Hey there, I’m PHOEBE PARKER, a photographer and filmmaker originally from the humid side of Texas. After more than a decade in Los Angeles working in film and television (and let’s be real here, restaurants), I traveled to Portland, Maine in 2015 and found myself seduced by the rugged beauty, adventure, and seasonal changes of the New England coast.  So I decided to stick around. Here’s where I’m gonna tell you more about me, so now’s the time to scroll to the bottom if you just want to see what I can do for you.

I really wish I had one of those stories about how my grandpa gave me his Leica when I was 10 and the rest is history, but alas, that wasn’t the case. My life was all dance class, cheerleading, and good grades. As a teen I was extremely fortunate to take a group tour to Paris busting my tiny world wide open. Thus began a lifelong love of traveling to new places, learning about the history and the people, ogling the new landscapes and architecture, trying new foods. I couldn’t wait to return home and share the stories of these places with others.

The human experience is at once the same for us all and also completely unique to each of us. I am truly fascinated by how the world looks from points of view that are not my own. For a brief stint that fascination led me to thinking I wanted to work as a behavioral psychologist for the FBI (thanks,Hannibal Lecter), but then I decided to study medieval history at Rhodes College (man, those Middle Ages were wacky!), after which I lived in Scotland for a wee time before moving to Los Angeles to delve into yet another way to share the human stories–acting! (If you just pictured Jon Lovitz, we should hang out.)  

In addition to the Meisner technique and cheap avocados, California also brought me yoga. Needing a break from the Hollywood grind, I did like many, many others before me and decided I needed to go to India to further my physical and spiritual practice. But before I did, I finally got that camera gramps never gave me. So began my multi-continent learn-by-doing adventurous foray into the photographic arts. 

It was the overwhelmingly positive response to my images from that trip that made me think, hey, what if I could do this for a living. Fast forward a year or so and we get to that fated trip to Maine I mentioned above. Though mostly self taught and relying 90% on intuition, I did become a graduate of the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies at MECA in 2017. Having studied both still and motion in the program, I learned that I love making films too.

My first short film, Nat Bell, Logger, profiles an independent logger in Maine and his commitment to sustainable forestry practices. Then came a short film about a girls mountain biking camp, Fly Girls, that won the audience award in a competition held by the Maine Outdoor Film Festival. I have created numerous videos and still photo libraries since then for The Nature Conservancy in Maine, Preble Street, the Kennebec Land Trust, Colby Summer Institute. Other clients include The Forward, Chevrolet New Roads Magazine, Peary’s Eagle Island, Portland Stage, and Portland Country Club. 

In 2020 I was awarded the inaugural documentary photography fellowship position with the Nature Conservancy in Maine. The year long position solidified my interest in the various facets of conservation work being done across the region, and I am thrilled to continue to partner with the organization on further projects.

Lest you think it’s all faces and trees, my most recent personal project is a series of short docs that compare women and nonbinary folks’ experience of having breasts. It’s called Boobies. Go ahead and giggle, it’s okay. 

I am currently working on an all seasons photo library for the Town of Brunswick. 

Now here’s a more poetic snippet from my Artist’s Statement:

“ I’ve long been fascinated by the past, intrigued and delighted by how our stories today are both similar and different from those who lived fifty, two hundred, a thousand years ago. Traveling taught me that the daily lives of people and landscapes around the world may look utterly foreign on the surface, but that a closer examination reveals humanity is united in its struggles and needs, in the buoyancy of joy, in the comfort of what is familiar, in the weight of sorrow. My hope is for my photos and films to show a subject from a new perspective, be it physical or philosophical, and essentially create a little more openness in the mind or in the heart. My images are an invitation into a world that is in need of more empathy and compassion. My work is meant to seed that. “

When not doing the camera stuff, I enjoy talking to strangers, acting in films and plays (support local theater!), exploring new places, overeating at nice restaurants, dancing naked around my apartment, and spending time alone with nature. I currently live in Topsham, Maine with a wicked beautiful view of the Androscoggin River. 

SERVICES:

I specialize in natural light and documentary style photography for individuals, businesses and organizations. As a video creator I strive to draw forth underlying emotions and motivations to present a story that connects with people (bonus points if I can make you laugh or cry). Since entering the world of media in 2018 I have worked both as a solo artist and in various positions on larger team projects. 

My services include still photography and film, aerial imagery, video editing, photo assisting, and interviewing. I am an FAA licensed drone pilot. 

Whether behind the camera or next to it in the interview seat, my easy going demeanor and adaptability make subjects and clients feel comfortable sharing their stories. 

I adore a well planned shoot, but I’m also really comfortable working by the seat of my pants when that’s the option. 

Get in touch!