I’ve said this before on my blog. I’m older than many of my photographer friends both online and in “real life”. And I’m totally OK with that. It helps keep me in the loop with what’s going on with my cute, hip, young fellow photogs. Shannon Harrison, of Jack and Ruby Studios, is one of those cute, young, hip photogs. She keeps me young by using cool terms (that I often have to look up on Urban dictionary) when she texts me.
I’m so lucky because she’s my friend both online and now in “real life”. She’s a beautiful mom, with two little ones at home and another sweet baby on the way. Her photography speaks to my heart because it’s a mix of many of my favorite techniques rolled into one beautiful conclusion. She takes a very lifestyle approach when working with clients while, at the same time, using the natural light to create magic. When you look at her work, you can see the connection she has with clients and her clients have with each other.
Shannon is also a master at selfies. If you’ve ever attempted a selfie (not the kind where you’re standing in front of a mirror with your camera held up to your eye, but the kind that requires a self-timer, and a placeholder to use for focus, and less than 20 seconds to hit the shutter release, replace your placeholder with your own body while making sure your hair is in place and your bra strap isn’t peeking out of your shirt and you’re making your “chicken neck” to avoid a double chin while looking “natural”, before the shutter finally releases) you’ll appreciate just how talented she is. She’s taught me a few selfie tricks I plan to use the next time I’m required to create a new self-portrait. Yes, I said “required”. They aren’t my favorite.
I’m so excited to introduce you to my friend, Shannon!
Hi, Shannon,
Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Sacramento, CA. I never imagined I’d leave until the love of my life moved to Minneapolis in 2000. I followed a few months later in a packed to the brim Honda Civic hatchback.
Where is home now?
Just north of San Diego in Temecula, CA. My husband and I have lived several different cities but this is where we started our family and so it is very much home to us now. (“Us” is me and the guy I packed the hatchback up for. Needless to say, he was all worth it.)
Are you formally educated or self-taught in photography?
Self taught with a few awesome workshops sprinkled in. My post processing adventure has been all self-taught. Along with Youtube, Google, a few great books and 3 years of experimenting, I found my way.
You have serious skillz at taking self portraits. Can you give some tips on taking a great selfie?
I’ve had so many self timed shots back fire on me it’s unbelievable! I don’t give up very easily though and so i keep right on chucking even if it doesn’t work out. Being in Southern California, there are so many amazing options of photographers I’d love to hire to take my family’s photos but I also want them to have shots I personally took of us.
1. I’m no expert but my first tip is to get to know your self-timer really well- read the manual. People’s eyes bug out when i say i shoot about 200 shots in a row at a time!!!
2. Yes, still shoot in manual but be sure to close down your aperture a bit and hover your focal point around your “middle-ish” family member if you’re lucky to have them standing there for you.
3. With all those shots rattling off, you will forget that your photo is being taken at all so just RELAX. No one is behind that lens watching you, so you’re free to be yourself a little more. At least, that’s how i feel. Sometimes nothing happens and there isn’t one good shot in the 200 frames, sometimes there’s 10. That’s the surprise…
4. When all else fails, format your card again and start over another day.
When you’re in a rut, what inspires you?
I go watch Mad Men and eat a half dozen cookies.
Actually, that’s not far from the truth! Many times, I’ll go bake a batch of cookies. I’ve said it before and ill say it again, it’s so nice to put ingredients together ritually and know that everything will come out as I expect if I follow those same systematic steps. It feels like control in chaos. I like to find random crafts to keep busy too so I still feel like I’m creating without having to pick up my camera.
After a wee bit of this and a wee bit of that, I’m usually back to photography pretty quickly…
Talk to me about personal projects. Are they important and what have you done lately?
So, so important. For me, it’s why I ever started and I’ll never stop because if I don’t keep shooting for myself, I’ll stop growing.
