Dazzling Talent Photographing Children

Mom and children's photographer, Mary Schannen of Melange Photography, generously contributed her images to my book, Photographing Children Photoworkshop, Second Edition. She has always been an artist (mixed media), but when her children arrived on the scene, she couldn't resist applying those skills to her photography.

"As I have taken this journey of motherhood, I have found photography to be a natural extension of what I was already doing as an artist. The color and texture that I have always put onto canvas are now expressed through the use of light and form in the photograph. All elements of the photograph come together to tell a story about the child - the light touching their face, the sweetness of their expression, the joy in their eyes."

Mary really SEES the light and incorporates it into her work, fully taking advantage of its sculpting effect. This is a skill which takes a good and studied eye. You can see an example of this below. A rare talent, indeed!

In the bonus chapter of the new edition, Mary, among other photographers, showed her process with creative post-production using actions and presets. You can see below how her background in painting contributes to her eye for color and energy.

Mary and I became Facebook friends when she joined our group after the publication of the first edition of the book in 2008. She was an avid participant and dedicated to making her work shine. It was very exciting and inspiring being a part of her journey, and I am honored to feature her beautiful images. Mary contributed not only her photographs and some of her processes, but she helped me gather other photographers and vendors. I'm really grateful for her enthusiasm, spirit and support. Thank you, Mary!

In light and love!

Ginny