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

holland, michigan,,,, 2 week old samuel--

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Monday, December 19, 2011

my friends christen and tony had me come up to michigan last week----------

i stayed with them for a three days and saw the ins and outs of what it means to be new parents of a two week old little baby.

to watch them collaborate on how to calm him down, who was going to put him to sleep, who was going to make dinner, when bathtime was going to be......... it all felt so ordinary yet so alive.

yes it was the daily, but the newness of a human life brought this special tone that i didn't expect.

being here with them slowed me down and brought me deep joy.

yeah, this felt like sacred space.

most images explain themselves,

but you need to know that this is christen covering his ears from the fire alarm. sweet little tiny eardrums,

and this one..............

i went downstairs to get a new battery and came back upstairs to see samuel in his crib and tony & christen here,

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

baby onesie,

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, the light,,

------ the light again. beauty.

somehow one of the most sacred and awe-inducing moments for me------------- bathing,

and then tony figuring out the new ergo baby carrier dealie,

-- we took a small outing to lake michigan.

i told them, "oh we don't need to go. it's fine."

but they said i needed to see it,

and they were right.

stunning.

awe-inspiring.

majestic,,

yay for tony being one of those awesome dads who carries the baby.

through the window. (cold but worth it.)

beautiful.

i liked doing this so much that i'm open to doing more, if any families would be open. this felt somewhat like shine** but for a family. discovering the essence of who you are together instead of on your own.

book a session by clicking here.

19 comments so far

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Ellen says:

Aren't babies magical??? I feel like I have seen that pink chair somewhere before.....

(12.19.11 @ 08:03 PM)

MaeMae says:

i have always believed in you and known you were so blessed - but SHAN. i have chills looking at this. wow. i can't wait to see more SHINERS. AMEN AMEN AMEN!

(12.19.11 @ 08:33 PM)

blaire says:

Tony = Kc

(12.19.11 @ 09:04 PM)

Jen May says:

Gently sweet. Love the rainbow catch on the staircase

(12.19.11 @ 09:16 PM)

blythe says:

shannon,,,,,, wow.

just, wow.

(12.19.11 @ 09:35 PM)

hollie says:

the next time i have a baby... you will be in Naches, WA pronto! :)

(12.19.11 @ 10:32 PM)

Melissa says:

LOVE these pictures, Shan! So beautiful! You are awesome! Way to go with these!

(12.19.11 @ 10:59 PM)

Joy says:

You're right - this IS like shine for families. And I happen to think it is the most beautiful way to capture a family. You may find this photographer inspiring and like-minded. He photographs families essentially the same way as you did this one. So real, authentic, tender. How the two of you "see" has a lot of similarities to me. http://www.timcoulson.com/

(12.20.11 @ 06:49 AM)

Joy says:

You're right - this IS like shine for families. And I happen to think it is the most beautiful way to capture a family. You may find this photographer inspiring and like-minded. He photographs families essentially the same way as you did this one. So real, authentic, tender. How the two of you "see" families has a lot of similarities to me. http://www.timcoulson.com/

(12.20.11 @ 06:51 AM)

Joy says:

(12.20.11 @ 07:02 AM)

Christen says:

I will treasure these images for the rest of my life. Of course my baby would look cute all posed while sleeping in a bowl but I wanted to capture the authentic him and who we are together as a family- my messy hair and all. ;) These photographs document the honest moments we shared in our earliest days as a family... even with the extra supplemental feedings necessary to help him regain full health. I will always be grateful for the three days you stepped in to our home and delighted in Samuel with us. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the images of Samuel with Tony! You truly saw with your lens the many reasons I have fallen in love with my husband all over again. We are SOO grateful we could spend a few days with you, the friend and you, the photographer. ;) Thank you, thank you, thank you.

