The Amazing Photographs of Stefanie Goldstein
When Stefanie Goldstein was a second grader, she was encouraged to take whatever she was playing with—often dolls—outside to photograph them in nature. The goal was to limit screen time, said her mom, Allison Tiffany. “It was a fantastic balance between technology and the outdoors, as well as a gateway to science.”
Fast forward a few years later and the experience is evident in Stefanie’s photographs, shot in favorite North Phoenix locales such as Lake Pleasant, the Phoenix Sonoran Desert Preserve and Cave Creek Recreation Area.
“I like how you see things differently through the camera, especially when you get close up,” said 13-year-old Stefanie, who lives in Anthem. “I like the challenge of getting a bird in flight, especially hummingbirds, because everyone talks about how hard it is to get a good picture of a hummingbird. They move so fast!”
Stefanie plays club and school volleyball, loves camping, tennis and traveling. Photography, she says, will be at least a lifetime hobby. She hopes one day to have the equipment to photograph planets, nebulas and other cosmic objects.
The pictures on these pages were taken with a Canon EOS Rebel T5i. Stephanie also uses her iPhone for photography. She must be using an app to edit these photos, right?
“No,” she said. “I want the picture to be what I saw through the camera. I want it to be real, not edited. I use apps to upload my photos to Instagram. I enjoy sharing my photos on social media. I also use the Merlin Bird ID app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It helps me identify the birds I’m photographing when I’m out in nature.”