We have a new studio in the Market – Karen Butts Photography Studio. Many of you may know Karen. She has lived in Abiquiu for 25 years and visited friends in the area even back in the 80’s so she’s been around these parts for a while. For those of you who don’t know her, meet Karen Butts.
Karen was raised on a horse farm outside of Columbus, Ohio. Growing up she and her Arabian, Fred, were best buds. Fred used to wake her up each morning by standing under her window whinnying. He was 4, she was 14, both were highly spirited. Her father bootstrapped a grocery store business turning it into a very successful venture that he ultimately sold and retired from, 30 years later. Steeped in nature and watching her father’s growing success influenced her in ways that were atypical for a girl at that time and paved the way to her future self. She developed a passion for nature, grew to love animals and learned that consistent hard work leads to success. As for the adventurous side of her, she must have been born with that.
Karen attended Sarah Lawrence College with professors Grace Paley and Joseph Campbell holding sway. In her 3rd year she spent a Semester at Sea that took her around the world and further stoked her adventurous spirit. During college she was a lifeguard at a Jewish community center and spent time exploring New York City galleries, museums and shows. After Sarah Lawrence she moved to New York City where she worked for American Youth Hostels (AYH) leading 10 New York City teenagers on a month long trip to Greece (where she found a street kitten in a dumpster and smuggled it back to the states in her pack), and another 10 to the Northern Rockies into Canada. Returning from these trips she took photography classes and pursued an Environmental Conservation Education Masters degree at NYU. Once her graduate coursework was complete she accepted a year long internship at Slide Ranch, on the coast north of San Francisco at Muir Beach in Marin County. She celebrated her NYU graduation by touring England, Scotland and Ireland by herself, on a bike for 3 weeks. And then moved to California where she would stay for the next 18 years.
Ventura, California is home to Naturalists At Large (NAL), and Karen spent nearly 10 years there working with many other talented naturalists, leading Los Angeles kids on multi day outdoor and environmental adventures. She continued to hone her photography skills, establish her style and dive more deeply into the art of photography through classes in Berkeley, California while working for On the Loose, leading bicycle adventures on the west coast and Hawaii. Privately Karen has traveled and photographed extensively throughout Europe, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia and continues to do so to this day.
She has worn many hats: Business Owner, Nonprofit Director, Tour Manager, Program Coordinator, Designer, Park Ranger, River Guide and Snow Coach Driver…the list goes on. And while Karen approached each position with enthusiasm, the common thread is her love of nature and the environment and her deep commitment to employing experiential education to share her passion for it. While there are photographers who photograph nature. Karen is a naturalist who captures experiences through her photography. Unpretentious, without manipulation or filters and fully engaging the senses, Karen’s photography captures a moment in nature, preserving the experience in time.