(12.20.11 @ 07:58 AM)

teri says:

ah.. love. i think your style blends so well into documenting a new family. also love that you were able to see lake michigan. it is amazing and a huge reason why we moved to west michigan. come back in the summertime and travel north along the coast.. it is so wonderful! :)

(12.20.11 @ 08:09 AM)

Nelly says:

Incredible job here. Wow. Makes me feel like I'm sitting in the corner, smiling.

(12.20.11 @ 12:25 PM)

anna says:

xila

(12.20.11 @ 02:16 PM)

Lindsey Swedzinski says:

love these! and yes-lake michigan is a pretty amazing thing.

(12.21.11 @ 08:21 AM)

Lindsey Swedzinski says:

love these! and yes-lake michigan is a pretty amazing thing.

(12.21.11 @ 08:22 AM)

sara montour says:

so so so precious, Shannon.

(12.21.11 @ 10:23 AM)

Tara says:

so so so so so so so so so sooooooo special and meaningful and utterly fantastic.

(12.30.11 @ 01:13 AM)

sharon says:

Such an amazing capture of such a precious time. I know they will cherish those images and I am thankful to see them because it brings back that amazing time to me. I remember my first time seeing Lake Michigan, I remember taking my first baby to the beach a week old. I remember every moment you show here. Breathtakingly beautiful and REAL

(01.09.12 @ 10:17 PM)

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dad dad dad

portraits

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Sunday, June 19, 2011

we had the 3rd SEEING class last weekend, and my dad came!

i highly encourage iphone photography, and that photo up there of him with his iphone and the gold glitter leaf just gets me deep down. its humbling that he's taking the role of student in my class. its exciting to have him in my world. he's one of those people who never wants gifts, and told me that me bringing a friend to church counts as my gift. awesome. love you daddy daddy!!

ps, he calls me shenanigans.

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heather says:

this post makes my heart so, so warm.

(06.19.11 @ 10:18 AM)

Aaron says:

Shannon, how do you like Hipstamatic??

(06.19.11 @ 10:25 AM)

isabel says:

your dad looks totally cool. how awesome that he went to your class!!

(06.19.11 @ 11:12 AM)

Katy says:

This is so sweet. So so sweet.

(06.19.11 @ 06:22 PM)

j. says:

you DO look like him! so cute!
j.

(06.20.11 @ 04:42 PM)

Candy says:

Ahhhh, your daddy is too cute!! I wish I wasn't a million miles away. I could use a photography class and would enjoy it so much!!
I love all the portraits :) It looks like all the people are relaxed...good vibes!!

(06.24.11 @ 08:38 PM)

Carson Leith says:

love that last photo of dad.

(06.26.11 @ 05:33 PM)

Tracey says:

Luv your dad. My dad never wants gifts either. He says he has all he needs. I want to be just like him when I grow up. Just spotted you on Pinterest....yay!

(06.29.11 @ 06:12 PM)

Tracie West says:

I adore these shots of your dad, and so neat he took your class. I just love it. I love to pop by from time to time to see what you are up to. I met you at the Pasadena flea, it's been a while:)

(07.08.11 @ 12:49 PM)

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their daily,

portraits

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Friday, May 27, 2011

i spent the day with tara whitney's family-------

just being there and photographing what i saw.

its so nice to find a kindred spirit in life,

and that's what i feel when i'm around tara.

which is hilarious and beautiful because i had been following her blog for five years before we finally met in person.

what i want to remember:

a family who is family.

a no-pressure space to grow and express.

turning on the record player and dancing in the living room,

because that's what they do

nate: shannon? thanks for coming today.

drew playing with mckenna in the pool

a dad who is so present.

he plays

jokes

laughs

is present.

anna cutting tomatoes

drew's tomato taco

tara being a mom.

seeing her kids for real

loving each.

how affectionate they are.

the multiple hugs at night.

the more multiple hugs at night.

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isabel says:

o.m.g. my heart just exploded all over these photos. i can't pick a favorite. i really can't. because each one did something to me. i really, really, feel so inspired by both of you. hope someday i get upgraded from creepy internet stalker to real life friend too!

