Forging a New Photographic Path
With her Tamron 28-200mm Di III RXD lens by her side, Bree Rose navigates the world as a solo traveler.
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By Jenn Gidman
Images by Bree Rose
Whether Bree is hiking through the Italian Dolomites, wandering the picturesque towns of Slovenia, or exploring California’s state parks, she’s always on the lookout for landscapes that will make her viewers say “wow.” “I try to seek out dramatic elements in a landscape or find something about the scene that makes it feel otherworldly,” she says.
28-200mm (40mm), F/4.5, 1/500 sec., ISO 125
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On her most recent adventure, Bree, a US-based travel photographer, has been tapping into the photographic powers of her Tamron 28-200mm Di III RXD lens for her Sony mirrorless camera, along with her 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD ultra-wide-angle zoom. “The 28-200 is the lens that stays predominantly on my camera body,” she says. “Because I do so much backpacking and hiking, it’s important for me to have a lightweight, compact, all-in-one zoom that offers me a wide range of focal lengths. I’m usually moving quickly when I’m traveling and exploring, and I don’t have a lot of time to be switching lenses. Whether I'm trying to showcase the entire landscape with my wide, or zoom in to a mountain peak and a hovering moon, my 28-200 allows me to get the best of both worlds.”
28-200mm (28mm), F/8, 1/125 sec., ISO 125
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28-200mm (44mm), F/3.5, 1/125 sec., ISO 6400
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Bree’s photographic journey has long been tied up with a more personal one. Although she first started shooting street photography in New York in 2017, she marveled over the travel photos she saw on Instagram. A one-way ticket to South America with a fellow photographer propelled her journey, and over the course of the following three and a half years, she honed her craft both in front of and behind the camera, all the while building an audience inspired by the images created.
28-200mm (35mm), F/7.1, 1/125 sec., ISO 100
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In July 2021, Bree found herself not only grappling with the end of her romantic relationship, but also finding her way as a solo female photographer for the first time in her career. "The easier thing to do was sit around and let the fear of being alone take its toll on me, but instead I decided to do something crazy—I journeyed over to the Italian Dolomites, where I converted my rental car into a camper van and cruised through the mountains for three months," she says. “When you’ve built a business with someone, you inherently become somewhat dependent on them. When you remove them from the equation, things begin to get real. Now, here I was in the Dolomites, totally alone, and not only keeping my business running on my own, but also just being on my own. I was in the mountains, taking photos with my tripod and changing my broken taillights. It was intimidating at first, but it turned out to be the best gift I could've ever given myself. It made me feel strong and capable and helped me hone my craft as an avid traveler and photographer.”
28-200mm (28mm), F/8, 1/160 sec., ISO 100
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28-200mm (33mm), F/7.1, 1/125 sec., ISO 125
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Using her Tamron 28-200 on this adventure, and in her other travels, helps Bree capture what she sees as the magic in each destination. “In my imagery, my goal is to transport the viewer to the incredible destinations with me,” she says. “I can’t tell you the number of times I stood in front of so many of these landscapes and became emotional because of how spectacular they were. Sharing them with my audience and inspiring them to venture out and see the world for themselves has always been a driving factor for why I do what I do.”
28-200mm (35mm), F/5.6, 1/60 sec., ISO 125
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Incorporating people (usually herself) into her images not only helps add a sense of scale for the breathtaking scenes in front of her camera, but it also lends that otherworldly feel she’s seeking in her images—a tiny person against a grand landscape. Bree has also found the public to be more drawn to her images when there’s a person in the frame. “It brings in a human element that makes the viewer feel like they’re the ones there,” she says.
28-200mm (58mm), F/6.3, 1/100 sec., ISO 100
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28-200mm (66mm), F/6.3, 1/200 sec., ISO 100
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When it comes time for post-processing, Bree immerses herself in the task at hand. “An image rarely takes me less than a couple of hours to edit,” she says. “I often use presets that I developed a few years back as a base edit, which helps me to maintain a cohesive and overall aesthetically pleasing look based on the colors, tones, and contrast. But I still like to go into each photo and tweak even further based on the lighting I was working with or any other elements that might require some extra attention. Sometimes I won’t even post an image after editing it; I’ll put it aside because I feel like I still have to work on it, and then weeks (or even a year) later, I’ll come across it and think, ‘Why didn’t I ever post this?’ Once in a while you need a little breather for perspective on your own images. We're always our own worst critics!”
28-200mm (104mm), F/5.6, 1/500 sec., ISO 100
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To see more of Bree Rose’s work, check out her website and her Instagram.
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