Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Billie Grof, and I’m about to start my 70th trip around the sun! I’m married to my high school sweetheart, Joe, and we live in the village of Cortland (p. 497) in the southeast corner of Nebraska, with our spoiled rotten Sheltie, Cisco. I retired 4 years ago, after 45 years as a labor and delivery nurse. We spend our time gardening, junk jaunting, telling stories with my photos and road tripping to visit kids and grandkids who live in Nebraska, Washington State and Florida!
What do you enjoy most about photography?
I’m a storyteller at heart. And I love telling stories with my photos. I’m currently 70 days into a 100 day project, creating the cookbook my Mom always dreamed of doing. In it, I’m also including family stories and learning to restore some old family photos.
What’s your “go to” camera & lens?
My favorite cameras are my Nikon D5100 with my Nikon 55-300 lens…..and my iPhone 12 ProMax.
What tip do you wish you knew sooner?
Most valuable tip? Shoot every day. As much as you can. That’s how you’ll find your style and your voice.
What is the strangest thing you ever photographed?
Definitely not strange…but different. Long before professional photographers began to volunteer for a program called 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘓𝘢𝘺 𝘔𝘦 𝘋𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘛𝘰 𝘚𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱, I made myself get comfortable and creative at taking those keepsake photos for families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss.
I was a labor & delivery nurse for 45 years, and walked that journey with many families. I learned there, to find the joy that was hidden on the darkest days, and to celebrate the abundant joy on the brightest days.
What prompts are your favourites? Which ones do you dread?
My favorite prompts are the Color weeks….and any that require /help me learn something new. Last month, a member shared how to accomplish an editing style. Wish there was more of that.
My dread? Picture You!!!!! Like many, I’m much more comfortable behind the camera. I’m really excited, this year, about building that alphabet we are doing in our Picture You weeks. I have plans for those letters.
Where do you find inspiration?
Inspiration? From the members in this group and the inspiration I find around me. My husband creates my own little paradise in his garden…and our 16 grandchildren provide so very much inspiration!
