Shannon Leith: Making Real Life Glamorous

by: Brynn Bear

 

In her own words, Shannon Leith is a photographer of everyday life – I couldn’t have put it better myself. Shannon makes a living from her portrait sessions, but what moves me more are her photos of the simplest things, namely her kitchen. This girl’s signature style is to find the glamor in real life. It is clear from her art that she does her days with eyes wide open because she often exploits details that other people would certainly miss. Shannon doesn’t just find those details, she makes them glow.

Living in Pasadena, California she takes full advantage of the natural sunlight she is spoiled with.  Shannon has an unreal way of making tiny, normal things seem delicate and sacred which I feel attributes to the peaceful, calming vibes through her entire collection. Her unique framing whispers honesty and care and the candid softness of all of her images is what gives her body of work coherency. With some artists, the consistency of their work or their trademarks are  blaring and obnoxious, but with Shannon Leith it’s all gentle and lady-like and somehow polite.

I feel like the mark of a good song writer is to write songs that get stuck in people’s heads. In the same way, I feel like Shannon Leith has changed some colors for me. As in, I’ve got a few that I’ve deemed as ‘Shannon colors,’ and they might always be like that.

When you read Shannon’s interview answers — all those exclamation marks — that’s really how she talks. Her photos scream of the same excitement for life as she does in person.

Brynn Bear: I know you’re a busy lady – what were you doing before this interview?

Shannon Leith: Before this interview I was doing a mentor session for my SEEING classes. Before that? I was researching loft spaces to use for my next class. Trying to find a good loft space in LA? You’d think it’d be easier.

BB:How do you juggle shooting weddings, personal projects and being a real person?

SL: I have to make myself have me-days. Me-day Fridays are my new invention where I’m not allowed to make art for other people, I can only make art for myself. I also try to not turn on my computer until 11am. Nothing except for breakfast and my centering time happens before 11. Once, I scheduled a meeting at 9am and I was a wreck. So frazzled. I realized from that point that I need my morning times, dangit.

BB: Where do you call home?

SL: My sweet pink 1920′s apartment in South Pasadena! I love it here.

BB: Do you feel like your surroundings have influenced you as an artist?

SL: I tend to become obsessed with my surroundings pretty quickly. I used to live in La Mirada, which most people would call ugly and boring and horrible. I took photos there every day. It fascinated me. Now I’m in South Pasadena, and I get sad when I have to leave for a session or a job. I try as hard as I can to do most sessions on my street and around my house. I’m inspired most by the spaces I get to stare at every day.

BB: Let’s talk about how much you love the color orange.

SL: ORANGE! It represents so many things to me. Health, creativity, the in-between. I like that it’s not as obnoxious as red, and not as placid as yellow.

BB: Top five Crayola colors, ready go.

SL: Your questions rule. Limey green, grey, darker grey, hot coral pink, and white.

BB: What every day things inspire you?

SL: Mostly food. Its a good day when I have lots of good produce. Bad days are when I am out of snacks and have to leave the house.

BB: Are there any artists you particularly draw inspiration from?

SL: Nigel Shafran is the photographer I go back to over and over again. I can’t get enough of his way of seeing light.

BB: What do you feel sets you apart from other photographers?

SL: My eyes, my DNA, my heart. Being honest in who I am.

BB:You teach classes – do you love it?

SL: Teaching makes me feel more alive than anything I’ve ever done. You know about runner’s high, right? Does teacher’s high exist?

BB: Do you have a trick for making the mundane look elegant?

SL: You have to care about it. I have this theory that if you care, it shows through. I truly deeply care about the smallest, most insignificant crap. When you care, I’ve been noticing that the photo somehow has this special and intangible aura.

BB: When you were little, did you ever see yourself doing something like this?

SL: NEVER. I was so straight-laced as a child. Never did I think I’d be a self-employed photographer. WHO KNEW.

BB: Do you have a playlist or go-to band to listen do when you sit down to edit, or are you more of a shuffle person?

SL: I need music-mentors in my life. I’m still listening to Norah Jones and Bon Iver every day of my life on repeat.

BB: Clearly you love your kitchen. Are you a good cook?

SL: I am good with raw ingredients. I’m good at using olive oil to saute vegetables and some chicken. I saute basically all meals in a pan on the stove. I’m also good at adding fresh strawberries to spaghetti. People tend to think that one is genius… I love adding huge orange wedges to my water! Instant glory. I also put cinnamon onto orange slices. Hi! I’m an orange freak.

BB: Before you go, please tell us about your mascot, Cosmo.

SL: I adopted my little cockatiel a year ago because I was tired of being alone in front of my computer all the time. Before I adopted him, he was staying at a foster home where one of their parrots attacked him. He had to have an emergency surgery and a red cast on his wing for a few weeks. Coincidentally, I had declared a theme for my life called “building strong wings”. We’ve been building strong wings together ever since. He is such a quirky, mellow, crazy little guy. I’m obsessed with him.

You can follow Shannon’s work at shannonleith.com.