shannon leith :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: photographer of everyday life based in pasadena, california

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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

My friend Rosanna lives in Scotland right now. Each week we send each other a postcard with little updates. Well....its bigger than just updates. It's True Confessions. For example: if I was to confess something right now I'd tell you that I got a ten dollar haircut and its not so hot. They cut a whole section out of the right side. Bad.

So-------the other day, instead of a postcard, her TC's came written on a brie box which had some coral colored nail polish nested inside.

Can we say, friends forever?

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the grey hair

daily life

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Tuesday, April 5, 2011

so, let it be known..................... i have grey hairs. not just 2 or 3.

15? maybe 20? maybe more?

I have this patch. it's at the top of my head and so they often pop up bright and glittery.
just as ryan, paige and i were about to get in my car they FREAKED OUT.

YOU HAVE A GREY HAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OH

MY

GOSH!

true statement.

i'm embracing it and hope that i never succumb to dying my silver locks.

.......i'm also praying they end up being super curly.

7 comments so far

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Christine says:

This is so funny! Nice expressions, Paige :).

(04.05.11 @ 06:16 PM)

Holly says:

I LIKE you. keep up the good work with the embracing.

(04.05.11 @ 08:26 PM)

blaire says:

Ryan looks SO much like your dad in the second to last picture.

(04.05.11 @ 09:44 PM)

hollie says:

I have a poem for you:
One grey hair appeared on my head
I plucked it out with my hand.
It answered me: "You have prevailed against me alone--
What will you do when my army comes after me?"
-Yehuda Halevi

love you and your grey hairs.

(04.05.11 @ 11:41 PM)

isabel says:

hahaha that is so funny. your bro and future sis seem so totally cool, not that it surprises me much. my mom has beautiful silver hair. she never dyed it. i hope for the same!! you shouldn't dye it either. ROCK IT!

(04.06.11 @ 04:38 AM)

Katy says:

I have a patch of grey too. I secretly can't wait to have a full head of white hair - I think it's pretty!

(04.06.11 @ 11:21 AM)

Katy says:

I have a patch of grey too. I secretly can't wait to have a full head of white hair - I think it's pretty!

(04.06.11 @ 11:21 AM)

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ryan & paige::: engagement session in pasadena

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Tuesday, April 5, 2011

I have never done an engagement session for a family member before.

First time.

My brother Ryan absolutely melted me when he told me that he wanted me to photograph his engagement session, but for his wedding he just wanted me to be his sister. No photos. It made me feel so good to know that he respected my work enough to want it, but also knew that he didn't just want my photos, he wanted... me. That meant so much. It's a tough one.... the subject of photographing family and friends. On one end, I would be kind of sad if they didn't want my images, and on the other.... it's tricky to do two things at once.

So, I did their engagement session, and it blew me away.

I had never seen my brother in this particular way.

For me, photography opens up my eyes in ways that aren't possible through anything else. The visual language is a beautiful thing. Communicating with images does something that conversation can't.

My favorite thing that they said during our time together was that they don't take themselves too seriously. They've been dating for more than three years, and they just like to play. After having a battle with the branches in my street, Ryan made sure to let me know that they actually do play with sticks in their real lives. This was normal. I then had this weird jealousy come up: why don't I have fake (real) battles with branches? Probably because I'm the oldest and he's the 2nd.

Love you Ry,

okay and this face right here?

this is my brother. i have memories of this face from childhood.

(makes me hope that i capture these types of expressions out of my clients. the ones where only their closest people will know how real it is.)

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angelica says:

fab session!

(04.05.11 @ 05:04 PM)

Jordan Sabolick says:

dear shannon,

you are grossly talented .

!

(04.05.11 @ 05:23 PM)

rachaelmarie says:

i love it...isn't it wonderful + disarming to photograph someone you know well + see them in an entirely new way? so glad i found you again. i snagged one of your leftover polaroids after you offered them up to your readers from your exhibit a few years ago. i lost track for a while, but then i saw the post on tara whitney's blog today...beautiful images! anyway, so glad to reconnect!

(04.05.11 @ 05:45 PM)

jan aijian says:

Shannon....these are fabulous and edgy.....love them, and you!

(04.05.11 @ 06:53 PM)

Nikki McArthur says:

Hey just thought I'd stop in and say HI! I LOVE these images of your brother. I too have a little brother and the idea of him one day being this happy makes my heart swell... Thanks!

