By Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., Visit Natchez
Photographer Katherine De’Na Parker, ArtsNatchez’s Artist of the Month for September, poses with her aerial photograph of Longwood, one of her favorite pieces in the September 12 exhibit. (Photo by Roscoe Barnes III.)
Katherine De’Na Parker has had a camera in her hands for as long as she can remember.
Born in New Orleans, she grew up in Slidell, Louisiana, and later Ellisville, Mississippi.
“My first camera was one of those little film point-and-shoot cameras we had in the 1980s,” she recalls. “My mother was constantly telling me, ‘Don’t open that! You’re going to expose the film!’ Of course, I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. I just wanted to know what was inside.”
Since then, Parker has become a professional photographer known throughout Natchez for her bright smile, creative flair, and keen eye. She moves strategically from place to place at special events, photographing scenes and capturing portraits of individuals, families and groups.
When she’s not taking photographs professionally, she uses her camera to create art.
Parker is ArtsNatchez Gallery’s Artist of the Month for September. Her photography will be on display Saturday, September 12, at the gallery at 425 Main St. She will greet visitors during a free reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Refreshments will be served, and the event is open to the public.
‘Still in awe’
Parker says she was honored to be recognized for her photography, and she is still in awe. “There are so many extraordinarily talented artists associated with ArtsNatchez, and I am still very new to seeing myself as this kind of artist,” she says.
Photography came naturally to her before she realized it could also become her art.
“To have ArtsNatchez recognize me as its September Artist of the Month, especially at this stage of that journey, is incredibly meaningful,” she says. “I am thankful to ArtsNatchez for giving me the opportunity to share work that, until now, largely existed inside my camera and my archives.”
Although known for her work in public relations and studio photography, Parker says her specialty is aerial photography and capturing people, places and things in their most natural environments. She enjoys shooting images that depict movement while presenting candid storytelling about her subjects.
Most of the work represented in the ArtsNatchez exhibit comes from moments when she was either in a hot air balloon, an aircraft or on the river. “I love being in hot air balloons, helicopters, boats or aircraft and photographing the world while I am moving through it” she says. “There is nothing quite like it. People have actually asked whether some of my aerial photographs were taken with a drone. I tell them, ‘No. That was me trying not to drop my Canon out of a hot air balloon.’”
Her exhibit
Parker’s upcoming exhibit is titled “Reflections and Movement,” which aptly describes her body of work, some of which is already on display at ArtsNatchez.
Much of the collection consists of aerial photography featuring architecture, wildlife, the Mississippi River and iconic Natchez landmarks. Among the featured works is an aerial view of Longwood, along with images of hot air balloons and their reflections.
Two of these pieces are titled “Reflection from My Balloon.” They are different sizes, but they come from the same extraordinary experience, Parker says.
“My pilot was able to steady our balloon over a body of water long enough for me to photograph the reflection of our own hot air balloon below us,” she recalls. “You can see the balloon reflected in the water, but you can also see what appears to be the grass beneath the water. It gives the photograph an almost three-dimensional quality.”
Other photographs on display include inverted balloons. One of her favorites is the aerial photograph of Longwood, which allows one to see the top and sides of the structure and parts of the surrounding property.
“You can also see areas associated with the people who were enslaved there, and that part is difficult for me emotionally,” Parker says. “Longwood is beautiful architecture, but it is also history. History is not always comfortable. That property has stories within it that are beautiful, painful, complicated, and important.”
Her inspiration
Parker was inspired by her mother to become a photographer. She says her mother pursued many creative endeavors over the years, including photography and modeling.
Parker began shooting professionally more than a decade ago while attending college. Her credentials include an associate degree in journalism from Jones County Junior College and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern Mississippi. She also completed graduate courses in corporate communications at Mississippi College.
In Parker’s view, a photograph is a tiny piece of history, and that’s one of the things she likes about her work – and her art. As a photographer, you capture a moment that will never happen exactly that way again, she says.
When it comes to cameras, Parker describes herself as a “Canon girl.” Her primary camera is a Canon EOS R mirrorless camera. Thanks to this camera, and the talent behind it, her work continues to grab attention while generating compliments.
“I am still getting used to people’s reactions,” she says. “I have heard people describe my work as phenomenal and beautiful. I have found myself thinking, ‘They’re talking about my photograph. Mine? Wow, God. Just, wow!’ That still blows me away.”
ArtsNatchez Gallery is open daily at 10 a.m. For more information, call 601-442-0043.