Last week marked a definite highlight for me. I was invited up to Red Deer, Alberta (Canada) to give a workshop for a large group of photographers (I think we hit 23 or 24?? *gulp*). Completely incredible time there…
First off, I want to give a HUGE thank you to Andrea Wiseman for putting this all together. She did an amazing job organizing & running this thing- couldn’t have done it without you!!!
And to Jeff Holt who came up to be my cohort… he was my confidence, energy feed & other half (thank goodness).
I wish I had the words & time to go in to all the day entailed. It was an amazing day of inspiration, vision and, of course, photography :) I feel so blessed to have had the experience and to have met all of you that came… such an awesome group and I can’t wait to see all the images & future projects that came out of it!
(here’s a couple of my shots from the day…)
red deer | ALBERTA
Shauna: as always ... STUNNING!! (04.20.2010 06:09am)
Yuka photo art: Beautiful.............very creative shoot! (04.20.2010 06:11am)
Betsy King: So cool. I love how creative you get with studio work. PS She's adorable! (04.20.2010 06:42am)
kristin cook: Wow Shannon, these are beautiful! (04.20.2010 07:14am)
Tami: Love it! Especially the chalkboard wings, very clever. You are so crafty, in a good good way. (04.20.2010 07:43am)
jennifer: s p e e c h l e s s .....let me get a thesaurus to find a word to describe how wonderful this shoot is. (04.20.2010 07:43am)
Jamie Sampson: ummm.... I am crazy about these. The concept rocks. The photos rock. I have no words other than.... wowsers :) (04.20.2010 07:47am)
Tj: Shannon! These seriously ROCK!!! (04.20.2010 08:15am)
Kathy Carlisle: First let's take a moment to appreciate all your paper crafting skills! Now, let's go check out those two chalk wing shots and sigh out of complete joy together. When I see shoots of yours like this I feel every bit of your passion and it goes stright to my heart. It' snot her (the models) emotions I am feeling...I feel your excitement, I experience your amazing talent, and above all I know how proud you must feel when you are able to get another idea chalk off your overflowing brain of ideas;) I am so in love with the styling and the chalk shots made me stare! K (04.20.2010 08:16am)
lesley: looooove the colours of these...beautiful images! :D (04.20.2010 08:38am)
Deb Cull: Wow - I really love these shots. The lighting, background, and amazing model combine to create a truly breathtaking post! (04.20.2010 08:55am)
Josh Solar: Holy SHIT this is a cool shoot!! You never cease to amaze me. Keep up the amazing work :) (04.20.2010 08:58am)
Bre: AMAZING!!! As usual!!! (04.20.2010 08:58am)
Kelly: LOVE LOVE LOVE this shoot Shannon. You're sooo creative - definitely sets you apart! (04.20.2010 09:12am)
Amy C: Wow! Time, after time you amaze me! (04.20.2010 11:59am)
Jeanette LeBlanc: Damn it woman, you kill me with your vision and execution. Studio stuff doesn't move me, it doesn't. Never has. Except yours is somehow different. Somehow you infuse so much of you, and your passion into these shoots that I fall head over heels every time. (and so when are you coming this way?) :) (04.20.2010 01:56pm)
Jenifer Johnston: So awesome to see this all come together since I went shopping with you and watch you craft all the little flowers. Love the neutral with the splash of her boot color. Fantastic job my dear. (04.20.2010 02:21pm)
zalaine: You, my friend, never cease to amaze me. The flowers, chalkboad and tears are fabulous. No one does it better! (04.20.2010 03:01pm)
Ryan Klos: Holy smokes! These are incredible! So well executed and a beauty of an intern to boot! (04.20.2010 06:07pm)
Sunny D Wright: You are the master of inspiration. These are beautiful. She is beautiful. Tones. Lighting. Makeup. Everything. Just beautiful. (04.20.2010 09:34pm)
PhotoDude: Crafty indeed... :) (04.20.2010 10:33pm)
Becky: Wow, these are so gorgeous! Loooove all the white! (04.21.2010 05:46am)
laetitia: I love it, I love them, I love them !!! (04.21.2010 06:06am)
oneshotbeyond: gorgeous-every one of them (04.21.2010 11:34am)
Kara Layfield: WOW! Amazing!! Can you please bottle up some of your creativity and ship it to me. :) (04.21.2010 12:05pm)
