Hi, I’m Barry Callister, founder and creator of Photographer’s Freedom.
I have spent the last 12 years of my life learning about Nature Photography and all the gear and skills that go with it, and I want to share that with you.
My dream for Photographer’s Freedom is to simplify DSLR and mirrorless photography. I want to take away the confusion of learning photography and give you confidence and freedom behind the camera.
I am passionate about nature and that is why I chose Nature Photography. I started out photographing Australian Birds.
There is a deeper part of me that has always been drawn to birds. I think it is their ability to fly that fascinates me; I wonder what it would be like to soar on the wind as they do?
I did actually find out what that’s like in Rio when I ran at full speed off a cliff, strapped into a hang glider with a guy I had just met 30-minutes-prior!
Every fear I had pulsing through my veins moments before we left the cliff edge drifted away when I felt myself flying. If you ever get the chance to hang glide, I really do recommend it.
When I am in nature, I am at peace. I love nothing more than hiking through a rainforest for hours to photograph a magical waterfall, a vast and inspiring view from a mountain, or a bird in its natural habitat.
Photography, however, was not my first love.
I am a country boy at heart. I grew up on a dairy farm in a rural area of Victoria in Australia.
I dreamed of being a fighter pilot until I got to Year 10 in Secondary College and found out that I was colourblind. That sent that dream crashing down. From then on, I felt quite lost.
Feeling there was not much point in finishing school anymore, I almost dropped out of school halfway through Year 12. If it hadn’t been for my awesome group of friends persuading me to come back, I would not have finished.
After school, I spent a lot of time unemployed and working terrible jobs that I mostly hated. I was still unsure of what to do with my life.
At 18 I discovered a love for music. I picked up my first guitar and instantly felt at home. I would spend the next 27 years playing music in various bands, writing and releasing albums of my own music, as well as teaching guitar and singing.
It took me years to realize that I just wasn’t enjoying it anymore. Eventually I lost my passion for playing and I decided to stop.
I had always loved photography, but I got to the point where I just wasn’t satisfied with the old point-and-shoot camera anymore. I got given a DSLR for my birthday and quickly discovered how much I loved it.
I consumed many books on Photography, YouTube videos, online courses, and just spent as many hours as I could using my camera and learning to improve my photos.
I hope that Photographer’s Freedom becomes a home for you where you can improve your photography, get information about the best photography gear, and finally rid yourself of the frustration and confusion you feel when trying to master DSLR or mirrorless photography.