Art & Life with Shannon Cottrell

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Cottrell.

Shannon, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My journey to photography happened at a young age when my mother gave me a film camera one summer in the ’90s and instructed me to go shoot something. I quickly grew to love photographing and printing in the darkroom. I credit the art form as being my saving grace from the tortures of adolescent bulling. During my senior year, I received awards from Disney, Bank of America and Laguna Pageant of the Masters which solidified my creative career direction. I went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Art Photography from California State University Long Beach and have been working as a professional photographer since graduating.

My first few years out of school, I managed a photo studio and art event space in Hollywood with my best friend called Studio1636, while also shooting nightlife and events for the LAWeekly. Covering different subcultures, artists and happenings was one of the best ways to meet many amazing talented creatives in Los Angeles.

I now focus primarily on portraiture, products, e-commerce and architecture photography. I also teach Photo Direction, Photo Rendering and Introduction to Digital Photography at FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in downtown Los Angeles. I thoroughly enjoy the students and watching as their minds open up to the amazing medium of photography.

Can you give our readers some background on your artwork?
I can’t imagine my world without photography. It is so much a part of who I am and my history as a creative person or even a person in general. My mother is a printmaker, educator and art advocate so creative expression has always been the norm in my life.

As much as I enjoy and respect Photoshop, I am always inspired to make images in the camera without too much post-production whether that means manipulating lighting, making my own filters or working on long/double exposures. I always want to get the image as close to my vision before ever having to make an edit in post. I still love shooting with film and polaroid and often take those cameras with me when I travel so I don’t lose practice.

My favorite subject has always been people. I could spend all day with a muse making images and experimenting, that would be a dream day. It’s easy to make beautiful things beautiful, but the best challenge is to make ordinary things beautiful. I also love collaborating with other artists to communicate complex themes visually and tell a larger story with one image, even if it is very subjective.

What would you recommend to an artist new to the city, or to art, in terms of meeting and connecting with other artists and creatives?
Loneliness and creative expression are closely related. Sometimes losing track of time while you are in your craft can be a nice retreat from reality, but other times it can be very isolating. I love critique and collaboration. I thrive being around other creatives. I think using things like social media to share your work, attending creative events outside of your medium and finding mentors can cultivate connections. Some of my very closest friends have come from my drive to keep learning and attending workshops all over the country. I believe creatives need time to recharge and recover. No one can just keep making art non-stop without crashing, we need those moments of un-inspiration to revitalize our work. I find educating myself when I am not inspired helps me keep growing without feeling bad that I am not making more work.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My website is http://www.shannoncottrell.com/.

I also started an art co-op with my husband which raises money for various charities through the sale of our artwork https://lsdcoop.com/.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.shannoncottrell.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannoncottrell/
• Other: http://lsdcoop.com

Image Credit:
Shannon Cottrell

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