laurel: LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these. Love these. (04.21.2010 07:40pm)
gina: you just blew me away!!!! gorgeous shannon! (04.21.2010 07:42pm)
Laura Morita-Yeun: Holy amazing. Do you just get better every time you shoot? I think so. I really do. These are way too awesome. I... I...I... ugh. I'm stuttering cuz they're so amazing. Wonderful! (04.22.2010 11:46am)
Kara Wieler: These shots are gorgeous. I love the natural colors and the pop of red. Beautiful!! And a gorgeous girl! (04.23.2010 09:29pm)
Angela Hubbard: you are my favorite photographer - EVER! brilliant (04.24.2010 08:57am)
Brittany Stover: All I gotta say is....Oh. My. Gosh! These are some of my favs that you have ever done. Brilliant Idea! (04.25.2010 09:24am)
danielle fox: ok, I love love love these.and her boots. find out where she got those boots. I lover them..d (04.26.2010 02:23pm)
Elaine Gates: wow... just LOVE LOVE LOVE these! (04.27.2010 09:58am)
Hannie: Breath taking!! So beautifully executed. Love the white tones. And I cannot stop looking at those pictures with the chalk wings.... (04.27.2010 11:25am)
Vickey Weiss: wow wow wow!!! She is soooo pretty. Gorgeous images Shannon!!! (04.27.2010 10:55pm)
Leticia Beck: I sure would love to take a mentoring session...Do you come to So. CAL... OH Please! You are such an inspiration!!!! YOu are gifted! (04.27.2010 10:59pm)
Brielle: These images are incredible. No wonder there are so many comments! (04.29.2010 08:55pm)
Cari Enticknap: Beautiful girl, stunning images. The BW conversions are spot on. Love these.... (04.30.2010 08:27am)
Jenifer Johnston: bwahahahaha. too stinkin cute. you are such a nice little auntie now you can borrow jack since you are so good with the minis. LOL. (0; (04.07.2010 02:13am)
AmyC: Love these!!! (04.07.2010 06:38am)
Whitley Pollet: Wow Shannon!!! I love the colors and her personality is shining through in every picture! (04.07.2010 06:42am)
Yuka photo art: So colorful!!!!!! Amazing images! (04.07.2010 06:49am)
Kirsty: What fun images you have captured! My Fav is the tip toes on the step stool with leg warmers shot! (04.07.2010 07:20am)
kristin cook: I love 'a day in the life of' pics!!! The goggle pic is especially cute ;) (04.07.2010 07:57am)
Tj: Precious. (04.07.2010 09:05am)
jennifer: These warm my heart. So precious and sweet. And, the light is so clear and clean...gosh, I just love what you do with a camera. (04.07.2010 09:38am)
Tami: So much fun! Love it! (04.07.2010 10:17am)
amy: love these!! the tub and lipstick ones are too cute!! (04.07.2010 10:35am)
lesley: LOVE IT!! It almost makes me want to have children....almost! lol ;) (04.07.2010 11:26am)
Jennifer Sparaco: i LOVE the goggles image Shannon! the session looked like it was so much fun!!! what a great day to be a little girl!! (04.07.2010 12:03pm)
Clarice: Oh I love these! That first one is awesome and I love love love the one with the goggles! Your bathroom looks just like ours. I love the lighting. I need to take some bath shots soon! (04.07.2010 05:07pm)
Jenny Solar: These are amazing and make me think of my own babies. Well done! (04.07.2010 06:19pm)
Sunny D Wright: Love the lighting in these. So precious. (04.07.2010 08:41pm)
Rose: Awww, what a cute duckie! :D Wonderful, fun and fresh photos. love the goggles too! (04.07.2010 11:23pm)
angela hubbard: your creativity never ceases to amaze me. you are truly an original and wonderful photographer. signed, a big fan! (04.07.2010 11:34pm)
Michelle: OMG! She is ADORABLE! Holy cow, you are sooooooooooooooo good...it kills me! I love love love love love looking at your work. You have perfected the art of photography! (04.08.2010 12:15am)
stephanie mcbride: okay stop it right now!!! you are killing me!!!!!! girl you are on one heck of a roll. (04.08.2010 11:29am)
Corey Sewell: These are too cute! (04.08.2010 11:54am)
zalaine: Oh my - how cute are these! Love, love the bubble shots. All squeak clean and cute as can be. The colors are stunning. Gorgeous as always, Thank you so much for sharing! (04.08.2010 03:10pm)
Kelly Beane: So fun and gorgeous as always! (04.08.2010 09:15pm)
KaraRL: She's absolutely adorable!! Looks like she had a blast "playing" with you. That lipstick shot is cracking me up!! :) (04.09.2010 01:35pm)
