I'm a freelance and nature photographer based in Bucks County, Pa, just outside Philadelphia. You may remember me as "Karen Tate" but I married my longtime love in 2016, so my last name is now Rosenblum! :-)
I love photographing nature, wildlife and domestic animals, and macro/close-ups when I'm shooting for my own pleasure, as well as candid and formal portraits, special events, and urban scenes. I also take great joy in creative post-processing and in making artistic versions of my images and others’ images on request. I find this highly enjoyable, therapeutic, and it gives me free rein to let my creative juices flow. My scanning services, retouching and restoring skills are highly regarded as well. Some (but not all) photos on this site are available for sale. Please contact me for pricing, sizing, and mounting/framing/printing options.
My interest was first sparked when I was a little girl, watching my dad have fun with his old Pentax, and feeling a sense of awe when seeing my uncle's grayscale images that he developed in his basement darkroom. Since then I've been hooked, and the passion has never left me, even though admittedly I didn't really "get fully into it" until adulthood. But it's never too late! I love making all sorts of images - anything and everything - to show how I see our world, through my eyes.
Besides photography and creative post-processing, I enjoy hiking in all seasons, traveling and exploring new places and adventures, fishing, reading and spending time with my loved ones, including family and friends.
My current equipment bag includes: (Cameras): My rockin' Nikon D3s, my back-up Nikon D300, and my always-with-me compact Canon G11 for those times when I don't want to lug all my heavy gear but still want a magnificent high-end camera with me. What else? Oh! I can't leave out my fun Lensbaby Composer with tele, macro and wide-angle accessories. (Lenses): Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8, Nikon 28-300mm f/4, Nikon 50mm f/1.4, Nikon 300mm f/4, Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 macro, and Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 (for use with my backup camera. (Accessories:) Kenko extension tubes, Nikon 1.7x teleconverter, Nikon right-angle finders, Velbon focusing rail for macro work, my never-without Hoodman loupe, a McClamp for macro and floral work, an ExpoDisc for accurate white balance/color temperature settings, and all kinds of other toys, reflectors, filters and accessories. My main tripod and monopod are Manfrotto, and for travel I prefer a Benro C-series EX carbon fiber; my primary ballhead is an Arca-Swiss Z1 SP, and I use an older but sturdy Manfrotto ballhead on my spare rig. I use various studio lighting that can go with me anywhere, Nikon speedlights, off-camera flash brackets, PocketWizard radio trigger system, and I've lost track of how many camera bags I have, most by Lowepro, but I also use Pelican and ThinkTank bags for travel and extensive field work. Finally, on the rare occasions when I want to shoot film, I use my old Nikkormat FTn (circa 1967).
There are several people who took me under their wing while I was learning the beautiful art of photography (and I'm still learning - we all keep learning!), and to them I offer my undying gratitude, and in turn I help others as well, by mentoring, teaching, tutoring, writing, workshops (leading some, assisting at others), and fieldwork. This website is dedicated to those who helped bring me along, and to those who encourage me to keep on shooting because they know that photography is my life-long passion! :)