Kristen Swain is a New England-based photographer harboring a deep passion for capturing the beauty of Nantucket’s landscape and wildlife.
With an academic and career history that includes studying Mathematical Economics and litigating at one of New York City’s largest law firms, her path to photography wasn’t straight, but her intuition — and willingness to take some big risks — helped guide her to the vocation of her dreams.
Originally from Arizona, Kristen now splits time between Brookline and Nantucket, where she lives with her husband and two English Cream Golden Retrievers. In addition to landscapes and wildlife, Kristen also photographs newborns, families, and intimate weddings.
I’m inspired by intuition—both our internal compass and the mysterious, unspoken sense that flows between living beings. I’m drawn to the beauty and mystery of nature and the universe. When I’m out in the wild with my camera, I feel wonder and deep belonging. I smile a lot. That quiet connection with the earth—and especially with animals—is a gift I don’t take for granted. There’s nothing more affirming than the moment a wild animal chooses to trust me, or even just to allow me into its space.
To me, that connection hinges on intuition. I believe we have to quiet the noise and access a deep, instinctive part of ourselves to truly meet non-human life where it is. It’s the same place I go when I’m in the zone creatively—not overthinking, just feeling. I trust a kind of internal knowledge, one I believe we all carry, about light, balance, proportion, and the quiet factors that make an image sing.
My path to photography wasn’t straight, but it was deeply intuitive. I spent almost a decade training to be, and working as, a litigator at a major New York City law firm. I invested a lot of time, energy, and money to get there. But over time, I began to feel a consistent pull—a persistent, quiet voice urging me toward something more creative and soul-filling.
In the years since I packed up my desk for good in 2012, I’ve learned to navigate by feel, to trust the pull, even when the path ahead is shrouded in fog. And I’ve come to understand that where there’s mist, there’s magic.
