Today we’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Shannon.
Cynthia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always been an artist at heart. I began painting and drawing at a very young age. I did well in school but had a hard time sitting still and focusing as I leaned more towards creative things rather than math. Math never really liked me very much, lol! My interests varied… I refinished furniture, painted on canvas, as well as toll painting. I even learned to quilt. My mom has always lovingly called me the free spirit of our family, as I’ve always sort of marched to my own drummer. I attended Sam Houston State, But my heart just wasn’t into a 9-5, stuck behind a desk job. The idea of that was and still is, suffocating to me. I decided to attend Cosmetology school a few years later. Cosmetology is, after all, just another form of art. Therefore, I was naturally attracted to it.
I was in the beauty industry for years as a stylist and makeup artist. I worked behind a chair in a salon/freelance, and I was an instructor at Paul Mitchell the School as the color specialist for several years. During the time I taught, I worked backstage at hair
shows and fashion shows, and became interested in the photographers who shot the models.
But, If I’m being very honest, I’ll admit that I’ve always had a love affair with a camera from a fairly young age. I was in journalism in high school and LOVED taking pics and helping to designing the high school yearbook. My teacher’s name was Mrs. Butler, and I loved her! My favorite part of the process was developing the film. I just loved it.
My family named me the “family photographer” years and years ago as I’ve always followed everyone around with a camera. I keep telling them they’ll all thank me one day, lol!
About a year and 1/2 ago, I decided that I really wanted to pursue photography professionally. So, I went to Costco and bought a $500 Canon Rebel and let me tell you; I was so proud of that thing. I thought it would serve me well. That’s kind of laughable now, as I shoot with a Sony Alpha 9. Anyone who knows anything about cameras will appreciate the humor in that. Haha!
I’m self-taught. I have a learning disability and require visual demonstration. After reaching out to a bunch of local photographers, and pretty much being told to take a walk (a lot of photographers refuse to share info with other photographers. It can be unfriendly at times, unfortunately.) I decided to try YouTube tutorials. I found Manny Ortiz was very helpful! I would watch him for hours, then go out and practice the knowledge I’d absorbed. Several months later, I met my now boyfriend, and he introduced me to Peter McKinnon. His tutorials are AMAZING! I watch them on a regular basis. I’ll never stop learning. The learning process can be a little difficult for me, with my learning disability…but, I push myself until I grasp whichever new technique I’m focused on.
I began by begging and bribing friends and family to pose for me. I look back at those photos now and cringe. Lol! What brave loved ones I have! My kids, mostly my beautiful daughter, Savannah, has modeled for me the most. She is pretty much over it, but I bribe her with Ben & Jerry’s, and she caves EVERY single time. Lol!
I’m kind of obsessed with my craft. I just love people. I always have. I love that I can capture the beauty of my clients’ personalities in my shots. I have a unique approach. If you’ve looked through my portfolio on Instagram, you surely will have noticed that my lifestyle photos are unique. Capturing personalities and emotions is the part of my craft that I love the most. I feel a strong need to capture images that I can emotionally connect with. Even though they are the emotions of my clients that I’m recording, I see and feel a reflection of myself in every single shot. I feel it’s a privilege to be afforded the luxury of capturing these special moments for my clients. The art of photography is just a story that we fail to articulate. It’s not about what you see (as a photography artist), but HOW you see it. Every single moment in our lives is simply tomorrow’s memories. I just happen to collect those memories from behind my camera. I absolutely love it!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not smooth as I struggle with a learning disability. I have a hard time processing information, and numbers are a huge issue for me. But, anyone can do anything if they want to reach a goal bad enough.
I’m addition, I’m a single mom, and I have a lot of expenses. It’s been a pretty scary transition. But I truly believe in myself, so, I keep pushing myself.
Please tell us about Cynthia Dawn Photos.
Most photographers have a niche. But I admit that I’ve had a hard time choosing a particular type of portraiture. So, I shoot it all. I do commercial photography, sports, landscape, Portraiture, headshots, lifestyle, weddings, even real estate. It’s so much fun!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
That’s a hard question. I’m very fortunate as I have such a wonderful family. I had kind of a fairytale childhood. No disfunction or abused to complain about. I realize that’s boring in today’s world of social media and reality TV , haha! But it’s true. I had a great childhood. I think my favorite memory would probably be my sister and I sitting in my grandfather’s lap, in his favorite recliner…eating Borden ice cream out of the carton (each with our own spoon of course), watching the Nostalgia Channel. I loved Meet Me in Saint Louis, with Judy Garland!
Pricing:
- $250 for a 1 hour session, 1 venue, no wardrobe change
- $350 for 2 hour session, venue & wardrobe changes
- Everything else varies
Contact Info:
- Website: Cynthiadawnphotos.com
- Phone: 4692854498
- Email: cynthiadawnphotos@outlook.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/cynthiadawnphotos
- Facebook: Cyndi Dawn-facebook
Image Credit:
Cynthia Dawn Photos
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