Q&A: How a Calgary photographer turned her love of music and pictures right into a profession

Shannon Johnston, identified on-line as @me.onlylouder, has turn into a acknowledged title within the live performance and portrait images trade right here in Calgary.

Her portfolio contains her work with Reverie Magazine, South by Southwest and Dickens. It is thru her years of labor that she has carved out her spot as each a visionary icon and a neighborhood celeb. 

For Johnston, robust images is rooted in authenticity and honing your craft. The images scene could be intimidating for brand spanking new photographers, however Johnston’s story reveals that with ardour comes alternative – regardless of how lengthy it takes. 

I spoke to Johnston to be taught extra about who she is behind the lens.

We coated the place she began,  how she fought via the daunting and aggressive world {of professional} images and the way she bought to the place she is right now. 

Editor’s word: This transcript has been edited for size and readability

Mia Smith: Let’s begin from the start, what bought you into images, what made you decide up a digital camera? 

I’ve at all times been naturally into images. Even after I was younger, I’d spend my allowance by going over to London Drugs and getting disposable cameras and taking them with me in all places., I used to take photos of pals, and it virtually bought to the purpose the place everybody was like, ‘Okay, Shannon, you need to quit.’ But, I suppose I’m a hoarder of reminiscences, I’m a hoarder of moments. I at all times used to sneak cameras into reveals, and again then, they used to frisk us and pat us down, so I must take a disposable digital camera and stick it in my pants so nobody would discover it. I simply took photos of everybody, in all places. I lastly went to photojournalism at SAIT, and that was actually cool, and it form of opened my eyes to what I may do with images to make it my very own and actually inform a narrative with my pictures. 

Would you say that your time at SAIT was once you realized that images is greater than a pastime for you?

Yeah, it gave it a cause. I’ve at all times been drawn to people. I’ve at all times thought individuals are so attention-grabbing and satisfying. I’ve at all times been the kind of individual to simply watch folks and get to know them strictly by the best way they act on the planet. Going to SAIT actually simply put a cause to why I’m taking these pictures and made me assume slightly broader about inform a narrative. It gave me a basis of coaching to search out and catch these attention-grabbing moments. People have at all times mentioned that I’ve an eye fixed for catching these moments, someone leaping, spitting or screaming.

Straight out of faculty, what was  the start of attempting to make it as a photographer in Calgary like for you? 

It was terrible. It was horrible. I entered images at a time the place all print media was going away. So they’d ship reporters to do images work or a photographer to put in writing articles. It was a nasty scene on the market. No one was actually on the level the place they might carry on new employees. Photography itself was in an period the place folks had been beginning to decide up their telephones. The panorama actually had nothing happening, and the issues that had been happening had been very male dominated. You would exit on the scene together with your digital camera, and it was to the purpose the place you’ll get hissed at lots for being a feminine with a digital camera at reveals. I truly ended up quitting images in that sense for some time as a result of I discovered that it was fairly poisonous. I did find yourself nonetheless doing images and simply switching genres. For some time, I used to be a meals photographer. 

Oh wow, that’s fairly a big change.

Yeah it was, I used to be creating blogs, web sites, menus, social media. I’d create their voices. And that was… okay. 

Not your factor? 

Nope. I’m a folks photographer. I’m a second photographer. It was tremendous, it bought me via a interval the place I wanted to pay a mortgage. Then I went again to high school for a Communications certificates at Mount Royal. Most of it was constructed round on-line communication, branding and communication to a sure viewers. And now, occupied with what I do, I’m nonetheless chatting with the viewers. I’m attempting to direct my images to an viewers. And then after COVID, all of us misplaced every thing. The artwork scene form of crumbled. I needed to give a re-introduction to “me.onlylouder”.

Why did you select that username? What does it imply to you? 

If you met me in individual, you’ll know that I’m fairly loud to start with. I’m fairly in your face punk rock, I say what I would like, do what I would like. I’m not a kind of folks to draw back from what I consider in. When I wished to current my artwork to the world, I felt prefer it was me, however it’s louder. It is gonna stand out extra, it’s gonna punch you within the face greater than I’d. So that’s the place that title comes from, it simply matches. 

So rewinding slightly bit, initially, you mentioned that you simply left live performance protection due to the toxicity from primarily the boys within the scene. What ultimately introduced you again to the live performance images world?

I don’t wish to blame all the toxicity on the boys however, on the time it was a factor for the individuals who had been within the scene that you weren’t going to return alongside and knock them out. You couldn’t even volley for that as a result of, ‘hey b*itch I am here first.’ It undoubtedly was very male dominated and tough across the edges. I didn’t wish to battle anybody to place out my work. The change was actually extra inside myself, the arrogance in myself and the arrogance in my work. When you’re instructed so many instances that your work sucks, you begin to consider it. But, after a when you begin to understand… truly my work is sweet. 

What does a shoot day appear to be for you? 

It could be very very meticulously deliberate, however clearly there may be some spontaneity to it. With stay music, I deep dive into the bands that I’m capturing. For instance, with Sled Island, I’ll undergo their Instagram, I’ll undergo all of their Youtube performances, I’ll undergo their Wikipedia,. I’ve a sure look to my images however I additionally wish to present the band how they wish to be proven to the world. When you deep dive them, you form of know the place their huge moments are. I do these items as a result of I must know when these pictures are and I must get them. Not solely do I would like my pictures to face out and be the perfect however I would like the band to take a look at these pictures and go ‘sh*t Shannon you caught us at our epic moment.’ 

How would you describe the images tradition right here in Calgary? 

It’s actually fairly cool. I see quite a lot of youthful folks stepping into the scene once more. Ya know, stepping into the Palomino and taking pictures at reveals. I feel it’s form of this renaissance again to the place everybody understands. You are taking these behind the second pictures or pictures that aren’t essentially going to be posted in {a magazine} however are actually cool culturally. I see lots of people attempting issues out for the primary time once more. I see folks simply actually getting again to creating artwork for the sake of making artwork. Not attempting to be anyone explicit and never attempting to be good. It’s actually superior. I like all of the youthful children coming into it. I simply find it irresistible, I like the scene, and I like seeing folks creating artwork. 

In one or two sentences, how would you describe your work to somebody who has by no means heard of you?

My work could be very vibrant and dynamic and really punk, it’s very in your face. But, it’s deliberate. 

Do you’ve got a selected shoot that you’d describe as authentically your model? 

Definitely considered one of my favorite ones was Idles. The music was me, the pictures I took had been very me. My second favorite is slightly shout-out to the brand new Reverie Magazine that we’re dropping immediately, the quilt is considered one of my favorite pictures. It could be very “me.onlylouder”. 

What is subsequent for you? Anything huge coming? 

That is the query isn’t it. We wish to take Reverie to the following degree. But, I’ve at all times had this ethos that I would like “me.onlylouder” on all people’s tongue. Everybody who thinks of stay music images I would like them to consider “me.onlylouder”, Shannon Johnston. 

Speaking domestically, what recommendation would you give to younger photographers in Calgary? 

Just preserve capturing. Don’t get deterred by not being well-known, simply preserve going and hone your craft. Get to know your digital camera like it’s a third appendage.  That digital camera is your device and it’s best to know each little factor about it. Know all of its parameters, know the way far you possibly can push it and know its candy spots. Don’t try for perfection simply shoot for the sake of capturing. Show anybody who will hear. Don’t preserve your artwork to your self. Join artwork reveals, be part of teams. Find your voice on the planet and someday you’ll begin to take a look. Everybody’s objective must be to take a look, and when folks see it, they immediately know that it’s you. 

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