{photographer extraordinaire} shannon hollman - thousand words photography

my dear friend shannon hollman of thousand words photography obliged me by letting me interview her. there are so many photographers out there that have become friends. i am so lucky to be inspired on a daily basis by these amazing people.

shannon and i met about a year and a half ago on cafemom. what a wonderful community cafemom is. through the photography groups that we joined, we got to know each other. shannon hails from montana and i from boston. we have yet to meet face to face, but through the power of the internet we are in each others lives on a daily basis.

i believe our photography as grown together. we've supported each others business launching, websites, blogs. shannon is an incredibly talented woman. she is the wife to another amazing photographer (jeremie hollman - they keep it all in the family!) and mom to two adorable little boys. i find such beauty in what shannon can capture with her lens. she never ceases to amaze me. i am always left wanting more.

please check her out and if you happen to be in montana, well then you must must hire shannon!

you really are wonderful shannon, and it's my honor to call you my friend! xo

{the interview}

1. what inspired you to become a photographer?
Actually, my love of children is was made me want to be a photographer. I
have a background in early development and once my children were born, I
realized how much I enjoyed photographing their "life moments" and knew
instantly that it was something I wanted to do. Now I get the chance to
interact with children and adults of all ages and I love that!

2. if you could spend one day anywhere in the world where would it be?
Ireland. I've never been there, but it is one of those places that I have
always, always wanted to go to. Camera in hand, of course! Oh, but can I
please have more than one day? :)

3. what equipment do you use?
I currently use a canon 5D and a canon 40D...hopefully, with a lot of
answered prayers I will soon be using a canon 5D mark II. Favorite lens of
choice...50mm. Hands down.

4. what is your favorite music?
I admit I am a totally top 40 junkie. I love to rock out, bust a move and
sing my little heart out.
5. being a busy mother, how do you manage your schedule?
It's not always easy. I just have to find a balance. Work when kids are in
school, play with kids when they are here, spend time with hubby when he's
here, work when kids are in bed....and fit every thing else in somewhere in
between. Some days I'm better at it than others, but I think I'm doing okay.

6. what is on your wish list?
Oh, oh, oh!!!! Canon 5D mark II!!!!!!
7. your favorite photograph to date and why?
Of mine, wow....so hard to say. I think I change my mind every day...or
every shoot. When I do engagements/weddings I always say those are my
favorite b/c I just can't get enough of new love. When I do children, I get
so connected to them and I am drawn in by their smile. But I guess I have to
say that currently I am loving all these newborns! So sweet! So, I guess it
would have to be one of my recent newborn shots....don't know if I can
narrow it down, though.
8. how do you handle your photoshoots? ie; making clients comfortable and at ease, setting up, locations? how long are your sessions?
I just go to have fun. I am very laid back, easy going and love to be around
people. I hope that comes off. I don't care where I am photographing, I just
love doing it. I love meeting new people. I love taking pictures. I love to
just be. My sessions times vary. I basically, leave it up to my client. More
or less, they are about an hour to an hour and a half.....but, if were
having fun and they are up for more, we'll keep on going. I could go all day
..haha! I don't worry about the time. It all falls into place. However long
it takes is however long it takes.
9. any advice on getting started in business?
hmmmm....being so new to the game my self (started my business a year ago) I
m learning new things everyday. So maybe that's my advice. Never stop
learning. There is so much out there. And one thing I have really realized
is how powerful word of mouth is. It's quite amazing how many people will
come and say "a friend of mine" or "a friend of a co-worker". Knowing that
someone liked what I did so much that they are spreading my name around
means so so much to me.
10. who are your 3 favorite artists and why?
I adore Audrey Woulard. She is amazing at what she does. The queen of
natural light.
I am in awe of Carrie Sandoval's newborn work. I want to be like her when I
grow up!
I have a 10 way tie for 3rd, so I will just say these 2.

11. what is your workflow like when your camera card comes out of your camera!
I'm not a big editor. Just basic adjustments, mostly. I do most of my
editing in RAW programs and then minor tweaks in Photoshop. I'm a pretty
speedy editor and I enjoy getting the pictures back to my clients quickly.