Natalie discovered photography when she moved to rural North Carolina a few years ago. Exploring beautiful western NC became a passion for her, and soon she began taking her point & shoot camera on every hike that she and her dog, Annie,went on.

Her reward for landing a new job was a new D-SLR. Though it was a month's salary, that didn't dampen her excitement for her new purchase. Natalie's "real" job taxed her energy, so she cut back on her hours recently to devote more time to her photography work. She hopes to be able to give up the desk job to focus full-time on what she loves doing: being outside, observing and recording the abundant beauty of our miraculous planet.