(05.27.11 @ 12:47 PM)

ketti says:

Swoon!!! I want to be a Tara-esque mom. You can see all the fun and love in their family.

(05.27.11 @ 12:51 PM)

Traci says:

Made my heart smile.

(05.27.11 @ 01:13 PM)

Ann-Marie says:

WOW. Speechless. Beyond gorgeous.

(05.27.11 @ 01:43 PM)

Gail says:

I always admire how honest and open Tara lives her life online in both words and pictures. Thanks for sharing more of it here. Your work is BEAUTIFUL!

(05.27.11 @ 01:50 PM)

Stephen says:

Shannon you have such an amazing ability to capture the joy in peoples faces and just the sense of life and joy in the the simple pieces of our life. Thanks for sharing.

(05.27.11 @ 04:05 PM)

josh solar says:

Lovely photos of a lovely family! So moving :)

(05.27.11 @ 08:12 PM)

Daniel Schwartzkopf says:

I'm being a nerd here, but what game are they playing in the second picture?

(05.27.11 @ 09:25 PM)

janna | gould says:

everything about this is so beautiful.

(05.28.11 @ 12:16 AM)

Ro says:

the swirling dancing kitchen is exquisite

(05.28.11 @ 04:59 AM)

Ginger Murray says:

Shannon, your work is beautiful:)

(06.03.11 @ 09:42 PM)

davina says:

Shannon, what a lovely snapshot of their real and beautiful life. The words you wrote at the end were so everyday and also the things that make up a real and meaningful life.

(06.16.11 @ 12:32 PM)

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my first clients & how i started.

portraits

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Monday, December 20, 2010

my photography business started when my friend laura told her physical therapist about my art. i was a photo student, only concerned with getting through school and not at all thinking about starting a business, but apparently laura saw something in my work that i didn't. i somehow agreed to meet with them. i was 19. i honestly hated the idea at first, but laura convinced me to do it.

all i knew at the time was that if i was going to do this, my photos wouldn't be the same predictable stuff i was seeing all over the internet. i wanted it to be fun.

i went to starbucks to meet the couple for the first time, showing them all i had: an album of photos i had taken in europe. they asked me why they should hire me. i told them i'd bring my art to their wedding photos. somehow they believed in me.

i showed up to their engagement session in all black because i thought i had to. dont all photographers wear black?

while photographing the cake cutting at their wedding, my lens went straight into the cake because i wasn't used to the wide angle of the 16-35. Praise Jesus for my 2nd shooter who knew what he was doing and took over while one of the grandmas helped me wipe icing off of my lens. and my face.

five years later, they called me to photograph their family, which now includes 2 boys. i looked at their wedding photos before going to their session and was kind of in shock at how much my aesthetic has grown and changed. my photos have honestly become so ingrained in me and they feel like an outflow of who i am. today i'm grateful for my small beginning and my willingness to jump right in. and theirs. i had never photographed a wedding in my life, and they trusted me.

their family session five years later was the absolute best. i loved doing these.

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jennifer says:

i love your mind! inspiring post!
j.

(12.20.10 @ 07:34 PM)

carson leith says:

first of all, you completed your goal of blogging today! (me too!!!)
and second, i love this post. it's wonderful reading about your first wedding shoot. your perspective on it is great and you had somepretty funny things happen :)

(12.20.10 @ 10:56 PM)

isabel furie says:

wow, a dream come true. to have such history with your clients. it's what i hope for myself. i'm where you were and hope to be where you are 5 years from now, getting to go along this journey still with clients who become friends.

(12.21.10 @ 01:10 PM)

heather` says:

you did SEPIA! you never do sepia!

(12.21.10 @ 08:54 PM)

shannon says:

ha, that was BACK IN THE DAY, heath. never again.

(12.22.10 @ 07:58 AM)

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>>>>>>>>> new SEEING class!

portraits

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Monday, December 13, 2010

i'm teaching another SEEING photography class!

