learning:: sometimes it is good to be judgmental... right?

i am obsessed with looking at other photographer's work, particularly those in the business of photographing people. one of the reasons i do this is quite... well... judgmental on my part - that is i rate another photographer's work against my own. this is good and bad (if being judgmental can ever be good). this is bad because i rate some photographer's work as poor or not artistic enough, thus giving myself an ego boast or "pat on the back." this is vain - i know. the good that emerges from this, however, is that I am inspired, encouraged and impassioned by judging another photographer's work.

there are SO MANY amazing photographers out there who have this unique eye for looking at people, thus producing true works of art. i learn so much from looking at the work of these photographers and am encouraged to strive to look through the lens with a more artistic perspective - to get more creative and set myself apart from others in the business. i am inspired to stand on a footstool, looking through grass blades, lay on the ground, peer between glasses, you name to create a photograph that is not simply point and shoot. don't get me wrong, traditional "point and shoot" shots are great, in fact every photo session and wedding coverage needs to include a certain amount of traditionally posed point and shoot images - this ensures that certain moments and individuals are captured. however unique angles and artistic perspectives adds variety to one's album and allows for more natural, candid, photo-journalistic images... and, from my perspective as a photographer, creating these images makes me an artist, not a mere "picture taker," which is one of the reasons i so look forward to every photo session i do!! (side note: i have recently discovered that being creative is important to my sanity).

here are just a few links to some fellow photographers from whom i find inspiration and ideas from, and whom I aspire to parallel in both talent and success.

Jamie Delaine - www.jamiedelaine.com
The Image is Found - www.theimageisfound.com
Fresh Sugar - www.freshsugar.com

i do recognize my own unique perspective and artistic eye that will also set me apart from these awesome photographers, which is why my clients will ask me to photograph them, their wedding, their family and the special moments in their lives. but looking at another photographer's work and perspective is a great starting point, and doing this inspires and motivates me... and i am impassioned to develop my craft!

the featured photo is from my 2007 trip to Thailand with our university. my friend jennifer was so kind to let me have some with my shutter-speed while we roamed around the Walking Street Market in Chiang-Mai. to see more pictures from my trip to Thailand, and South East Asia click here.

personal:: a reflection on the act of "engagement"

while painting my kitchen cabinets today it occurred to me how much I enjoy taking engagement photos. of course i really enjoy taking any photo wherein people are my subject, but there is something unique about the engagement photo session - i think because there is something very special about the act of "engagement" itself.  the dictionary defines "engagement" as an agreement or pledge to do something at a specific time and place. other words associated with "engagement" include betrothal and promise. an example of the word "engaged" used as an adjective is, "having one's attention or mind or energy engaged." so, to be engaged to be married is a big deal... it is an act... their verbal commitment is an action... two people are promising to turn have their attention, mind and energy turned towards one another. the wedding day - the marriage ritual - is often upheld as the moment of commitment, public declaration of a couple's choice to be committed to their relationship, to love, honor and cherish, encourage, inspire and never give-up; but really, if we think about it, the engagement is where this commitment is made, is it not?

the planning of the wedding day - the marriage ceremony, the preparation involved in combining two lives into one - bank accounts, homes, belongings, the move toward sharing even more of one's self with the other - the anticipation of a honeymoon... all this occurs (in most cases) after the engagement, before the wedding. this is why i love taking engagement pictures. this is a unique time in a couples life. they have declared to family and friends that they are choosing to build a life together, the ring announces this intention to the rest of the world, and the planning that ensues acts on this choice which culminates on the wedding day where their decision is then declared before God and made legally binding in the qyes of society. during this time i imagine various emotions are felt and expressed, one of which is a unique joy that only ever accompanies "anticipation." perhaps then, it is this "anticipatory joy" is why I love taking engagement photos.

