Professional photographer Mary Parkhill left behind a successful career in advertising to pursue what was once her hobby as a full-time career. Now, she’s known for her fine art photography that focuses on natural landscapes. Parkhill spends her summers in Alaska documenting the picturesque landscape, which includes stunning photos of orcas frolicking in the water. With her impressive ability to capture the moment, it’s easy to see why she transitioned her business savvy into a creative career.
Parkhill photographs the killer whales and the sunsets, then she blends them into the perfect composition. Using the anatomy of the orcas, she guides the viewer’s eye around the photograph. At times, the nose or tail of the orca is in perfect alignment with the blazing sun; in other instances, the sunset simply serves as a golden background to highlight these majestic creatures.
“What inspires me most about photographing orcas is their sheer size, seeing them in their natural habitat, and their ability to still take my breath away,” Parkhill tells My Modern Met. She uses her summers to explore the inspirational landscape of Alaska, with the resulting images rounding out her portfolio. Parkhill, who is normally based in Pennsylvania, is particularly fond of whales, and there are incredible photographs of orcas and humpback whales swimming in and breaching the waters of Alaska.
But it’s these sunset photos, which combine landscape and fine art photography, that provide a dreamy escapism that is unforgettable. A selection of her orca sunset imagery is available for purchase on her website—anyone can have a slice of this dream in their home!
Mary Parkhill spends her summers in Alaska photographing killer whales.
She also photographs the sunset and merges them into stunning fine art images.