(04.06.11 @ 01:06 PM)

Marilyn Paul says:

If you could make anyone look better in a photo, it would be you, Shannon. The great thing about this is that you don't even need to make them look better. They both look GREAT, but you still did a good job! love ya

(04.06.11 @ 01:51 PM)

Marilyn Paul says:

Took me awhile to realize why the first picture was included. Now I see the tug of war with the branch - Ryan and Paige. Cute! Thanks for making two beautiful people look even more so. Everyone had fun and it shows

(04.06.11 @ 01:54 PM)

Emily says:

Ohhh good heavens. Their joy is radiant.

(04.08.11 @ 06:44 AM)

Emily says:

Oh good heavens. Your last little thought. YES YES YES.

"the one where only their closest people will no how real it is."

Those faces are the best.

(04.14.11 @ 12:07 AM)

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its april?

food, coffee

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Monday, April 4, 2011

It's April.

Wow.

At this point I have so much that I want to blog about---- it's piling up so high I don't even know where to start. So, I decided to start somewhere small. This is probably my biggest challenge in life: starting with one small step instead of expecting myself to do it all. Anyone else feel the need to do it all at once?

The other day I juiced some beets, carrots, celery and apples. To me, that's one small step towards health and energy and feeling good. Juicing! Love it.

Something about juicing just makes my body all of a sudden realize its awake.

Something else that causes me to feel awake is BALLET! I'm leaving for it right now. I love the piano music she plays, the bar(re), my leather ballet slippers which I'm realizing may be too small for me, and navigating the campus of the community college. I still get turned around and confused at where my classroom is. Woe is me.

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Holly Gonzalez says:

That juice looks so great Shannon! Way to be healthy : )

(04.04.11 @ 04:32 PM)

isabel says:

no fair! you're dangling a carrot! i want to hear it all! but for now, your juice is gorgeous. because you know how to make even juice gorgeous.

(04.04.11 @ 04:34 PM)

valerie says:

L
Looks like spring...

(04.04.11 @ 04:46 PM)

Michelle | GOLD-HEARTED GIRL says:

Ah, that's so pretty! The colors, I am in love with.

(04.05.11 @ 08:48 AM)

hollie says:

that little cluster of purple bubbles is speaking to me.

(04.05.11 @ 10:06 PM)

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NATURE...........................................

daily life

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Monday, March 21, 2011

Sometimes I'm not very good friends with nature.
I am slowly getting better.

The other day, I told someone that I was going on a hike and she said: you HIKE?

......I hike now! Kind of! I was going to go to Hiking Yoga this morning, but it was cancelled because of the rain. Hiking Yoga. I KNOW. Perfect, eh? And guess where you hike? Griffith Park.

Getting outside has been really rewarding and filling and has allowed me some great breathing space. I'm starting to realize that the things I 'don't do' are usually because I'm scared. It's been fun to show up the fears. I dance now. I hike now. I teach. I have a pet. I eat spicy foods. I don't work before 11am. At one time, all of these things seemed out of reach for me until I tried.

Trying things once or twice doesn't conquer the fear though (which is annoying. why is it so hard!) A wise piece of info from The War of Art inspired me though. "The battle must be fought anew every day."

So, I took these images while on a semi-hike with my friend Christen, a kindred spirit who I love being with.

I am excited about this upcoming week because I get to have even more breathing space. I'm going on a real vacation. Four days!! Monday-Thursday! No emails or blogging allowed, so I'll see you next week.

For those who are part of the change club, what's something you might want to try this week? Something you want to fight in the fear battle? I want to know. Bring it to the surface. Get the guts.

peace,

----------------------Shannon

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blythe hill says:

I LOVE these. wowz. love love.

i love how some of them (the first two, and a few toward the end) have a painterly quality.

(03.20.11 @ 02:27 PM)

Lindsey says:

i love you. i love your photos. i love the way you write. can totally just hear you saying it as i read it. so great! my favorite is the white tree. gorgeous!

(03.20.11 @ 11:31 PM)

Janee Lookerse says:

You make everything look good. Even weird little plants. Have fun on your mini vaca!

xoxo

(03.22.11 @ 04:35 PM)

d a b @ OLD BRAND NEW says:

I feel ya. I love nature but I haven't fully embraced it, okay, I came close when I was studying in Santa Cruz but in L.A. it's not as easy. I guess you can call me an urban hiker. I've been hopping all over town and walking about 5+ miles a day distributing AIDS marathon boards. I've never walked this much in my L.A. life! It's not as pretty as Griffith Park but I'll take it. And that's my change this week! Trying to walk more around here and stop relying on my baby wagon.

