Wildlife photographer shares Mohawk College Continuing Education’s role in journey
Lisa Connor describes herself as “an avid nature lover.”
Since she was young, her love of nature has included capturing moments through her lens. A member of the Upper Mohawk Nation from the Six Nations of the Grand River, and a mother of two young boys, she remains a passionate wildlife and macro photographer to this day.
Her passion is focused on capturing the “beauty and essence of the creatures that surround us in [the] rich and biodiverse area” near her home in Hamilton, Ontario. Through her photos, she aims to “capture the beauty that reminds us how alive, delicate, and complex our environment truly is.”
Lisa’s journey began long before she ever picked up a DSLR. Childhood memories of camping and hiking in Manitoba with her parents planted the first seeds of her love for the outdoors. As she grew older, a collection of simple cameras inspired her to photograph family, friends and pets. But it wasn’t until adulthood, while exploring Hamilton’s waterfalls and witnessing a friend’s creative process, that photography began to take root as a serious pursuit.
The early days were filled with “lots of trial and error,” she says. “That’s what I love about photography. You get an idea in your head of what you want to create, and you try and create it, and [if] it’s just not right, you try something different, and you learn a little bit more.”
The arrival of her first son shifted her focus toward birds. Determined to capture the textures and details of feathers and expressions, Lisa brought her camera everywhere, from walking with him in a stroller to family hikes and road trips. “If it wasn’t for my kids and my family and my husband, I don’t think that I would be where I am with my photography journey,” she explains. Many of her most meaningful images—from a snowy owl spotted on New Year’s Day to a fox glimpsed between cemetery stones—are tied to moments spent with her family.
A turning point came in 2018 when she received a Nikon D850 as a milestone birthday gift. “Once I got my hands on that, I was like, ‘Okay, this is it. I really need to know how to use this camera,’” she says. With a goal to shoot fully manual, Lisa enrolled in Mohawk College’s Continuing Education Digital Photography course led by longtime instructor Jorj Takacs.
The course played a big part in Lisa’s photography journey. “I learned about f-stops and what they meant, shutter speeds, ISOs, exposures, all that stuff,” she says.
Today, Lisa is known as a dedicated wildlife photographer whose work has been featured in Canadian Geographic, and is a proud member of the Canadian Conservation Collective, where she supports environmental initiatives by auctioning her photography. Despite her achievements her art remains a personal pursuit. “Photography for me is very meditative,” she says. “It doesn’t matter how bad my day is… if I get out with my camera, it just kind of all goes away, even just for a little bit.”
Jorj observes that photography achievements are possible for anyone interested in the art form. “Once you get the basics of your camera operation, practice, practice, practice, because it’s like music. You can’t pick up a guitar and play immediately,” he says. “The more you practice, the more accustomed you become to your camera. And once you’ve got the technical details down, then the creativity can take over a little more.”
His belief that anyone can grow creatively with practice is reflected in the resources he offers to photographers of all levels, and in his commitment to fostering a community where learning is shared through ongoing discussions and collaboration.
With nearly 50 years of experience teaching photography, Jorj regularly hosts fellow photographers on his YouTube channel. Watch Jorj’s recent chat with Lisa Conner and see past videos.
You can view some of Lisa’s photography on her Instagram @on_explored and @ymustang5.