Brittany Stover: Seriously, I don't think these could get any cuter....I love everything about these, the lighting, the colors, the expressions....priceless...great work. (04.09.2010 07:57pm)
Cari Enticknap: These are so fun! Love the color and clarity and light! The first one is sheer perfection though. One of my favorite sessions of yours to date - just love the playfulness and exuberance of them! (04.09.2010 11:28pm)
cindy: ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE SHOOTS. REAL, FRESH and SUPER DUPER CUUUUUTE. The bathtub series is to die for. The images scream to be on a huge canvas somewhere in their home!!!! Same with the lipstick ones. Well, truly...all of them need to be displayed loud & proud... (04.11.2010 11:06am)
Laura Morita-Yeun: OK, first of all, love that the title of this is a lyric to the Beastie Boys, cuz I love me some B Boys. Second of all, and third and fourth and infinity of all, THESE ARE INSANELY AWESOME! I love these! You beat me to the punch with the goggle one. Been planning a pic with goggles for a while. OK. You rock. Clear and simple. Dang. (04.11.2010 08:58pm)
Cari Enticknap: I just had to tell you again how much I love this session! I've been back here a zillion times to ooh and aah over these. So inspiring! Great work as usual! (04.15.2010 11:23pm)
Carrie: Gorgeous! I think the first one belongs on a massive canvas! (04.16.2010 05:41pm)
Tori Piercy: She is a DOLL! I love all of the personality of hers you captured! You have inspired me to do something similar with my 2 year old :) (04.18.2010 09:01pm)
Lina: Oh, she is gorgeous. And images are so fun and fresh. Great captures! I wanna take a bath in your house :)) (04.19.2010 11:50am)
Kara Wieler: oh my gosh do I ever love these! So adorable! (04.19.2010 07:39pm)
Mark Brooke: Those kiddos sure bring the joy don't they! (04.28.2010 12:57pm)
Fun little Senior session with a long time family friend. Between those freckles & gorgeous blue eyes… the girl set off alarms. Really… she did. We moved on to our next location before we met any men in blue though so I’d call it a successful day.
Ah… the joys of choosing me as your photographer ;)
Rose: She is adorable! :D The photos are stunning, and I really love the location! Beautiful session. (04.02.2010 10:34pm)
Sunny: Sometimes people's inside sweetness shines through their eyes. She is one of those people. Stunning eyes. I love the picture (second one) where she is holding her fingers. A little nervous, but ever so beautiful. (04.02.2010 10:51pm)
stephanie mcbride: umm to go along with those beautiful eyes... is that beautiful red-ish hair. im coveting. beautiful girl!. (04.04.2010 06:04pm)
Judie: I love them Shannon!! Just love them. You have always done such a great job with the kids - the ones a couple years ago are my true treasures. I love how you got Jo - I mean really got her. The first one you show on the blog - the one with her against the white wall - that is THE one! I love it in color - but it's simply stunning in B/W as well. THANK YOU! (04.05.2010 09:51am)
Jennifer Sparaco: Shannon, she is beautiful! I'm completely in love with that first image!!! Those eyes are to die for!! (04.05.2010 10:38am)
KaraRL: She is beautiful!! I absolutely love those funky purple boots!!! Looks like you had a blast...you must share more about the alarm! :) Love those B/W! (04.05.2010 11:06am)
Corey Sewell: What a beautiful girl! Love that first one and the first one on the steps. (04.05.2010 01:45pm)
Chrissi: Great job, Shannon. She looks so comfortable, so beautiful. Love the wall shot. (04.05.2010 11:16pm)
Lina: Those are gorgeous shots of a gorgeous girl. Beautiful captures. Love your bw conversions. (04.06.2010 09:45am)
Whitley Pollet: Wow Shannon! She is gorgeous!! I love the locations. :) (04.07.2010 06:33am)
Cari Enticknap: Wow, lovely girl! My fave is the second set of collage (storyboard of 3). You captured such genuine smiles from her and great eye contact! Love that wooded location and the color of her skirt and boots! (04.09.2010 11:26pm)
Melissa Weicker: Beautiful images!! I'm so happy I attended the workshop, it was just what I needed to get inspired! Thanks to you & Jeff, my brain has been on overdrive since Saturday! ...and I have to admit, I was a bit star struck being in the same room as you two! :) (04.29.2010 11:33pm)