Anyway, have a wonderful time! I can't wait to see what kind of magical photos you're making on your vacay.

(03.22.11 @ 05:05 PM)

lisa hackbarth says:

shannon. hey, i just stumbled upon your blog via tara whitney's blog and i have to say... i have a bit of a girl crush on you. :o) i love your writing style and most of all i love your honesty. i absolutely love your post about the juice and can totally relate. you, your photos, your words... beautiful, my dear. thanks for the inspiration.

(04.10.11 @ 09:19 PM)

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Creating space & helping Japan.

daily life

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Friday, March 18, 2011

I really wanted to post images from my hike/walk that I took yesterday, but instead wanted to create some space on here to share some thoughts about Japan.

Just typing that actually brings up a lot of anxiety for me because I am not typically very in tune with the news. When big things happen, I end up feeling kind of disconnected and unsure of how to respond. Have you ever heard of the Enneagram? I'm a 7, and 7's like to experience joy and avoid pain. Reflecting on the earthquake and tsunami instead of posting happy pictures of flowers is my way of paying attention to the painful and hard parts of life today. I want to be a person who makes space for the hard things instead of breezing over them.

So, I want to invite you to help provide shelter and emergency supplies to those in Japan. The lovely ladies at Utterly Engaged & Ever-Ours have arranged a fundraiser through ShelterBox. It costs $1000 per box, which gives families shelter during a disaster like this. So far they've raised enough for 40 boxes! Praises x100000.

Personally, I think this is a smart way to help, and I wanted to let you know about it in case you are anything like me and were wondering how to respond.

click here to GIVE

click here to learn more about what they'll do with our money.

and i want to leave you with some pictures from the Shelterbox website that show what exactly this is. it's housing and supplies for people who suddenly have none.
ff7314b8c120520b00f3d8a7ececf8d7_ShelterBox_Madagascar_022011_SRT_003_web.jpg

ff7314b8c120520b00f3d8a7ececf8d7_ShelterBox_Madagascar_022011_SRT_003_web.jpg

Families in Madagascar helped by ShelterBox. Photograph: Marie Mariotte

Photograph: Mark Pearson

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tara says:

Like.

(03.18.11 @ 02:13 PM)

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relocation for coz,

pink house

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Thursday, March 17, 2011

i changed the location of his cage, which has some pros and cons. instead of being right by my desk where i can stare at him while i work, its now by the table behind me.

pros,

+ the light is seriously golden at all times. it is magical. i get to stare at him during breakfast and lunch and dinner which is really lovely.

+ he doesnt seem as attached to the cage. he's been more willing to explore. i thought the new location would produce fear, but instead it got him out of his box just a little bit more.

i had this whole pro con list planned, but just realized how the change is what brought him to be more bold. the change is what bought better light! (always a pro.) and how scared am i of change? in some areas i'm pretty bold. in others it seems unthinkable to shift the way i do things. but then when i have changed things.......... its often been good.

i think i need some revamping in my weekly rhythm. i need to give more time to pursuing things with my own art. i have dreams to make books. but have i ever made books before? nope. change. i need to start a change club. who wants in?

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jennifer says:

i am definitely in. i miss you! will you be up this way anytime soon?
j.

(03.17.11 @ 12:12 PM)

blythe says:

1) definitely want in the club. !!

2) i was wondering where cos went after monday's post of the new living room set up! i thought you might have made that corner nook that used to be Ro's office into cos' room.

(03.17.11 @ 12:59 PM)

shannon leith says:

yay! 3 person club. if anyone wants to email me for moral support on their changes for the change club, DO IT. shannon@shannonleith.com.

(03.17.11 @ 07:06 PM)

Lindsey says:

oh my word! love the photos! love the change! the 2nd one is my fave! :)

(03.18.11 @ 11:22 AM)

Stevie says:

I definitely want to be part of a change club!! I'm currently reading "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" by Donald Miller and it is wonderful!! It's definitely inspiring me to make some changes in my world

(03.19.11 @ 12:53 PM)

Christine says:

...I'm a #6. I need to feel safe and secure to be happy, so I should join your change club too. :)

(03.19.11 @ 11:09 PM)

d a b @ OLD BRAND NEW says:

I am super duper, duper super happy I found you and your beautiful photos. It was such a happy accident. Mission wasn't on my turf but I wanted to check it out anyway and when I saw your photos and it had me YOO HOO! And now we have a sweet, mutual friend, Jennifer?! Small world radadad! Anyway, I'm always down for changes. Changes are good. Yes to change club!

(03.20.11 @ 01:44 PM)

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