Blog Feature Monday! Kayann Short of Stonebridge Works

Photo Courtesy of Stonebridge Works

This week the photographer I’m featuring is Kayann Short of Stonebridge Works – a collaborative of local artisans who farm, teach, write and create at Stonebridge Farm in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Her shop features many hand-crafted items that are stunning and beautifully made, butit's her hand-made farm photography cards that have capture my attention. Kayann has an eye for capturing life around the farm in such an exquisite way - the light is soft and beautiful and the compositions are simple and elegant.   I can't help but think that she's found a little bit of heaven on earth. With Kayann's permission I'm sharing some my favorite images from her shop with you. If you want to learn more about this incredibly talented photographer please read on...

1. Tell me about your photography. Where do you find your inspiration?

What is your favorite subject to shoot? I love to shoot pictures on our farm, Stonebridge, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. I like the iconic objects on the farm like our John Deere B tractor and our hundred-year-old barn, but I also love to shoot my flowers because their beauty astonishes me. I like to tell stories with my photography, both in the image itself and by putting them together in digital storytelling form. Some of my favorite farm images can be seen in my piece Stonebridge Farmgiving. I’d like to shoot more narrative photos and have been experimenting with that on trips to cities like Portland, OR, and Denver, CO. I guess I’m saying that I find inspiration just about everywhere I look.

2. Do you shoot film, digital or both?

I primarily shoot digital these days except when I’m focusing on black and white. Then I use my old 35mm camera because I like the look of the photos I get on black and white film, especially for portraits.

3. Who is your favorite photographer? It can be anyone - famous, obscure, on Etsy, a friend.

I love how Dorothea Lange took photographs in difficult and desperate situations but gave great dignity to her subjects, expressing their humanity in the midst of their pain. I also love Edward Weston’s work with still life. I recently saw exhibits of both these photographers and realized how much they’d influenced my work without my even knowing it.

Photo Courtesy of Stonebridge Works

4. Describe what would be the perfect day of shooting for you.

I’m really captivated by the right light so my perfect day would begin and end with soft light and some clouds in the sky to make colors more intense. Then I’d like a background that helps tell the story, maybe at the ocean or maybe a street fair. I am always careful about taking photos of people in identifiable ways so I try for angles that obscure faces. My perfect day would include finding some unpredictable shots or finding a strategy to show something familiar in an unfamiliar way.

5. What venues do you use to sell your photography?

I sell my photographs at an art gallery in our small town of Lyons, CO, and my photography cards on Etsy. I’m hoping to expand to prints soon.

If you want to learn more about Kayann and the Stonebridge Farm, please check out the following links:

Etsy shop:  Stonebridge Works
Blog:  Pearlmoonplenty

Online Portfolio:  Stonebridge Farm Album

Other: Information regarding the Stonebridge Farm and Community Support Agriculture