R Magazine, Ex-TeenArt_Issue 1_Authenticity Jun. 2015 | Page 82

Who is Shelby Leigh?

business. “I’m actually an introvert by nature,” she
says. “So this was a huge jump for me, and I couldn’t
be happier that I have taken it.”

She feels that,

based on her clients’ feedback, she has been able to
bless others by capturing moments that otherwise
might have been forgotten. She says that her
clients have trusted her to capture moments from
births, to engagements, to weddings, to retirement
ceremonies, and every moment and milestone in
between. And in return, she feels blessed. “Some
personal smaller achievements are having some
of my images be featured in a pageant and in a
contest for POSE Magazine,” Shelby adds. “I’ve also
earned a couple of Top 10s and Features in various
photography groups online, and although those all
come secondary to my family and client work, I do

Shelby Leigh is a 35-year-old photographer who lives

like that others in the photography industry have

in Montgomery, Alabama. To become a photographer,

recognized my hard work.”

Shelby claims to have been motivated by the desire
to capture, in a single frame, the landscapes and
all of the beauty that God has created. “I have

Shelby’s opinion on black and white

been pursuing photography actively for about 4
years as far as trying to gain as much knowledge

“When

and experience as I can while maintaining my first

photograph their clothes. But when you photograph

priority: motherhood,” Shelby says. She has been

people in Black & White, you photograph their

taking pictures of events and images for friends

souls.” –Ted Grant

long before then, but just casually. When Shelby

“This quote has inspired me as I do have a deeper

graduated from The University of North Carolina at

sense of feeling and mood when I see so many

Chapel Hill, she did not have photography as a career

black and white images,” Shelby explains. She

in mind. She considered photography as something

acknowledges having seen people critique high

she could do after she has bought her first DSLR.

contrast black and white as well as the grayscale

“Since then, I’ve chosen to be self-taught, as I do

in photos, and she says to honestly like both types

feel that photography is so subjective,” she adds. “I

for different reasons. “Often times, the heavier,

have taken online classes, read books, and played a

moody images cry out for high contrast to me,

TON with my camera in Manual, which is pretty much

while the grayscale images are lighter and have

all I shoot in.” She says that she enjoys natural light

a softer feel about them,” she adds. “Even now, I

photography, and that she has also recently found

can conjure up feelings towards both types of black

herself actively pursuing studio photography as well.

and white images as there is such a connection

“One day, I hope to specialize in maternity, birth, and

with black and white.” Shelby loves images based

newborn photography, so having the knowledge of

on feeling. She says that some images “feel” like

both natural light and studio will come in handy.”

black and white to her, while others can scream for

you

photograph

people

in

color,

you

color. “I guess that’s why I enjoy being an artist,”
Shelby feels that her biggest achievement so far has

she says. “I get to choose what I like based on my

been to step out, to take a risk, and to start her

personal perception of what I want to capture!”