Christina Rollo – Hummingbirds, Harmony, and the Heart of Nature

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Getting To Know Christina Rollo

About the Artist

Christina Rollo is a New York-based fine art photographer who specialises in hummingbirds, birds, and nature. Her work has been featured by National Geographic, Photographer’s Forum Magazine, the National Wildlife Federation, and the New York State Museum. Christina’s photographic journey began with a single challenge and evolved into a lifelong passion grounded in conservation, colour, and connection to the natural world.

Website URLs
christina-rollo.pixels.com
etsy.com/shop/ChristinaRolloArt

Christina Rollo has always been an artist. Even as a child, she was sculpting animals from clay, painting, and creating whatever her imagination brought to life. But it was in a high school photography class, developing film in a darkroom, that she first discovered how a lens could become a tool for creativity, not just documentation. That early spark never left her.

Based in Owego, New York, Christina is best known for her breath-taking nature photography, particularly her images of hummingbirds. These delicate creatures, caught mid-flight in perfect clarity, have become something of a signature for her. In fact, her photographic journey truly began when someone challenged her to capture a hummingbird in motion. It was a moment of challenge, yes, but also invitation….and she accepted it with enthusiasm. Since then, her work has blossomed into a celebration of the natural world and the quiet, almost spiritual moments that unfold when one simply observes.

She shoots with a Nikon D3400 these days, though she’s had other models over the years. Christina has always found Nikon cameras reliable and intuitive, and she values equipment that lets her focus on the subject rather than fiddling endlessly with settings. When it comes to editing, she strikes a thoughtful balance: just enough to reflect what she truly saw in the moment. A little colour correction, some contrast adjustments, the occasional crop, her goal is not to manipulate, but to honour what nature offered. She previously used Photoshop but now works with GIMP, a free alternative she’s still learning. The switch was largely due to her dislike of subscription models, but she’s not looked back.

Editing and shooting hold equal joy for her. There’s the thrill of a long, silent wait in a bird blind, hours of patience in blazing heat or freezing cold, hoping for that one perfect moment when a bird appears. And then there’s the quiet pleasure of sitting at her desk, bringing the image to life on screen, learning what her software can do, and finding the best way to showcase a subject’s natural beauty. Both parts of the process are deeply satisfying, and she treats them with the same respect.

One of Christina’s favourite pieces is her black and white photograph of a hummingbird hovering near a flower. The high contrast and elegance of the image speak to her love for fine detail and the grace of her subjects. It’s a striking piece, almost timeless in its simplicity, and she cherishes how it captures the essence of both bird and blossom.

Over the years, her work has been featured by National Geographic, Photographer’s Forum Magazine, the National Wildlife Federation, and even the New York State Museum. Her art has also been displayed in various local exhibitions, from public libraries to insurance offices. These days, however, she’s stepped back from exhibiting. The logistics, time, and effort involved didn’t match the rewards, and she’s found more success and satisfaction through online platforms instead.

Christina markets her work primarily through Fine Art America and Etsy, and more recently, her YouTube channel, where she shares not only her photography but moments from the field. Social media, on the other hand, has taken a back seat. After finding that platforms like Facebook and Instagram consumed too much time with too little return, she made the deliberate choice to walk away. Now, her creative energy is focused on where it matters most.

When asked about criticism, Christina is clear: she welcomes feedback, but not criticism for its own sake. There’s a difference, she says, between someone offering thoughtful suggestions and someone simply being harsh. The former can help her grow; the latter only stings.

She’s entirely self-taught, crediting the internet and trial-and-error as her greatest teachers. And she encourages emerging photographers to do the same….keep going, keep trying, and above all, have patience. It’s the long game, after all. The time spent in the woods, the quiet hours in front of a screen, the moments when nothing seems to work….they all contribute to something meaningful in the end.

Though most of her photography takes place within 100 miles of her home, her work feels expansive. There’s a whole world in every leaf and wing she captures. She hasn’t tried drone photography yet and doesn’t feel the need to; she’s more than content with the view from ground level. It’s there, in the undergrowth and on tree branches, where the stories she wants to tell come to life.

In her personal time, Christina enjoys walking her two dogs, raising monarch caterpillars, birdwatching, and hiking through the woods. Winters are slower and filled with movies, dog sitting, and cooking….an opportunity to rest and recharge. Her husband, she says, is her biggest supporter. He’s never once questioned the hours she’s spent hidden away in a bird blind or behind her camera. Her family, too, is proud of her work and the professionalism she brings to it.

She still dreams, often of animals and flowers. And when asked to share three things not already covered, she laughs and says: she’s getting older but remains a child at heart, she no longer sweats the small stuff, and there is nothing, nothing, more exciting than bird migration in early spring.

Christina Rollo’s work is more than just photography. It’s a quiet devotion to the wild things of the world. Through her lens, we see not only birds and blossoms, but patience, reverence, and an artist whose greatest joy is simply being present in nature. And for those who stop to look, really look, the reward is unforgettable.

Here are three videos Christina enjoys:

Read the full article: https://ourartsmagazine.com/blog/christina-rollo-hummingbirds-harmony-and-the-heart-of-nature/

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Source: Our Arts Magazine