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

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Thursday, June 17, 2010

hands are so beautiful.

its crazy how you can see a photo of just your hands, and know that they're yours. how does a mixture of skin, bones, creases, nails and veins say "yup those are mine!"

how can there be 6 billion different versions of The Hand?

What??

a person's uniqueness comes out through every cell in their body.

i think that's so rad.

this is jen,

a beauty of a woman who is Canadian and plays the piano with elegance and creativity.
living in who she is, even though the daily reality of that can sometimes be scary.

she's going for it.

going after the dream.

doing it.

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Anonymous says:

sweet photos. cool ideas :)

(06.17.10 @ 08:40 PM)

Bianca says:

Beautiful. "Hands of the Day" by Pablo Neruda. It celebrates the work of hands in the most beautiful way.

(06.18.10 @ 11:59 AM)

heather says:

WOW. she looks a lot like you. it threw me for a loop!

(06.19.10 @ 02:06 PM)

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ha,

pink house

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Tuesday, June 15, 2010

a few days ago Cosmo did a lap around the living room and then landed on my desk. his cage is right beside my desk, so you'd think this would be normal, but it has taken him three months to realize this is an option. he stood there kind of stunned. no clue what to do next. i guess he stood there long enough for me to get my camera and take these. we were both sitting there, stunned, looking at each other. AHHH! LIFE!

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Michelle says:

You are so awesome - AHHH! LIFE! I totally have urges to scream that aloud, with a huge smile, of course! Oh the little things...

(07.07.10 @ 09:40 AM)

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freshening up. a cosmo photo,

pink house

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Monday, June 14, 2010

whenever i feel awful i take a shower.

emotionally awful....

physically awful....

i'm about to cry awful....

showers cure all.

today i needed to have a shower and so i did,

and everything wasn't magically better but it definitely helped.

i'm also going to go to Dance Jam tonight with my friend Jessica,

one of my goals for 2010 is to dance.

shower and dance.

maybe it should have been in the opposite order, but for me i needed to a) shower, and then b) dance.

14 comments so far

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Lehua says:

Tell me how it goes, the dancing :)

(06.14.10 @ 05:37 PM)

Jessica says:

Me too! But, I'm revising the list just a little: A. Shower before you get here in a half hour. B. Iced Coffee. C. Dance. Perfect plan!

(06.14.10 @ 05:58 PM)

Erin says:

I do the same thing. Showering just works.

(06.14.10 @ 07:26 PM)

Greg Leith (alias, DAD) says:

plus, they are FREE!

(06.14.10 @ 08:40 PM)

shannon leith says:

the shower was great, but DANCING RULED!!!!!!!!!!!! guys! it waqs the best.

(06.14.10 @ 10:12 PM)

Anonymous says:

dance on!!

(06.15.10 @ 07:36 AM)

Marilyn Paul says:

Get this, Shannon. When I was in highschool my Mother wouldn't let me go to dances (or even "dance" in the house) because it was considered evil. All they were doing back then was the Avalon, waltz, polka, two-step----come on Mother! So, be careful, Shannon! This might be the start of your road downward to ...... GR MA :)

(06.15.10 @ 09:55 AM)

Marilyn Paul says:

Get this, Shannon. When I was in highschool my Mother wouldn't let me go to dances (or even "dance" in the house) because it was considered evil. All they were doing back then was the Avalon, waltz, polka, two-step----come on Mother! So, be careful, Shannon! This might be the start of your road downward to ...... GR MA :)

(06.15.10 @ 09:56 AM)

Marilyn Paul says:

sorry about two of the same things. It says that my answer has been posted and I go look and it's not there - where does it go??? Now I see it two times. NUTS. Anyway, I forgot to tell you that it was my BROTHER Art that I was going to the dance with - not even a date! She really really pitched a fit and I never asked again and never did go to a dance. ENJOY. I used to stick tacks to the front and heel of my shoes and tried to do tap dancing when no one was watching or listening. I wanted to feel music - besides listen to it!

(06.15.10 @ 12:25 PM)

Lindsay says:

Shannon,
Please let us know how the Dance Jam goes - this sounds amazing! I love to dance and so support this being a goal of yours for 2010 - woohoo!

(06.15.10 @ 08:53 PM)

Lindsay says:

OK, just saw that this was written Monday and you loved the dancing...so good to hear! I may have to try it some time!

(06.15.10 @ 08:55 PM)

shannon leith says:

Lindsay.
it
was
amazing.
honestly, if you ever want to come i'd love to meet you and bring you.
it was one of the most freeing things i've done in a long time.
my biggest challenge was to just feel the music and let my body move.
i had to keep telling myself there was no rules.
ahh!
so good to just move and be and let loose.
highly, highly, HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!
go!!!!!!!!

(06.15.10 @ 09:46 PM)

jasmine says:

oh my goodness. dance, dance, dance! I am a firm believer in dance mending all things negative. PS. I am not a bird person, but I heart cosmo!

(06.20.10 @ 10:45 AM)

Hollie says:

i took a shower after reading this.
thank you.

(06.21.10 @ 10:32 AM)

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planted these,

pink house

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Sunday, June 13, 2010

apparently gardening does something to your soul,

and i wanted to experience it.

i have relied on the world to garden for me,

and wanted to shed my fear and get in the dirt.

i wanted to plant something, care for it, and watch it grow.

i wanted to risk having it die,

but hopefully experience having it live for a while.

wanted to live in the tension and joy of right now,
so just said whatever and went for it.

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Hollie says:

i love them.

(06.13.10 @ 01:24 AM)

Kodi says:

I love love love the pots! All square and colorful and different heights and fabulous.

