ways. 

Something that I wish I could share with my beginner self is to learn color grading first. This made a huge difference in how I edit and post process my photos now. I didn't realize how important color grading was until about 3-4 years ago when I joined another photographer on tour. He taught me how to properly color grade and I think it has made a huge difference in my work since then. 🧡

 

[Criz Quinn]

On 11/28/2024 at 3:55 PM, download said:

Hey Criz! Thanks so much for being here! I have a couple of questions for you.

1 - I'd love to know how you go about choosing your travel destinations? 

2 - Could you share any tips for finding lesser-known spots that make for unique photo opportunities?

3 - How do you balance experiencing a place first hand with capturing it through your lens?

Hello @download! Thanks so much for these questions. I truly appreciate it! 

1. I have a very conventional approach to this which unfortunately involves "doom scrolling" on instagram until I fall asleep at night. Sometimes a unique location comes up, I start to read up about it and before I know it, I've booked a flight and invited some friends to come with me. 😅 It's a horrible addiction but one that can be productive as well!

2. As an aerial photographer, I spend a lot of time on google maps (satellite view). The reason for this is many locations may not look good from the ground, but are epic to photograph from a drone or helicopter. This is how I find colorful formations near an area I am currently visiting. One example was while in Namibia, I was checking google maps and found there were pink salt flats near our hotel. I went to check drone regulations (no go), and ended up booking a private plane for a photo flight over it instead. 

3. This is a tough one for many of us because as a photographer, we always want to capture the moment. The first time I saw a Northern Lights corona, the photographer with me told me to put my camera down. He said I had to experience it first and I never forgot that moment. I don't have a good shot of that corona, but I will never forget how it looked in my mind. Many times during the long golden hours in Greenland, I've been known to take a few shots and videos and then put my camera away. I take some videos with the iPhone but after that I'm just enjoying the moment. Being in the sailboat, the peaceful reflections in the water, and the sound of the icebergs next to us. Travel for me is also an experience. Most of my tours include some cultural aspect where we get to experience local traditions and food. It is more than just the photography that drives the experience for me and I really do believe that if we make a connection with the locals and the destination we are visiting, we are able to create more meaningful photographs during the trip. 🧡

[NateintheWild]

Hi Criz!

[smahatma]

What was your favorite part of that one time I made you hike 2 hours each way up a mountain at 10000ft elevation just for this one photo?

 

 

[Allegra Hutton]

Hi Criz!!

So excited for your takeover and can't wait to learn more from you! Some questions I've been thinking about:

1. How do you choose where to travel next? Is there any location you haven't been, but that you are dying to photograph?

2. Have you ever used another camera brand? What do you think sets Sony apart? (side note: I have my reasons for why I KNOW Sony is the best, but am so curious to hear your thoughts!!)

[alpha-jessica-a]

6 hours ago, Criz Quinn said:

Thanks so much for having me here, @alpha-jessica-a! This is a tough one but definitely my favorite all time photo is this one with the Sumba trees. I was going through a tough time after a business partnership didn't work out and I almost gave up on photography. Photography was always a therapy for me from the day job at the hospital and I didn't want it to be a source of stress. At that point, I was about to walk away from the industry and just travel for fun without the camera. I almost didn't even join this tour that I organized with my friend in Indonesia, because it required 14 total flights and was a true Indonesia Odyssey. The whole trip tested my travel stamina and Sumba was extremely remote back then. I was exhausted and didn't want to even take out my camera anymore. I wasn't thrilled about sitting in one inch of water just to get this reflection shot either. Nevertheless, I did it and it was only then that I realized that we create our best work when we are at our lowest points. Even when we think there is nothing left, we can still find that small spark of hope and create something magical. This photo will always remind me of that time in my life and I will never forget that where I am now is because I was once struggling to get up as well. 🧡  Literally and figuratively speaking! I was stuck in the water for a while and my old age kicked in and I couldn't get up. hahaha😆 

Thank you so much for sharing this, Criz! I love how photography and art in general can heal us in so many ways. 

[download]

6 hours ago, Criz Quinn said:

Hello @download! Thanks so much for these questions. I truly appreciate it! 

1. I have a very conventional approach to this which unfortunately involves "doom scrolling" on instagram until I fall asleep at night. Sometimes a unique location comes up, I start to read up about it and before I know it, I've booked a flight and invited some friends to come with me. 😅 It's a horrible addiction but one that can be productive as well!

2. As an aerial photographer, I spend a lot of time on google maps (satellite view). The reason for this is many locations may not look good from the ground, but are epic to photograph from a drone or helicopter. This is how I find colorful formations near an area I am currently visiting. One example was while in Namibia, I was checking google maps and found there were pink salt flats near our hotel. I went to check drone regulations (no go), and ended up booking a private plane for a photo flight over it instead. 

3. This is a tough one for many of us because as a photographer, we always want to capture the moment. The first time I saw a Northern Lights corona, the photographer with me told me to put my camera down. He said I had to experience it first and I never forgot that moment. I don't have a good shot of that corona, but I will never forget how it looked in my mind. Many times during the long golden hours in Greenland, I've been known to take a few shots and videos and then put my camera away. I take some videos with the iPhone but after that I'm just enjoying the moment. Being in the sailboat, the peaceful reflections in the water, and the sound of the icebergs next to us. Travel for me is also an experience. Most of my tours include some cultural aspect where we get to experience local traditions and food. It is more than just the photography that drives the experience for me and I really do believe that if we make a connection with the locals and the destination we are visiting, we are able to create more meaningful photographs during the trip. 🧡

1. What a unique way to find new locations! Taking something good out of the old doom scroll session. Love this. 
2. This is so cool!
3. It's such a fine line to tread between experiencing the moment first hand and capturing it. I like that you treat travel as an experience to enjoy and create memories from, as well as to capture photos. 