engagement photos are an opportunity to set aside all the planning and just feel the anticipatory joy with one another. as couples interact with one another, whether in a formal pose for the camera, or in moments when they think i am not looking through my lens and snapping pictures, engaged couples can just think about their evolving life together, the fun of the wedding day, to hopes they have... it is my goal as a photographer who loves to find and capture people's "joy" to provide this kind of photo session, one that allows people the freedom and space to feel that "anticipatory joy."

the wedding photography coverage that I offer includes an engagement session - a good opportunity to get comfortable in front of the camera in preparation for the "big day", but also a time for you and your spouse-to-be to celebrate and capture your commitment and promise to one another, and to feel that "anticipatory joy" that accompanies your promise!

to discuss wedding photography coverage and/or engagement photos with me email me at shannonmayphotog@gmail.com, or visit my Facebook Fanpage.

personal:: why photography?

i was perusing the book aisles of a local store this morning and came across a small picture book published by national geopgrpahic entitled "weddings." the book is purposed to exhibit weddings from the around the world since the invention of the camera and its immediate use for capturing the exuberance and emotional rollercoaster of weddings. the reason i purchased this booked was not simply motivated by the images that make up this "picture book," but by a few simple comments about the role of the photographer and the legacy of the photograph.

"for all their all-important wedding portrait, sumptuously dressed couples select a choice location-the place they first met; their church, synagogue, or mosque; a cultural or geographical shrine; or their home-to-be... their wedding photographs, stored away, hold memories for the couple, their children, and their children's children."
"tears of tension are photographed from Rajathan, India, to Penville, West Virgina, to Fukui Prefecture in Japan. photographers also capture more contemplative moments-a bride in quiet conversation with her grandmother or her groom, or having a drink in a diner with her friends. the photographs are evidence of the obvious-that vastly different couples have similar emotions."

as i have sorted through the many photographs i have taken lately i am amused, proud, joyful, frustrated and etc, as i recall the memory of the photo session. my remembrance of the day is nothing in comparison to the memory that couples, families and individuals must experience as they look at the photographs that take them back to the day when they were married, a young family, high school senior or whatever season of their life the photograph recalls.  i do get to experience a special joy all my own though: i get to be a witness, and have the privilege of being the photographer who captures the "contemplative moments" and "tears of tension", providing the evidence that is "stored away" holding memories for the family, the couple or the individual.

personal:: be passionate about people

i have spent copious amounts of time the past few months researching the art of photography, portraiture in particular. i have been both inspired and challenged through the process, and discovered some fabulous creatives from whom i draw ideas, tips and a wealth of information. recently, i think i may actually have spent more time learning about being a photographer than actually being one. this, i think, is an incredibly important process for me (and anyone pursuing photography as a profession).

it is one thing to know how to use one's camera to shoot pictures, but "picture taking" is more than simply point and shoot. composition is a huge part of professional portrait photography (or any photography for that matter) and many believe you either have an eye for it or you don't. there are formula's to follow such as the two-thirds rule (position your subject in two thirds of the frame rather than dead center) but i think composition is broader than anything a formula can "imagine." one must consider color, background, lighting, and angle (amongst others things) in addition to the position of the subject... and there is artistic perspective.  composition is what makes photography an art form. the most important part, however, of portraiture photography is that one must be able to  have fun and engage with their subject on a very relational level, providing a natural and comfortable environment during the photo session!

interacting with people comfortably and being relational with them can be learned, i guess... but in a recent conversation with a landscape photographer it became apparent that professional portrait photographers not only need to be gifted artists, but one needs to enjoy and find life through the interaction with people - this has to be an avenue for joy for the photographer to be creative and inspired while "taking pictures." One might conclude then that in order to capture those authentic moments and relational dynamics unique to a couple or family, or to locate the inner joy of an individual during a photo session one needs to inspired by their subject... portrait photographers need to be passionate about people as well as photography!


this is what i think anyway :)

*This featured photo is from my 2007 trip to the Philippines. Click here to view more images.