Guest Blogger {Meet Lindsay Lehmann}

Today I thought it would be fun to mix it up a bit and have a guest blogger. I asked Lindsay Shaw Lehmann to help me out with a three part series on the blog. The first part will be today, in the form of a meet and greet. Lindsay has kindly answered some questions I had prepared for her as well as sharing some of her favorite images. Since she is a photography teacher, part two of this series will be on Wednesday, for my “What’s that Wednesday” series. She will discuss depth of field and give you all an assignment and an opportunity to submit an image for review, in order to help you practice your skills. And the third and final part will be the following Wednesday in the form of a critique of your submitted images. I am very excited about this fun series and I hope you all enjoy it and participate as well.

Now onto the meet and greet. I’ve known Lindsay for years, as in, since grade school. She is a fun, sweet, energetic and caring person who is always willing to help others. Lindsay is a wife, mother of 2 adorable kiddos, a talented photographer and a teacher. Yes, she really does all that and still manages to find balance in her life! I asked her a few questions to help you all get to know her better, so here goes.

How long have you been interested in photography?
Well my earliest photos were taken when I was in the third grade with the lovely 110 camera. But once I got into high school and began studying it more seriously, both through Putnam High and QVCC I was persuaded to attend RIT for photography. After four years, I received my BFA for Professional Photographic Illustration and I’ve been teaching photography at Pomfret School while running my own photography business ever since. So I guess I’ve been interested in photography since 1984. WOW! But professionally I’ve been working in photography since 1999.

What’s your favorite subject to photograph?
Oooh, that has to be children, but really I love color. Colors have to be use appropriately, and often I find drawn to black and white photos more, but that’s because for me, it’s hard to find a photo where the color doesn’t just “get in the way”. With black and white, regardless of what I’m shooting, the lines and textures just tell a story and help show emotion. What’s better than emotion in children?

What in your bag? Canon or Nikon and what lens do you love?
Ummmmm…… Nikon of course. I learned on Canon, but had to make the switch when I was in college. I really liked the simplicity and layout of the Nikon D90. My first Nikon. But honestly, I teach Canon at Pomfret, and these days, they’re really both comparable.

What inspires you?
In my busy life, it’s hard to find inspiration, really. I struggled for many years with finding something that made me truly happy. Recently I’ve found that really bold colors and children are inspiring me. My own children, Clayton (4) and Rowan (1) are incredibly inspiring. Their ability to laugh and smile at the most mundane thing, remind me that there are so many things to appreciate in life. I just returned from a mission trip to Nicaragua, and since I’ve made myself find the time to work with my own photography, and learn from the children around me. They are natural, honest and hilarious. The images I came back from Nicaragua with are truly telling of the people, life, colors and experience that I had while I was there. Those children, the children with nothing, but love life, are the children that are inspiring me most right now.

How long have you been teaching?
I’ve been teaching at Pomfret for 11 years this May. I’ve been teaching black and white darkroom, desktop publishing, studio lighting and most recently digital photography. For the last year, I’ve also been teaching workshops at Silver Circle Studio. These classes are for adults and teens that are interested in learning to shoot with their SLR’s, improve their composition skills, and take their photography to the next level. We discuss techniques, technical aspects of exposure, and cover some technical aspects of techniques like long exposure and drag shutter.

Tell us about your workshop(s)….
When? Where? How much? And where do we sign up?
The classes are at Silver Circle Studio, Putnam CT. You can sign up there! The next class is in May, May 16. Carly has all the information for the spring and summer courses. They’re changing all the time, adding new courses to meet the needs of the students. The classes run about $45 a class, depending on what is being covered, and how long it is. Check out her website here for more information.

And now, here are a few of Lindsay’s amazing photographs. Enjoy!