Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawna Real.
Hi Shawna, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
In the earlier years, I would remember my dad taking me to classic car shows around the valley. As well as my grandpa always tinkering with ‘Big Red’ a 77′ Ford F150 parked in the driveway. It actually ran pretty well, we would go on errand runs in it and I was always excited to be able to ride in the truck. That excitement carried on when my dad would have me hop on the back of his motorcycle to take a quick ride around the block.
As I got into high school, and even college I wasn’t as involved in the car culture, nor into photography as much as I was growing up. I went on a different art career path after college without giving much thought to getting back into what I was originally passionate about. I have always had an interest in cars and motorcycles, but never thought to actually share my collection of photographs as more than just a memory to myself. Fast forward to about eight years later and I started to get back into photography on a more serious note. I got myself a Nikon camera, a few lens’ and taught myself how to use the camera without any form of schooling. I can now say I am a self-taught photographer with an articulate eye and a passion for classic cars and motorcycles.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Any art form I have been interested in pursuing there has always been a hesitation with moving forward. When I was first getting serious about my photography, I was taking car and motorcycle pictures as a whole. I didn’t bring any sense of personal creativity to my pictures and I realized they were similar to a lot of other photographers in the industry that I was inspired by. I needed to set myself apart from everyone and figure out my own niche. I ended up getting a few lens’ that weren’t really used for the work I was doing and made it work to give myself my own personal identity as a photographer within the car culture. I went public with the new style, three years ago and have continued to grow as an artist. I know being in this industry, you need to have thick skin, I have seen it, I have been in the middle of it and too that I know what I am doing with my photography. I am setting myself apart with detailed shots, through my lens one photograph at a time.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a freelance photographer known as Glazed Chrome. An expression of creativity, with my work to speak for itself. I like to get my lens as close to the subject as I can, where the details are crisp and the background has just enough blur. I have started to experiment with a wider lens to give the pictures a different dimension and look from my signature style. I feel like being versatile in your work is always a good way to branch out while still keeping your distinctive focus on the art you create.
I started to go to local shows within the valley that gave me that nostalgic feel of when I used to go with my dad growing up. It’s a whole different experience as an artist, you get a more in-depth view on how these people accumulated the cars and motorcycles they have on show. I like to get as much of the back story that I can, so I can showcase it through a picture. The hard work, dedication, details and imperfections is something I like to share in my work. Since going to these local shows and events, I have met quite a few people and have had opportunities to work with car clubs, truck clubs as well as some motorcycle clubs for different events that I wouldn’t have known about, as some of them were invite only. By setting myself apart from all the other photographers in the industry, having a different point of view in a lens. I feel like in the little time I taught myself how to work a camera, too where I am now, I have evolved into the photographer I am today.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
We all want to have that lucky streak with whatever we are doing, but I feel as if you are humble with what you do and who you are as a person then your luck will never run out. I have had many opportunities come my way just by networking at different events I show up to with a camera. You never know who you are going to come across at these types of events and shows. It’s best to present yourself with the knowledge you know, as well as having your art work speak for itself, especially when you’re a female photographer in this industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.glazedchrome.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/glazedchrome/
- Other: www.tiktok.com/@glazedchrome