ALL THE DETAILS:::
shannonleith.com/seeing

the lovely part of this class is that it's actually more like one-on-one mentoring than a class. its a chance for you to pay attention to your own pathway as an artist with me asking you questions and giving you assignments and helping you refine your vision. this class is all about two things: 1, how to see light, and 2, how to discover your unique vision as a photographer.

the next class starts on January 15th, and is a seven week experience with two group class sessions and two one-on-one mentoring sessions right here at my home studio.

i'm so excited about all of this that i'm offering an early bird rate of $389 if you sign up before December 31st. (after the 31st it will go up to the normal rate of $450). i have already filled some spots with people who were on my email list, so hurry because there are only 10 available! be nice to your heart and give yourself a christmas gift.

here's what past students have said:

I am SO GLAD I took this class and think that it will bear fruit (seriously) for the rest of my life! You are really great at inspiring others and creating an environment that is both structured and yet open to so much freedom. -MICHELLE

This was the first photography class that felt like it was being taught by an artist rather than a technician. You created an environment that felt like we were going on a communal journey to explore art and the creative process. -CHRIS

The mentoring sessions were my favorite part of this class! Being one on one with you and being able to ask questions was so helpful. It was incredibly inspiring to learn from someone that i have admired for so long! -JENNIFER

I had been wanting to invest in photography for some time, and I consider the time you spent with me in your class to be my official launching point. - MATTHEW

(a mini-portrait session of YOU is part of the experience!)

this is going to sell out quick, and this early bird rate probably won't be a normal thing. so if you've been thinking about taking this class and deepening your own artistic practice, now is the time. today is the day. shannonleith.com/seeing'

enjoy :)

shannon

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carson leith says:

shan.
GREAT to see that you are offering another SEEING class. that's so exciting for you! it brings me joy to see all of student's stories of how they were impacted by the class. how awesome to read!
can't wait to see you soon!

(12.14.10 @ 10:51 AM)

isabel furie says:

oh how i wish you were in boston!

(12.14.10 @ 11:13 AM)

jennifer says:

three thumbs! so glad you are offering another!!! thanks for inspiring the masses shannon!
j.

(12.16.10 @ 06:30 PM)

Maibritt says:

I love your photos!!! How about coming to Houston!? Would love to take your class this is exactly what I need :)

(02.15.11 @ 06:57 PM)

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photo class at fuller::: portraits

portraits

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Tuesday, November 2, 2010

today is my last day teaching the brehm lab at fuller--------------

last week's class was all about taking photos of people,

so i photographed each of them so they could both experience being in front of the camera, and learn how to interact with people during a shoot. so fun.

michelle, jenny, sarah, chris & charlie::::::::::::::::::::::

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A Horn says:

Second to last:::::FAVORITE

(11.02.10 @ 12:52 PM)

blythe says:

love these! great to see your students! ;)

(11.02.10 @ 01:41 PM)

valerie says:

these are great!

(11.02.10 @ 08:26 PM)

Holly says:

what you did with that old guy in the second-to-last one...very great. the way he is laughing makes it.

(11.04.10 @ 11:33 PM)

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RD's at biola university:::

portraits

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Friday, October 29, 2010

i am really proud of these photos.

my friend rachel, the fifth one down, asked me to do these of her staff. in every session i photograph, i try to do my best, but this time i REALLY did my best. i photographed each person in a way that felt so right with me. i think too.... that i really tried to see deep in. to photograph them as them.

and ps, if you know biola's campus......... we did these by the gym, to the left of the entrance by the grey wall. it took me forever to find a good spot. and when i did, i knew.

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Jenny says:

FANtastic, shannon! YES! i see the depth in each one! sooo so good! and i love that spot by the gym. yes. :D

(10.29.10 @ 07:49 PM)

Kodi says:

Um, hello AWESOME eyes on Mr. First Guy.

(10.30.10 @ 08:00 AM)

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