A Coastal Perspective

Denise Barker takes note of the beauty that surrounds her.

One of the most famous lines in American film is a powerful reminder to pay attention. “Life moves pretty fast,” said Ferris Bueller. “If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it.” If Ferris isn’t enough of an inspiration for you, spend some time with the photography of Denise Barker. From portraits and family photos to landscapes and nature photography to her more recent, more abstract works, Barker’s portfolio provides all the evidence you need that beauty is everywhere if you’re willing to stop and pay attention.

Although she has worked as a photographer for most of her adult life, she went to college to major in business, not art. “It’s funny,” Barker says, “I asked for a camera as my high school graduation present. So I should have thought about that.” That camera, a Pentax K1000, is still with her today, even though her work now is almost exclusively digital.

She admits that she tried to get into a photojournalism class in college, but couldn’t. When she graduated, she began working for Fidelity Investments, but kept taking pictures, building up a side business in photography. “I had a business job at Fidelity,” she recounts, “and they saw my photography work, so they hired me for that on the side.” Denise continued to build her photography business until it was enough to support her, then quit her business job at Fidelity. The company promptly hired her as a full-time photographer.

Barker continued to work as...