Today we’d like to introduce you to Noelle Shumer
Hi Noelle, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Photography had been a hobby and a passion of mine throughout high school. In my early college years I took a couple film classes that really solidified my love of taking photos. I started getting asked by friends and acquaintances to do family photos and weddings. I thought, ok, let me try this and see if I can make a career out of it. One thing led to another and photography became not only my passion but my line of work. For the first fifteen years my focus was wedding photography and portraits. I have now shifted into lifestyle brand photography for local small businesses, some corporate work and family portraits.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think running your own business will always be a journey of trial and error. The more you go along, the more you learn what works well and what needs changed. When you run your own business, you sort of eat, sleep and breathe work without taking much time away from it. Which isn’t so bad when you enjoy what you do, but finding ways to create a balance is healthy and necessary. And then of course, there’s always the challenge of making sure work stays consistent for financial reasons.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Currently my work is focused on portraits (families, couples, individuals, etc) and imagery for local small businesses that are looking to personalize their brand and convey it’s purpose to the consumer, but with a creative vantage point. My portrait work tends to be casual, emotive, not quite so perfectly posed and put together. It’s not everyone’s preference, some prefer a more polished approach. But for me, my top priority has always been to convey real life interactions, movement and documenting moments in time that people can cherish. A photo that gives you a feeling I guess? I love using light to bring life and depth to certain images. I rarely try to control the subject, but instead let it tell me the story that gets documented. As I moved out of wedding photography, I shifted into working with local small businesses. I am always rooting for small businesses so it feels special to be trusted in creating imagery for them to represent their brand. On occasion, I will work with a larger company. Last year I had the opportunity to work with the Magnolia Network as the photographer on set for an episode of Restoration Road and then also The Established Home, so that was really pretty cool!
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up I moved around a lot and always found myself as the “new kid”. I wasn’t really any athlete (ok, not at all) but was more drawn to the arts, my face often (and still is) in a book, spending time outside. I loved creative projects, imaginative play and adventure. Ha I guess I am not that different as an adult. According to my mother, I’ve always been independent and just reached for what I want, but it wasn’t really until adulthood that I settled into being ok with more often than not, feeling a little outside the box of everyone else. But I bet most creative folks probably feel pretty similarly. Though I now have many friends who feel a little misfit themselves, so we make a good tribe!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://noelleann.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noelleannphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noelleannphotographer
Image Credits
Bio photo by Ruth Yaro