You mentioned that your travels include some cultural aspects which raises another question. While traveling and creating, how do you stay respectful of the different cultures you are photographing? 

[Criz Quinn]

10 minutes ago, download said:

1. What a unique way to find new locations! Taking something good out of the old doom scroll session. Love this. 
2. This is so cool!
3. It's such a fine line to tread between experiencing the moment first hand and capturing it. I like that you treat travel as an experience to enjoy and create memories from, as well as to capture photos. 

You mentioned that your travels include some cultural aspects which raises another question. While traveling and creating, how do you stay respectful of the different cultures you are photographing? 

@download this is a terrific question. Since I am in the business of organizing and leading photography tours, we always make sure that we work with a local guide (who is also a photographer), and a travel agency to make sure we have all the permits and insurance in place. This also allows our local guides to share and show us their favorite photography locations as well as take us to the local restaurants that they take their friends and families to. During the photoshoots where we have local models, they are there to make sure that the traditional dresses and outfits we use are accurate and represent the local community well. 

This is pretty much how I run all my international tours. I usually bring one of my expert guides, usually a Sony Ambassador like @NateintheWild , and then we have a local photographer guide who helps us with logistics and makes sure we are able to give our participants the full experience but stay respectful in all aspects. Most of the time, our photo tours become foodie tours because our locals love to take us to the best restaurants! 🥰

 

[Criz Quinn]

3 hours ago, smahatma said:

What was your favorite part of that one time I made you hike 2 hours each way up a mountain at 10000ft elevation just for this one photo?

 

 

I love this shot you took with your A7RV!!! And no way that was just a 2 hour hike, I almost died! I had muscles in my body that I didn't know existed that still hurt to this day! hahaha 

Kidding aside, my favorite part was enjoying the moment at the viewpoint (once we finally made it there!) with you guys and knowing that even if I decided to not bring a tripod...I could still get a shot handheld with my Sony Alpha1! It saved me from having to carry that tripod during the hike which was very challenging because of the thin air. 

[Criz Quinn]

2 hours ago, Allegra Hutton said:

Hi Criz!!

So excited for your takeover and can't wait to learn more from you! Some questions I've been thinking about:

1. How do you choose where to travel next? Is there any location you haven't been, but that you are dying to photograph?

2. Have you ever used another camera brand? What do you think sets Sony apart? (side note: I have my reasons for why I KNOW Sony is the best, but am so curious to hear your thoughts!!)

Thank you so much, @Allegra Hutton! You're the best! 🧡

1. This unfortunately can be sometimes as unpredictable as my ADHD but as they say, blessed are the flexible! An example would be that sometime in September, we thought about going to Turkey after India. We did not have the best conditions last time we were in Cappadocia and thought we'd go back. While booking flights for India, I happened to look at the map and realized that Bhutan was just close by and my friend @smahatma had this bucket list shot of the Tiger's Nest so we ended up in Bhutan. Because we were already in Bhutan, we thought, why not just go to Nepal? It's just next door. 😆 As for the other trips, sometimes I get invited by another photographer to collaborate with them on a tour they are already doing in a location. I try not to do the same tour every year, except for Greenland which is my personal favorite, and that is how I end up visiting different locations each time.

Galapagos is the last one in my bucket list that I still have not been able to visit. I hope to be able to find time to finally take this trip next year. Another one is Snow Hill in Antarctica and South Georgia. I wanted to check off visiting the continent this year, but would love to go back and take the helicopter to Snow Hill, and also be able to visit South Georgia. We couldn't because of bird flu earlier this year. 

2. My dad gave me a Sony Cybershot as a wedding present back in 2001. This was my first digital camera and it had a whopping 5 megapixel sensor! I loved that camera and it served me well during family trips. A friend later on gave me his crop sensor DSLR (C-brand) and I used that for a few years just for family trips as well. I was shooting in jpg. Later on my dad gave me a full frame SLR (N-brand), I traded that in for another (C-brand full frame) camera, both of which only lasted 6-7 months. While in Greenland with Albert Dros in 2019, I was so jealous of his Sony A7RIV that I ended up buying 2 of them to take with me to Tanzania. That eye AF saved the day for me and I was so proud of myself for having a mirrorless camera while everyone struggled with their preview screens to shoot on live mode with their SLRs! I have not looked back since then. The gear box keeps getting bigger because yes, we always need that new lens. Why not? hahaha 

Aside from having great products, one of the biggest reasons for me is also the support I get from Imaging Pro and the fantastic community that Sony has created. There is no other brand that has invested so much in supporting a community of creatives like they have and that to me is priceless. 

I have switched many of my tour participants from other brands to Sony not because I am good at selling, but because the products and the community speaks for itself. 

I can't wait to adventure with you soon! 🥰

[Criz Quinn]

4 hours ago, NateintheWild said:

Hi Criz!

Hi @NateintheWild! 😃