(06.13.10 @ 06:28 AM)

blythe says:

wolfgang's urns! brought new life! love love love it.

(06.13.10 @ 10:54 AM)

Marisa P. says:

YES PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!

Love the firesticks in the red pot!!!! :D

(06.13.10 @ 05:45 PM)

bird by bird says:

beautiful! i love the little planters!

(06.13.10 @ 08:37 PM)

jennifer young says:

you did well! very well! where did you get those beautiful + colorful ceramic planters?!
j.

(06.13.10 @ 11:03 PM)

shannon leith says:

guess what--------- made them!!! in my ceramics one class. they were actually intended to be an urn for wolfgang tillmans. the project was to create 'an urn', and i thought tillmans would want OPTIONS. if that stirs questions for you let me know...... i understand its kind of weird. but yeah, turned them into planters.

(06.13.10 @ 11:06 PM)

Shelley Leith says:

Sounds like you could build a great side business making little square urns!

(06.13.10 @ 11:12 PM)

Shelley Leith says:

Sounds like you could build a great side business making little square urns!

(06.13.10 @ 11:12 PM)

Laura says:

SO cute!

(06.14.10 @ 08:41 AM)

Claire says:

I am successfully growing 6 plants in my kitchen windows, and as a previously self-assured blackthumb, I concur: Gardening does something to your soul.

(06.14.10 @ 10:51 AM)

Claire says:

I am successfully growing 6 plants in my kitchen windows, and as a previously self-assured blackthumb, I concur: Gardening does something to your soul.

(06.14.10 @ 10:54 AM)

Claire says:

I am successfully growing 6 plants in my kitchen windows, and as a previously self-assured blackthumb, I concur: Gardening does something to your soul.

(06.14.10 @ 10:56 AM)

jasmine says:

You are such a fabulously warm and soulful photographer. I heart your home (and I desperately want a gorgeous assortment of wee little plantings just like yours).

I am so glad you threw caution into the wind to do this. Incidentally, I have done the same thing recently (but to a less gorgeous result). I am thinking of you today!

(06.20.10 @ 10:49 AM)

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marisa and tim::::: wedding at biola (my universes colliding)

>>> weddings

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Friday, June 11, 2010

tim and marisa.

tim was the first person i met at Biola where we went to school, and from day one he was THE happiest, friendliest person. for the past 5 years, feels like his smile has never left him.

marisa and i were art majors together,

which explains the reason her wedding was so pretty.

she made everything.

hand-made literally hundreds of felt and fabric flowers.

made the bridesmaids' headbands.

made the paper cranes.

SO PRETTY!!

to photograph my two good friends,

on their wedding day,

a wedding on campus at biola university,

= so fun for me.

at the beginning of the day i realized that i was all jazzed up because i work best when i have a deep sense of familiarity. i love photographing the same place over and over and finding new things each time. i haven't photographed a wedding here until now.... but doing life here for five years made me quite quite familiar. so the whole day felt so normal. in a special way that i really enjoyed.

you all need to know that my assistant blythe hill is my constant source of Hilarious

and here we have tim seeing marisa for the first time.

if i can pick a winning first look reaction i'll pick this one,

hand hand hand martinelli's martinelli's martinelli's

kinda can't stop looking at that ring picture.

peace and joy,

shannon

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Shelley Leith says:

Her wedding colors coordinate with your colors in the "hello hello I'm Shannon!" photo at the top of your blog. Did she plan that?

(06.12.10 @ 02:23 PM)

shannon leith says:

you are so right. MODEL BRIDE RIGHT HERE!!!! sample album to match my branding! thank you marisa!

(06.12.10 @ 07:01 PM)

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gretchen! ::::: exploratory portraits

portraits

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Tuesday, June 8, 2010

i've been doing quite a few individual portrait sessions lately.

so different from photographing a couple.

instead of being about the two of them,

it becomes a space between just the person and me.

when you have another person beside you, one that you are marrying,

its a bit easier to 'just' 'be' 'you', because you have your security blanket of a person right next to you.

when you're by yourself it can be kind of scary, in my opinion.

which is exactly why i love doing these.

its really nice to provide space for a person to just be.

yeah, its scary to be in front of the camera,

but i'm nice.

i'm okay with awkward.

i like helping you be okay awkward, and i like helping you push though the awkwardness toward being okay with yourself as the center of attention for an hour straight.

so, say hello to gretchen.

she helps people,

teaches people,

loves to create,

creates beautiful things.

enjoy,

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blythe says:

i love all her tea pots!!

(06.09.10 @ 11:04 AM)

meg says:

is this in san jose??

(07.06.10 @ 03:18 AM)

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jellyfish, in my room::::::::::::::::::::: room update #2,

pink house

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Monday, June 7, 2010

i have a fleet of jellyfish in my room,

they were made by my friend claire, crocheted out of yarn.

crocheted is a weird word.

i believe that spaces have deep influence on us,

what we surround ourselves with both matters and says something.

i felt drawn to share my room with you this morning,

i've shown you before, but now it has curtains and a few more jellyfish, and some shirts in lovely colors that happened to be sitting on my dresser (which is really a bar hutch).

from Claire: Before making these, I was thinking a lot about our lack of control over life's circumstances. Similarly, jellyfish don't have much control over where they move or what they run into: they just have to go with the tide. With that in mind, I started crocheting with no set pattern: I let the patterns come to me organically and spontaneously, making each one unique.

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connie says:

your bedroom is so bright and cheerful! and the jellies look very pleased to be there.

(06.07.10 @ 06:59 PM)

Claire says:

Oh hello, my jellyfish !

(06.09.10 @ 09:47 AM)

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