OUTDOORS // G.T.P.S BETHANY OLSON

Hey Bethany! First off, amazing photo series. Where were the photos taken & who were you with?

The photos were taken at Lake Cushman where my family has a cabin. My fiancé Cory (@withhearts), my friend Kaitlin (@mermaaidy), and our friend Daniel (@drvolland) were there with us that weekend! In the photos, it’s just Kaitlin and I.

Where is your favorite place to take photos?

My favorite place to take photos is actually at this spot, Lake Cushman! Walking back into the woods or standing by the lake and photographing is my favorite. It’s impossible to take a bad image there.

Seattle is home base correct? What are 4 things everyone who visits Seattle should do?

Yes Seattle is home! There are so many fun things for people to do in Seattle! But these four are my favorite:

1. Take a ferry ride from Seattle to Bremerton- the view is the skyline of Seattle, and it’s phenomenal! Especially at sunset. 
2. If you like coffee, go to Storyville. It’s downtown and right above Pikes Place Market. Which leads me to number 4... 
3. Pikes Place Market is the best place to go if it’s your first time in Seattle! Such a fun market atmosphere. 
4. Definitely take the elevator up the Columbia Tower. It’s the largest skyscraper in Seattle, and there’s an observation deck open to the public where you can get some insane photos of the city from that spot!

What 6 things do you love most about living in the PNW?

It’s hard to narrow down my favorite things about living in the northwest because there are so many different things! 

1. I love the rain, gloomy, and foggy weather. I prefer it over sun actually (which is weird to some people, haha). I think it’s just because the lighting is so great for photos, and the colors pop more. But when it’s sunny here, it’s beautiful so we get a good mix of both. People who aren’t from the NW think that it’s raining everyday of the year- but August-Septmber are the most beautiful month for sunshine.
2. I’m a coffee addict, and the coffee here is amazing (Not Starbucks, people!) 
3. The art scene in Seattle is growing- whether is photography, music, design, or fashion; it’s immensely growing and such a fun part about Seattle.
4. I love that I’m a half hour from mountains, and I get to escape into the beautiful scenery of Washington.
5. The fast pace lifestyle isn’t for me long time. I could live in New York City or San Francisco for a year or two, but I love the laid back atmosphere of the Northwest.
6. The variety of activities to do here is also my favorite- amazing restaurants, coffee, ferry rides, exploring in the woods, hiking, lakes, shopping, night life, etc. There’s just so many things to do in the PNW, you’re never bored.

Could you give me a 4 song road trip playlist for travelling in the PNW?

Wow- a four song road trip playlist is definitely hard because I love music. Haha. But here are my top four favorite songs at the moment:

1. All We Need (feat Shy Girls) by Odesza
2. Say My Name (feat Zyra) by Odesza
3. Be Your Man by Ivan & Alyosha
4. Away We Go by Prince Of Spain

(All Artists are from Seattle, haha how ironic)

I have two favorite trips I have been on. One was with Cory, and we went to St Kitts in the Caribbean to shoot some photos for Marriott at one of their resorts down there. It was insanely beautiful and such a fun job! My second favorite was going to California with Cory, my brother Trevor (@treasuretrev), my sister-in-law Ashley (@ashleyolson1), and our good friend Jay (@jaymelilli). We went to Disneyland, Palm Springs, and Vegas. It was one of the most relaxing and fun trips I’ve ever gone on.

You are definitely one of our favorite people we follow on Instagram. Your photos are always amazing. What was it that first got you into photography? What do you like most about photography?

Thank you for the kind words! It’s been such an adventure. My dad was a photographer growing up so I was always surrounded by cameras or photos. The first push was when I was a junior in high school and started taking a digital photography class. I fell in love with the class, and my senior year of high school I spent all my free time editing photos in the classroom or taking photos of my friends. About three years ago is when it started to become more real, and over the last year and a half I’ve been doing it professionally. What I love most about photography is that I get to have it be my hobby, and my job. It feel so blessed to be able to call it my profession. Another thing I love about it is that I’m always learning something new; whether it’s editing or different techniques of my camera. Another thing I love is that I get to interact and meet new people almost everyday! It’s crazy to think that if I hadn't signed up for Instagram, I would have never made connections with people I’m friends with today, and most importantly been connected with Cory! I would have never thought I would have met my future husband on a social media platform. And now we get to work together taking photos! It’s the best.

There are so many photographers that are talented and that I follow. I think out of everyone for variety, colors, and style my favorite is Chris Ozer. His images are simply beautiful. http://chrisozer.com/

Where should your next adventure be?

My next adventure I’m dreaming of will be somewhere in Europe! I’ve never been to Europe, and I’ve always wanted to go. Realistically, my next adventure will probably be San Francisco or Texas.  But we’ll see since I’m all over the map. 

If you weren’t a professional photographer, what do you think you'd be doing instead?

If I wasn’t a photographer, I would probably be doing something with fashion, cosmetology, or teaching.

For more by Bethany check out // http://www.bethanymarie.co/