shannoncameronphotography-blog

[shannoncameronphotography-blog]

[shannoncameronphotography-blog]

#theaternow is comprised of a talented and ambitions group of young artists led by Artistic Director: Tommy Butler and Producing Director: Emilia LaPenta. They invited me to snap a couple of photos in early June and we had a great afternoon together. Although they just finished their fantastic season, make sure to like them on facebook and follow their blog. #theaternow's focus is on nurturing emerging artists in the Philadelphia/Trenton/Princeton area and bringing inexpensive artistic events to the community. 

[shannoncameronphotography-blog]

This is Adam Immerwahr. He's a wunderkind. 

As one of the Directing/Producing interns last year at McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ, I had the good fortune lto witness first hand Adam's intense work ethic, creative vision, and overall bad-assery. Just recently he was named Associate Artistic Director. Eight short years ago, he was a lowly Directing/Producing intern just like me. Beyond his remarkable producorial skills he's a damn good director. Check out his website here: http://www.adamimmerwahr.com/

Many thanks to Adam for letting me capture him in this exciting new time in his life. Also, thanks to him for the all-access pass to shoot in and outside of the theatre.

By the way, go see Fiasco Theatre Company's Into the Woods at McCarter, and thank Adam for being a huge part of it. I saw the show last week and it resonated in a whole new way for me. It'a a truly beautiful production. You can get tickets here: http://www.mccarter.org/IntoTheWoods/

[shannoncameronphotography-blog]

Still such an amateur, but I'm learning!

A reflector can be your best friend, or your worst golden-cast enemy

Stop composing a headshot perfectly in camera, because you will have to crop it to 8x10 and be so sad when your beautiful composition is gone.

Spending hours editing your photographs teaches you a lot about how to take better pictures...we'll see if I can apply it. 

Why does my 50mm prime lens that I JUST BOUGHT not auto focus anymore? Ugh!

Spend some time really making sure your subject looks their best. Fix their tie, move their hair. Take a good look at them without the camera in front of your eye. I find myself so focused on the face when taking headshots, I may miss the clothes that are bunched, etc. 

I hear lightroom 5 is in beta and includes a non-circular healing brush! Yahoo!

I have a TON more to learn, but I am slowly improving. 

I could really benefit from one-on-one instruction, but the photographers in my area seem really worried about competition. I understand that, but yeesh! I will pay you and I'm moving to NYC in the fall, so I won't threaten you with my free photos!

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Leigh Ellen Caudill is an incredibly talented actress that I had the great honor to photograph this past Saturday. I had so much fun shooting in some of her favorite spots in her Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. Ms. Caudill and I met this past summer when I directed her in an Equity Stage Reading of a new play for The Platform Group's Ladder Series. She is an actress you celebrate as a director. Her performances are skilled, honest, and specific. She is also a wonderful, funny, strong, and beautiful woman. I so hope I captured even a small part of her spirit. 

[shannoncameronphotography-blog]

I had the great pleasure of photographing the Nolte triplets last weekend, Julia, Erik, and Lucas, age 5. They were such good sports and we had a lot of fun in a nearby park on a spring-like Sunday. Many thanks to their mom and dad, who were troopers! This was my first formal "photo shoot" and I learned all sorts of things. Biggest lesson: USE THE REFLECTOR MORE. The first image is with the gold reflector and it's LOVELY...wish I had used it more. We had lots of harsh down light....reflector is my friend. 

This was my first time using Adobe Lightroom 4 to edit photos. I know, I still have tons to learn, but I loved using the software. I've created a couple of presets and brushes...but have so much more to do. Please let me know if you have suggestions on tutorials and presets I should try out. Any feedback is welcomed. 

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This is my nephew Maddox. In just 9 days he will be 6 years old. He is curious, energetic, creative, and pretty darn smart. This photo was taken when he was just 2 (I believe) and it remains my most favorite photo that I have ever taken. 

I have loved photography for a very long time. Ever since I received a film camera from an old beau as an anniversary gift, I have taken great joy in capturing things that tell a story and  to striving to improve my skills. This curiosity grew when I was in grad school as a film student and learned more about the science behind the lens. Recently, I've decided to become more serious. I'm reading more, watching a ton of online classes and experimenting with friends and family. This tumblr will be a place for me to display some of my work. You will hold witness to my grand achievements and screw ups. I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL. I don't pretend to be. I disdain that everyone who gets their hands on a DSLR thinks that they now have a license to charge people for bad photos. 

This truly is about me trying to learn and take risks. I hope that people will chime in from time to time with helpful hints and tricks. I appreciate you in advance!