Meet Dan's Photo Contest Winner Danielle Leef

This week’s Dan’s Papers cover artist, Danielle Leef, was selected as the winner among all the monthly winners of our 2024 photo contest. Her prize was a future cover of Dan’s Papers, which is on this issue. Here, she talks about her photography, the beauty of Long Island, her techniques and more.

A Conversation with Danielle Leef

Congratulations on winning the 2024 Dan’s photo contest! What made you decide to enter, what did you win with, and how did you choose what to submit?

Thank you! I’m always looking for ways to match my photography with different themes. Every year my kids and I do the corn maze at Hank’s Pumpkintown, and I remembered the theme of the month was Autumn’s Arrival. There was a great display of colorful and textured gourds that I thought would be a fitting representation of fall.

Tell me about this week’s cover art, “Tree at Mill Creek.”

In the winter months when the sun rises from a more southern direction, it can create spectacularly colorful views. I’m particularly fond of reflection shots, so I enjoy capturing images of the tree meeting its reflection in Mill Creek. The combination of the tree, the colors and the reflection makes for wonderful photos. I feel like this tree — which I refer to as “the tree” and I have photographed in every season of the year — is my muse. Depending on the time of year and the conditions of the sky, the same tree can generate a completely unique set of images.

You do a lot of photography around Long Island. What attracts you to the local scenes and subjects you shoot?

I find being outside in nature, whether it be on the beach, capturing the beauty of the flowers, finding wildlife or exploring Long Island, is all very calming to me. There is a personal aspect to it as well, as Southampton and the surrounding areas for me are filled with fond memories of family and friends over the years, especially on days at the beach, which is probably why I’m so drawn to it today.

What kind of camera are you using? Can you talk a bit about your technique?

Several years ago, I switched over to a Fuji mirrorless camera. It gives me the ability to visually see all my exposure changes in real time before taking the photo. My parents were both photographers, although their styles were very different. My father shot in black and white while my mother photographed colorful nature shots, and I myself have experimented with a wide variety of techniques as I worked to find my own style.

I like to shoot from a low angle to make unique compositions. It provides a different perspective, and I think it makes the photos more interesting. I also love the effects of long exposure photography. For me, it is usually about chance since I mostly shoot seascapes where the light is always changing, especially at sunrise and sunset. I can’t always plan when the clouds are going to make these scenes so much more beautiful, but I can make sure I bring the right equipment, especially if I’m planning on shooting a long exposure, the full moon, or the Milky Way. For photos like those, a tripod is a must.

What would you like to photograph that you haven’t?

While Long Island provides so many beautiful vistas, there are some landscapes that we don’t have. Off Long Island I’ve been fortunate to photograph waterfalls, slot canyons, mass hot air balloon ascensions, and other spectacular locations. I would love to be able to photograph mountains reflecting in the water or against a field of wildflowers. A hot air balloon over a waterfall would be a dream shot. And while I was lucky enough to visit Iceland several years ago, there are still so many other places in the world I would love to travel to. New Zealand and Ireland are on the top of my list to see someday. And I am always looking to scratch more lighthouses off my photography bucket list (I’ve done 60 so far).

Where can people see your work, online or in-person?

They can visit and contact me through my website at danielleleefphotography.com, Instagram @dhleef and on Facebook at facebook.com/danielleleefphotography.

Southampton Artists Association, of which I am currently the board president, has art shows throughout the year that I participate in at the Southampton Cultural Center gallery. Next month my work will be included in an art fundraiser for Heart of the Hamptons, with a reception date of November 2. Information can be found on southamptonartists.org.

I also show my photography at Art in the Park in Southampton every July, and I will have a tent with my art at SouthamptonFest this Saturday, October 4, where I will be selling my prints, cards and calendars.

Do you have anything to add?

I’m grateful to have found photography as a creative outlet, and for the community of photographer friends I’ve met because of it. I have learned so much over the years, and have continued to explore new subjects, techniques and ways of sharing my photographs with others. I enjoy creating and selling calendars through my website and at art shows every year, each exploring the great range of subjects I gravitate towards, such as flowers, sunsets, beach vistas and locations around Long Island. I look forward to seeing what other photography-related avenues I can explore in the future.