Today we’d like to introduce you to JW and Shannon Purdy.
JW and Shannon, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
As a young boy, I was given a 110-film camera and I fell in love with photography. I shot as much film as my family would allow me to have. I played with photography off and on for all my school years including college. Finally, I bought my first SLR camera in early 2008 after a motorcycle accident ended my career as a pilot and nearly ended my life. After two weeks of playing around with the camera, a pen pal encouraged me to hire a model and give figure study a try. I fell in love with shooting the female form after my first figure shoot. The curator of Houston Photography Center, HCP, looked over those first images and gave me a few pointers, inspiring me to study as much as I could. Since that meeting, I have spent countless hours reading as well as shooting the female figure, including much of my wife-muse.
My wife Shannon stood in for a model that decided she was unable to shoot in the mountains of New Mexico due to the cold temperatures. It has been an adventure since that first shoot. This has become a way for us to connect to each other we never dreamed of as well as giving us an avenue to express ourselves to the world. We feel so alive when we are working on a project together. We love to attend gallery showings together and experience the event as artist and muse. It is very enlightening to hear people’s comments for both of us and then contrast the way in which people see our work with our intent for creating.
After having worked together for several years we decided to start offering our services to people interested in preserving themselves in print. After working with our first client we found something we both loved. Shannon has a natural outgoing and spontaneous personality which clients love and with her years of experience in front of the camera, she can offer tips and tricks to people that make shooting very pleasurable and fun. I love showing someone a view of themselves they may have never seen. I love showing a client their images and seeing the wonder and delight in their eyes at the images we have created. My favorite outcome is when I make someone feel truly beautiful to themselves.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
So far we have had a very smooth go of this venture. We have had a few learning stumbles along the way but then again who hasn’t. All of our clients have been very satisfied with their images but I always encourage people to really view my work prior to setting up a shoot. I want to ensure they like my style of shooting and want similar result for themselves. I tend to push the envelope with regard to pose during a shoot but keep it within the comfort zone of my client’s abilities. I have a set of the general techniques for creating a look and feel I’m comfortable with but can always make modifications as needed. If you like my work and want me to create something for you I say let’s make art.
JW Purdy Photography – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I offer personalized fine art figure study images for mostly female clients. I view my work as being closer to that of fine art and not so much as boudoir style. Some of my images have a playful boudoir feel however I concentrate more on line, pose and lighting to create images you might see hanging in an art museum. My work can have a renaissance or a modern feel depending on your personal taste.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is making my client happy by producing images they are proud of as well as creating something worthy of a gallery showing. Not every set is gallery material but only because they are private images created on request for the client’s own eyes.
Pricing:
- My basic shoot starts at $350
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jwpurdy.com
- Email: jw@jwpurdy.com
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jwpurdy
Image Credit:
©JW Purdy All rights reserved.
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