Talking with Linda Sanders
Good morning and welcome back to another appointment with Inside the Photo! I want to thank you all for supporting this publication with your presence and your time. That means a lot. I’m really happy to be back with another story — and today, it’s Linda’s turn. Here is some more about her and her photography journey.
About my journey, which starts in 1950.
At 15 I left school with no qualifications. My parents worked hard to feed us but didn’t encourage my brothers or myself with any education.
I was blessed to get an hairdressing apprenticeship for 3 years. I was so happy in this career that I gave it my all. Winning many hair competitions and getting best results on completion. At 19 I left my salon and started working for myself as a mobile hairdresser. This was unique in those days. I bought my first Salon at 23yrs old.
I retired from my successful hairdressing business 10 years ago. Having had four salons, employing and training many young people, I decided at 65 it was time to sell up.
I liked to keep busy and enjoyed learning. It was then I started mobile photography. I joined a great course and shared my images on Instagram and Facebook.
During this time I became interested in bird photography and realized I had to move on to a real camera.
I bought my first camera knowing absolutely nothing about settings etc on a camera. I am not very technical, so it was a slow start to understand the related technology.
Getting as much practice in as possible, I took my first Photography travel trip to Spain in February 2023 — a new adventure, traveling solo to meet my group. My husband took me to Faro coach station and, 2 coaches later, I was in Malaga to meet a new group of like-minded people.
Many epic journeys later, I have now prepared for September 2025: a 30hr trip to Papua New Guinea capturing tribes and birds. The long haul will slow down now, with more focus in Europe.
I enjoyed my 1st trip so much I decided to spend all of my savings on travel.
“Die broke” is my motto.
My friends ‘What’s she doing now’
Epitaph ‘I did it my way’
Linda says she’s into bird photography. But when you look at her work, you see more. Much more. Landscapes. Wildlife. Portraits. And in every photo, there’s care. Attention. Respect. Quality.
But one image hit her harder than the others.
© Linda Sanders
I have so many favorite images; however, this is my selected image that hit my emotions big time.
It was on a trip to Ethiopia, photographing many local tribes. My image of a young girl has been so thought-provoking. I could not stop thinking about her and the way of life there.
The innocence, yet provocative off-the-shoulder dress. Off the shoulder because her dress is too large! Probably the only dress she has, too.
My thoughts on how this would be perceived in our modern society.
In these areas, not a plastic, colorful toy in sight.
Tyres and sticks were their toys — unlike the piles of toys in many nations, so many that a lot are never really used. Wardrobes full of clothes!
This made me even more aware of how much we do really need. Possessions and greed.
Lack of education. Seeing tourists and photographers may be the only contact some poorer tribes may have.
I did see some tribes with mobile phones and wondered how they would charge them with no electricity and internet connections. It would be infrequent usage.
At least this is a step to seeing and thinking about the outside world.
It’s true. Sometimes one photo is enough to stop you. To make you think: How much do we really need?
When you see kids playing with a tyre or a stick, while we have closets full of clothes and boxes of toys no one touches… it hits you. Hard.
However, Linda doesn’t preach. She doesn’t say “we’re wrong, they’re better”. Instead, she just shows. And lets you decide.
Thank you, Linda. For the photo. For the story. For reminding us that richness isn’t about what you own. It’s about what you see. And how deeply you look.
Here are the social links where you can enjoy Linda’s images. Give her a follow, you’ll be thankful for that.
Take care and talk soon!