Bald Eagle, Juneau, AK
The following article has been written by Carrie L. Estrella for the Rahr-West Art Museum Art Forward series.
Almost as if it were out of a romance novel, 26 years ago a boy meets a girl as part of a successful blind date (orchestrated by the boy’s brother’s wife) – a meeting that would result in the union of two people sharing both a love for nature and photography and ultimately, the birth of C. Hoppenrath Photography. As “Hollywood” as this may sound, it was exactly how it happened to Cindy and Corey Hoppenrath. Since their marriage over 26 years ago, the Hoppenraths have enjoyed traveling and exploring the outdoors together with cameras in hand, sharing their adventures with the rest of the world through the moments they successfully capture on film.
As in any good couple, their photographic styles are distinctly different, but complementary of each other. Cindy prefers to capture imagery from a wider perspective as landscapes and broader views of nature. She has a strong interest in eagles and can follow them well with her camera. Cindy is also particularly astute at capturing human experiences, both special and mundane, on film. Corey, on the other hand, prefers to focus on more intimate settings – capturing the intricate details of the main scene and pulling them into focus. More recently, Corey has begun experimenting with taking pictures of people in real-life settings (not posed, as these people don’t know they are being photographed), developing a new genre for his work.
Tunnel View Yosemite National Park
Both Corey and Cindy are self-taught artists. While they have attended a few weekend classes in Montana and Vermont, much more of what they know has been learned through practice and research in their free time, exploring new techniques in books and online videos. Photography is a craft they continue to hone together by always challenging themselves to improve. “When we look at other photographers’ work, we try to broaden our own view,” explains Corey. “You can get new perspectives, new ideas, and you can begin to see things in a different light by just observing your peers,” chimes in Cindy.
As every professional or amateur photographer knows, getting the perfect shot is no easy feat; there have been plenty of failed attempts along the way. While the Hoppenraths make a point of traveling places with a camera in hand (especially when they are headed out of town), sometimes the cameras are forgotten and picture-worthy moments missed. They reminisced about one such time when they enjoyed a beautiful sunset in Zion National Park (that they took plenty of pictures of), only to find out that there was no film in the camera… and, even with all the right equipment in hand, there have been plenty of times when they just never seemed to capture the view they were hoping to.
Milk Weed with Morning Dew
What are the Hoppenraths’ all-time favorite places to photograph? North Carolina was their immediate answer, and likely a large influence on why their retirement home was purchased there. Both of them spoke fondly about the areas south of Asheville near the Blue Ridge mountains where waterfalls, wildflowers, and mountains abound. But these comments of North Carolina were closely followed by some of the jewels of our National Park Service out west – Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming and Glacier National Park in Montana. The Tetons are actually Cindy’s favorite park, although it was in Alaska and other places in Wisconsin where Cindy has captured her favorite pictures of eagles and Corey’s favorite picture of milkweed with dew on it was actually captured right in their own backyard, proving that beauty exists all around us.
Freezing Day at Cana Island
Over time, photography has grown into more than just a hobby for the two of them – together the Hoppenraths have participated in several art shows and their work has been on display at the Rahr West Art Museum, as well as the Lakeshore Artist Guild’s yearly gallery showing. To Corey’s credit, a picture of his was once chosen for a nature calendar and a handful of his pictures have also been incorporated into a book of poetry published by UW-Madison. Cindy’s talents don’t end with photography; in addition to taking pictures, Cindy is also skilled at printing, framing, and matting.
When I asked Corey & Cindy for final Words of Wisdom, they readily agreed on “Don’t get discouraged” – the picture you are looking for could be just the next click away! Perhaps more than anything, photography has taught Corey & Cindy Hoppenrath patience.
Interested in viewing their collection? Check out www.choppenrathphoto.com
