Photographer of the Week: Sarah Colvin

By Sarah Colvin
Belmont

Light is an amazing thing. From the newness of first light to the end-of-the-day glow, it’s always changing, always moving, always enhancing our lives, and it’s essential to the art of photography.

I've been wielding a camera ever since I was given a Kodak Disc as a child. I'd set up my Lego guys and take their portraits, photograph their homes and little plastic yards. My stuffed animals were willing subjects as well. The first "real camera" I had was a gift from my parents on my 16th birthday -- a fully-manual Minolta XG-1. It saw me through several years of high school photo classes and explorations. I developed most of the photos I took by hand, watching the images come alive in the red light of my school’s darkroom.

My first job was at a photo lab. I worked there for seven years developing and printing the work of amateurs and professionals, tourists and locals, and of course, my own photographs. I learned the finer points of color theory, film developing, and processing. Learning from the work of others is invaluable, especially when you view the whole project: mistakes, experiments, the shots that work, the shots that don’t. I still view others’ work regularly to see where I might improve or to try an angle I haven’t yet thought of.

After leaving the photo lab, my cameras grew dusty on the shelves; after developing and printing my own images for so long, I felt lost handing the undeveloped roll of film over to someone else. So I stopped taking photos for a while. And then the "digital age" began.

I now shoot with a Canon 30D, the 18-55 kit lens and an absolutely fantastic 50mm f/1.4. My want and desire to shoot pictures never went away, and having the 30D and the ability to view and edit my photos on my own and instantly is a huge plus. My long-term boyfriend is an artist and photographer and he pulls no punches in critiquing my work. His guidance has vastly improved my ability to frame a shot, and to think twice about composition before pushing that button. I like to get the shot right away, in-camera, and present it as-is, with little or no post processing. Most of the shots on my site are unedited, are full-frame, and not manipulated in Photoshop in any way.

The world is a fascinating place. I like to look for the angle you don’t see every day, the aspect of the building or scene or person that you won’t see when looking head on. I have no problems getting down on the ground, splashing in to the water, climbing some treacherous rocks or skulking in an alley to capture the image I have in mind. Most of the time the best shots come when you’re not looking for them and those are the shots I like the most.

Currently I’m working on honing my portrait skills. I feel fortunate to have photogenic friends who are enthusiastic (and patient!) to pose for me. In my portraits, I want to show the person on the other side of the lens what I see when I look at their face.

My goal as a photographer is to share my little view of the world with anyone who’s willing to look. I want to show the places I love as I see them.

About Sarah

Sarah says she's proud to call Massachusetts her home. A Cape Cod native, she moved "over the bridge" to Boston last summer. When she's not taking photos, she's working with sound. On the Cape, she worked as a morning news anchor and reporter for two top-rated radio stations. Currently, she's a production assistant and voice talent for a telecommunications company based in Newton. She lives in Belmont with her longtime boyfriend, their cat, several bicycles, lots of record albums, and, of course, a slew of camera equipment. You can see more of Sarah's photos on her website as well as on Flickr. See all Photographers of the Week