Also, the personal documentation of my family is so important to me. When I’m long gone, my family will know through my images how immensely important they were to me. Back in 2007, I was a brand new mother to our 3 month old son and the doctors had found a rather large lump in my breast. The doctors couldn’t determine what it was for over a month. I’m kind of a “wait for the other shoe to drop” type of person, so I immediately thought I had cancer and my time was limited. I cried all the time and just stared woefully at my baby and my husband. Soon after we found out I had a clean bill of health, I bought my first DSLR and started this crazy journey. I had realized whether I had cancer or not, my time was limited and I had my family’s story to tell. Heck, I had my story to tell…
What would your ideal photo session look like?
Honestly, my ideal session is a very kick back deal where people feel free to be themselves with the ones they love. It doesn’t take much to inspire me to start clicking away.
If you could be invisible for one day with your camera…
By nature, I am an amazing people watcher if I do say so myself ( I think that’s a rather nice way of saying I’m terribly nosey). I’d have to I’d like to spend the day shooting at a really large airport. At the beginning of one of my favorite movies “Love Actually”, there is a series of clips from London’s Heathrow Airport of people saying “hello” and “goodbye”. It breaks me down every time. Who hasn’t been at the airport with a softball sized lump in their throat trying to spit out a goodbye or had anxiety and excitement that made you feel like you’re head could explode if you don’t see that person in the next 5 seconds? Utterly amazing.
Name a photographer you would like to take a portrait of?
Really anytime I’m shooting one of my friends who happens to also be a photographer, it’s the ultimate. I grow from that experience more than anything else I could do. I walk away a better friend and a better photographer. To be able to give someone you admire and love a portrait that makes them feel good to be them is an outrageous sensation.
One of my favorite things about you is that your clients don’t look posed. What is your method for capturing them being themselves?
I really try to be the one that adjust around my subject rather than the other way around. Sometimes this means I have to move super fast and my exposure or focus isn’t perfect but i feel like I get what i want in the end anyhow: my subject is as natural and at ease as possible. At times, I have to sacrifice a little bit of the technical side to get the emotion and naturalness of it but I’m getting better with balancing that. Don’t scoff too much but Id so much rather someone say “That image of my _______ made me cry” rather than “That photograph is technically perfect”.
What’s in your camera bag?
Nikon d700
my beloved 50 mm 1.4
equally loved 85mm 1.4
24-70mm 2.8
60mm macro
Expodisc
Boogie Wipes
a boat load of memory cards
What have been your three best photography investments so far?
50mm 1.4
Detra’s Finding the Light Workshop
If not a photographer what would you have been?
Deep into my junior year of high school I fell in love with writing. I had an English teacher who really believed in me and encouraged me to keep a portfolio. I’m sure its still somewhere in my parent’s attic among my team jerseys, homecoming pictures and Barbie dolls. Writing has always been such a release for me that I’m sure I’d have fallen into something of that nature. That’s where the lengthy blog posts come from I’m sure…
If you could live anywhere on this awesome planet where would you build your dream home?
I live in a pretty fantastic place as it is but I do miss the Winter and Fall seasons. I really miss the Bay Area, San Francisco specifically. If we could and I knew there would be no disastrous earthquakes to come, it’s near perfection in my mind.
What talent would you most like to have?
If we’re talking unearthly talents: I’d love to fly. Above all, I miss my mom and to be able to just simply have coffee with her once in awhile would be so good for my soul. I also have so many AMAZING friendships around the world and Id really love to see those people more.
If we’re talking “earthly talents”: I’d honestly love to be able to knit. It’s just something I’ve never sat down to try and follow actual instructions and learn my way through. I’m the type that just wants to dig in and figure it out. Knitting is not like that, it takes time and patience and most of all- a strategy.
What are the three words your spouse would use to describe you?
Wow! I asked him and I got five! Lucky gal.
beautiful
great mother
intelligent
talented
strong
Something that is over rated…
Your favorite movie of all time?
I don’t get to watch a lot of movies currently because they take up a lot of time and i don’t have a lot of that with 2, going on 3, kids. I’m cheating but i could give you my Top 3 that I cling to:
Riding in Cars with Boys
Little Miss Sunshine
The Big Lebowski
If you could change one thing you did while starting your photography business, what would it be?
