Studio Sessions with Shannon Hawn

Q: Describe your art in three words.

A: Dreamy, sentimental, and moody.

Q: Where do you draw inspiration?

A: Travel is a huge inspiration for me. I’m very grateful that I can travel and experience different communities, cultures, and environments. There are so many places I’d love to visit in the future. I’m most inspired by nature and I love that I can’t change the landscape that I’m shooting, I have to change my perspective or positioning and that forces me out of my comfort zone. Photography has taught me to look at my environment in a new way. I have a strong emotional connection to the places I’ve travelled and I hope that comes through in my photos.

Q: Do you have a day job? If so, what is it and does it influence your creative process in any way?

A: Yes, by day I’m a graphic designer. Being a designer influences my photography in that I apply a lot of the same design principles. The difference is how I express myself with these two art forms. My design work tends to be very colourful, fun, andn playful, while my photography is more neutral and moody. I love illustration and motion graphics but they can be tedious - what’s nice about digital photography is the instant gratification. Capturing moments in the right light or capturing an action forces me to not over think.

Q: What is your favourite medium and why?

A: I use a Nikon D7000 to shoot but would love to get back to film photography, which I haven’t done since high school. Sometimes I just use my iPhone camera. It’s pretty amazing what you can capture with a phone these days! My favorite medium to consume is film. I get lost in the combination of beautiful visuals and music. Beyoncé’s Black is King is one that I keep going back to. The creative direction is incredible. Everything about it is so moving and beautiful.

Q: Who are some of your favourite artists?

A: There are so many photographers that I love and who inspire me in different ways.

— For portraits: Linda McCartney

— Terry O’Neill, Tyler Mitchell, and Autumn DeWilde

— For travel : Chris Burkard

— For creativity: Franz Szony and Tim Walker

— For fashion: Robert Fairer andBill Cunningham.