Oleksandr Photography: Man, she reminds me Saoirse Ronan the actress from Lovely Bones movie. (04.29.2010 11:42pm)
Rose: Ok, when I saw no. 4 I started to sing "If I were a punk-rocker with flowers in my hair..." :D Stunning images. Love the freshness, the colors, the BOOTS, the flowers! Such beautiful models you had there. Glad to hear about the workshop, wish I was there! :) (04.30.2010 06:42am)
Gina P.: .....the running one! by far my favorite....love these shannon. (04.30.2010 07:45am)
Jamie Sampson: so exciting!!!!! Go Shannon! How cool are you? The coolest! (04.30.2010 08:13am)
Andrea Wiseman: Wow Shannon... these are amazing. I am so grateful that I got to meet you & Jeff. You guys make an excellent team. I am quite excited to put these new skills to the test. and thanks again for the wonderful words. (04.30.2010 08:13am)
Jamie Sampson: Oh.... I forgot to mention, the photos are lovely. The photos are ALWAYS LOVELY and inspiring and beautiful. :) (04.30.2010 08:14am)
Cari Enticknap: Sounds like an awesome experience! Love the photos - the concept, colors and models are all adorable! I love the way you display our blog images in diptychs and triptychs. The look great! (04.30.2010 08:26am)
Tami: Those colors are just so SPRING I love it! It is so exciting that you travelled to Canada for a workshop, I know you did a wonderful job inspiring those photogs. (04.30.2010 08:41am)
lesley: Ummm, CUTE!!! Hope you enjoyed your trip to Canada... :D (04.30.2010 09:10am)
Yuka photo art: ah.....these colors...and this girl! Beautiful! (04.30.2010 10:59am)
Angie Higa: No. Way. Ugh. I live 3 hours away from Red Deer! I didn't know you were running a workshop out there! You'll just have to come back :) Beautiful! (04.30.2010 12:21pm)
kyla: YOU WERE IN RED DEER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was only 4.5 hours away. I am still telling people I was only 4.5 hours away from Shannon Sewell. (04.30.2010 09:46pm)
Jeannine: So glad you could muster such small town"ness". Would love to organize something like that here!!!!!!!!!!!!! double!! Let me know if you have the time! (04.30.2010 11:31pm)
Paula: Oh Shannon, you were almost on my doorstep well almost (an 8 hour car ride away) but I totally would have done it if I knew you were in the Country!! Looks like you had a shannon sewell good time here with these rockin images! (05.01.2010 10:44pm)
Shona: Beautiful work Shannon! Thank you again for an inspiring day! I really enjoyed meeting you and Jeff. (05.02.2010 05:14pm)
KaraRL [kara layfield]: Super cool Shannon!! I love the colors...and I've seen those boots a time or two. :) You're so creative! (05.03.2010 11:51am)
Kara Wieler: Serious? You were in Red Deer? Why not Winnipeg?!?! Had I known I woulda made the trip, or at least made sure my friend in Red Deer attended in my place! If you are ever in Western Canada again I hope I hear about it! Love these images! Love the bright pops of color and the perfect compositions! (05.03.2010 06:25pm)
Sarah Wheeler: super cute photos shannon! did you get my e-mail? (05.04.2010 07:18am)
willow: dude, you hit up my place of birth, how cool :) so love the sad girl with the broken pot, too cute :) (05.04.2010 11:38pm)
Kate Craft: You are an inspiration. I love your work (05.05.2010 01:33pm)
Dana-from chaos to Grace: I just found your blog through Whitley, and WOW! I am blown away! I love all the character that shines through in your photos!! Question: how in the WORLD do you shoot full sun and still get AMAZING photos??? Simply gorgeous work! (05.25.2010 01:15pm)
Tamea Burd: As a now regular visitor to your blog, I just wanted to tell you once again that your work is a constant source of inspiration and admiration! (05.29.2010 06:32am)
Debra: Your work is brilliant! I'm completely in love with your originality and breathtaking work. You definitely turn photography into an art - wow. (08.07.2010 04:11pm)
Melissa: Hi Shannon, Just wondering if by chance you have any workshops coming up in Portland? I heard about you through Zozobug links. I just moved to the Portland area (from Vancouver, BC) and am just starting out my photog business. Thanks! Melissa (10.27.2010 12:31am)
jessica: wow what a lovely shooting!!!!colours, light, idea, so so lovely!! jessica (09.15.2011 08:57pm)