It’s certainly a catch 22 but I would have stayed away from other photographer’s blogs a little more. I dreadfully compared myself over and over again and made myself feel like I didn’t have a voice in this business if I couldn’t be like “so and so”. I’d knock myself back down and decide to shut my dreams down once again. It’s a terrible way to feel when you’re passionate about something. I feel like if it’s too early in your process of finding your point of view, blog surfing can be terribly self defeating
What quote best represents you at this moment?
“Taking time to live your life will only inspire you work.”
You can find Shannon’s work HERE.
Thanks, Shannon!
Love the interview girls! Shannon you are truly a beautiful person inside and out. Your work is gorgeous and you…love it all! <3
I LOVE Shannon’s work! I remember when I was taking the Bloom workshop she was participating as a former Bloomie and posted the picture of the bride & groom standing on the street and right when I saw it I instantly knew that I was going to fall in love with her work, and I certainly did! I was so lucky to get to meet her and I enjoyed it so very much!!! She has such a beautiful energy! Great interview, girls!!!
my friend, thank you so much for asking me. love reading these on your blog and now im part of “the Wendy club”. i’ll never ever forget that photo of you looking in your mailbox. i remember thinking, “that girl is dope sauce.” xoxo
Just LOVED this interview!!! Love her photos very inspiring. Thanks for bringing a smile!!
It’s true Wendy. You are totally dope sauce:) Thanks for interviewing Shannon!
Shannon, my love…you are such an inspiration. I adore how real you are with you and the world around you. Your work is stunning. Love you! xoxo
Oh Shannon, my love for you grows deeper and deeper each day. You truly are one of the most beautiful people and your work is “dope sauce” for sure. Don’t be surprised if you get a knock on your door one day, it’s just me coming to hang out. Oh and I might bring my posse with me b/c you are top of my list to take my family pictures. So glad you asked Shannon Wendy, she rocks!!
yay Shannon, it was so fun reading this interview about you!
Oh is that quote perfect for you or what? Beautiful images and love your words Shannon. I’m going to go back and read it for the 100th time now, friend. Wendy, have I told you lately just how much I LOVE these interviews??? You are so wonderful. xo
PS. After each image I made a mental note that it was my favorite and then each new image I would say the same. I loved every every every image here.
Shannon! You are amazing! I loved reading more about you. You are a huge inspiration <3
Wow Shannon, you truly are just as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside!!!! 😉 I really enjoyed getting know so much about you through this interview, your knowledge and images seriously take my breath away!!!! And Wendy, these interviews are so great, I look forward to every Tuesday for the next one!!! 😉
oh my beautiful friend! what a sweet treat to see you on wendy’s blog … love learning even more about you. love your heart and love your work. xoxo
such a great interview!!! i totally loved meeting both of you at the workshop and continue to stalk your work. shannon you cracked me up when you included “boogie wipes” in your camera bag. i’ve ALWAYS got them in my bag. 🙂 xoxo
loved reading this is shannon’s voice. she is totally inspiring and just so “real”…LOVE that…too rare…and LOVE her work.
Another fantastic interview wendy.
Love her. Love her work. Her photographs are bananas!!
Oh sweet Shannon…you are an angel! You have really touched so many people and it’s an honor to call you a friend! HUGS sweetness!!
Another wonderful interview Wendy! LOVE that you do these….it’s a great way to sneak a peek into the minds of other photogs!
Ohhhhh, I miss you so mush. I would have agree with you on your movie selection, 1) The Big Lebowski rocks, so do the orbs two with one exception, you forgot Weird Science 🙂
I laughed my patois off at :Little Miss Sunshine. It was a fav for a long time and would so have loved to have seen it with you. Love your work.. and please bake my kids cookies. they need you haha
I love these…loved meeting both of you…
A few comments: no idea what dope sauce is, must be because I am in my 40’s
I nearly pulled a stomach muscle in little miss sunshine…forgot about that
Love, love, love your photos!!! (both of you)