Hi, I'm Beth 👋
I spend a lot of my time on a screen, but really why I'm here is to dance at shows and swim in the ocean and get to know the other regulars at my local coffee shop.
I graduated from the University of New South Wales in Sydney in 2014 and have been making my way farther east ever since - first Seattle, now Brooklyn.
I believe that most problems (no matter how technical they seem on the surface) can be solved by making a new friend.
Photography
I bought my first camera in 2012 (after spending the previous year taking any opportunity to use the DSLR my boyfriend's Dad had dusted off for him). When I look back at some of those earlier pictures and think about what unites over a decade of my photography, I think there are 2 main things: empty space for the eye to rest in, and an invitation to step into the photo.
I love to take a camera on the road, and look for expansive skies. I want to feel invited into the scene to find out what the flowers smell like, how the rain sounds, what's around the next turn. It's similar for portraits: I want people to be curious (just a little!) - to want to step into the world of the photo and ask to be let in on the joke, or offer a penny for the person's thoughts.
I've been photographing indie music since 2021. I look for similar in-between moments on stage - joy and connection between musicians, or with the band and the audience. I love to portray people having fun with their craft.
I shoot a lot of film these days. When I'm taking photos just for fun, I try to recreate the the energy from the early days of instagram: imperfect, in-between, photographer somehow feels like a subject in the photo (rather than removed, you're right in the thick of it).
Career & Philosophy
I'm currently a Staff Software Engineer at Flatiron Health, working to reimagine the infrastructure of cancer care in order to learn from the experience of every person with cancer (only 4% of whom are currently in clinical trials).
I try to live such that good opportunities come knocking, and I'm able to be open to them. I want the path of least resistance to be one that's going to lead to growth, happiness, and more opportunities. It's working out okay so far (periodic existential crises aside!).
I spend 40+ hours a week with my coworkers - we strive towards the same goals, we navigate the same obstacles - that's a community whether you choose to invest in it or not, and it's always made my life better to find ways to opt in. I enjoy building engineering cultures where people are thoughtful developer citizens, finding ways to improve the dev ecosystem through their daily tickets.
I get excited about opportunities that:
I want to make the world better, and it seems like there's still a lot of low hanging fruit out there.
Beth Crane
💻 Staff Software Engineer
📸 Photographer
📍 Brooklyn, NY