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

Blog Feature Monday! Susan Hughes of King Happy Creations

Needing a little inspiration for my blog I decided to fall back on one my favorite things to do - feature other artists that sell on Etsy. Being that this is a photography blog I decided to feature artists who share a love of mine:  Photography!  My first photographer is Susan Hughes (no relation) of King Happy Creations. Susan is an incredibly talented photographer who creates lovely, vibrant nature images that I can't stop looking at - they are absolutely stunning.  Susan has allowed me to share a couple of her favorite images with you - but you really should mosey on over to her store to check out the rest.  I guarantee you will not be disappointed. 

Susan  Hughes - King Happy Creations

Do you want to know more about this talented photographer? Well…read on:

1. Tell me about your photography. Where do you find your inspiration? What is your favorite subject to shoot?

My inspiration is in the quiet moments provided by nature. I love the smell, feel, and bright colours found in the garden, woods, and sea. I love getting close to something others may have passed by, like a new blossom, a strawberry ripe for the picking, or a butterfly taking a breather on a leaf. I do dabble in portraits from time to time, but I find myself drawn to photographing nature more than anything else.

2. Do you shoot film, digital or both?

Professionally I shoot digital, and for fun I love to play with film. If I had my own space for film processing, I'm sure I would do it much, much more!

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

Susan Hughes - King Happy Creation

My favorite photographer. Hmm. That is a toughie. I think I'm going to have to go totally typical and say Richard Avedon. His ability to create art out of a moment is uncanny, and he essentially created a new genre, permanently changing the way fashion is shot.

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

 

My perfect day of shooting would begin shortly after sunrise in a nearby woods. I would spend the morning frolicking around shooting this and that until the harsh noon light caught up with me. I'd then eat a picnic lunch with a friend and spend the afternoon posing and playing with my Nikon. Then we'd drive out to the beach, and I would capture the sunset dipping down behind the California coast with the camera in my right hand and a glass of wine in the other. Wow. Now that I see that all written out, I need to make it happen.

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

My primary venue at this time is Etsy - I've just re-opened my shop and getting it up and running is quite time consuming! However I have sold my work in street fairs and craft shows, and plan on pursuing getting exhibited and involved in my local art community later this year!

6. If you're as big a fan of Susan's work as I am, please check out her links:

Etsy : www.etsy.com/shop/KingHappyCreations?ref=pr_shop_more

Twitter: www.twitter.com/KHCreations

Facebook: www.facebook.com/KHCreations

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/khcreations/

Blog: www.kinghappyblog.wordpress.com/

If you know of any talented photographer that sells on Etsy that you think would a) benefit by being featured on a blog and b) would like to be featured on a blog, please let them know about my blog features.  I would love to make this an ongoing feature for my blog.