We seriously couldn’t believe when The Sleeping Willow agreed to be one of our featured photographers! We were so excited! We think that she is an amazing photographer and we stalk her work, so it came as a surprise when she said that she was hesitant at calling herself a photographer right now!
She has seriously been inspiring as I take photos of my own children. I love everything about her style, actions, and perspective! Also, the fact that she is like supermom! Without further adieu, Hannah McCumsey, the photographer behind: The Sleeping Willow!
“I have to be honest, when I started reading the interview questions, I got a little anxiety. I am SO new to photography that I even gulp a little when people have labeled me as a “photographer”. Maybe I have put the term “photographer” on a pedestal, just where I can see it and keep climbing towards it, but still haven’t quite reached it. I called a friend, and she offered sweet words of advice. She reminded me that I wasn’t the only person on this planet with a passion for photography, for art, with the urge to document my babies childhoods beautifully even if I do not yet do it “professionally”.
You see, I honestly have only shot friends, family, and my own children. THAT is how new I am. I have been in the prop world, for a little over 4 years now.
And one summer day, I decided to see what “actions” were all about. I purchased a few. And as many do, I used way too many. I layered without understanding the concept of it or masking. I looked at photographers work that I liked, and then my own images.
I knew there was so much more to what they do at this point. I was almost embarrassed to look at the comparisons. That lit a fire in me. So, with the guidance of a photographer friend (Thanks Erin!) she literally sent me a link off of Adorama and told me, “Buy that and I will send you my lens.” So, I did. A Canon 7D. I borrowed an older lens from my sister in law for a few days to practice on, and then the magical 50 1.4 lens arrived in the mail as my husband and I were pulling down the driveway to head out for our first ever two night trip without the kids.
When we arrived at the coast, I poured myself a glass of champagne, went out on the balcony and took my very first image on that camera with my new lens. It was magical, and I knew right then and there that this was something that I was going to fall in love with.
I can honestly say that I found my very own style in October of 2012. I decided that I would make all of the kids costumes from scratch and do my first ever whole themed “sessions” of each of them. Peter Pan, A Woodland Fairy, and a little Tinkerbell.
During that week of chaos, I spent hours editing all on my own to develop my own style. Something a little more moody than the “norm”, something to help capture the magic I see in the lives of my children, something a little dreamy. My heart filled with the result. I was able to gift each of them with their very own fairytale books for Christmas, and they LOVE them. (Click here to see some my fairy bottle template)
I carry a Kelly Moore Bag and in it, my magical 50 1.4, a 35 1.4, a few extra discs, lens protectors, lip gloss and some hand sanitizer. Oh! And of course, what “mom bag” wouldn’t be complete without some emergency snacks. I still love my 50 1.4, but since it is still dark and winterish here in Oregon most days, I tend to keep my 35 on while I shoot indoors.
I am not to the point where I have even started to advertise locally, but am just at a point where I am getting comfortable with my own style, learning my camera settings inside and out, and really enjoying documenting our laid back days here on the farm. I recently pulled up an image from the end of December, after I had really started pushing myself to become better, and I definitely noticed how much more emotion that image captured for me in comparison to images that I snapped before then.
I am not huge on being technically perfect, but go more with the feel or mood of an image. If I capture the memory of an image, in my mind, it is more important than something being technically perfect. Sometimes its too dark for that “perfect” image, but the moment was still perfect even in darkness.. in capturing it just the way I remember it, it gives me a feeling that I can not describe.
It is as if I have been able to slow down the process of my children growing too quickly. I get to look at an image of my daughter in day old kitty jammies, sitting on her knees in the living room, head back laughing hysterically as she moves her hair off of her sticky lipglossed lips and remember everything that came with it. That there was just a hint of light in the cloudy grey sky, our Christmas tree lights were shining dim in the corner of the room, our home smelled of wood heat, and new toys from Santa were still scattered around the floor. Having all of that emotion and feeling consume me while I just simply look at an image is “it” for me.
I hope to eventually grow to the point that I can comfortably teach what I have learned to other Moms/Photographers. It is a goal I have set for myself, and will continue to work towards it as I continue on this journey.
I am learning that it IS okay that I am still just a Mom with a camera. I collect vintage/antique everything, I like the simplicity in our life here in the country, I am a hoarder of quilts, and have so many that I know I could never possibly be cold, I like to throw on an apron and can fruit butters and jams for days (and yes, eat toast smothered in them for days too), I love that my camera has become a new piece of me, carrying it everywhere, documenting memories for empty days when my children have grown.
I picture myself sitting on a country porch, drinking coffee and browsing through images of my babies when they were home with me, hoping that capturing those memories will give a piece of comfort to the emptiness I know will be there when my house isn’t full of chaos and chatter under my feet any longer. Learning is a process that never has an end, and I am somewhere in the beginning, but happy with how far I have come. And I encourage anyone and everyone to follow their dreams and passions.
No matter if you were born with that desire, or it pops into your head one evening as you are going to bed. Life is so incredibly short, and what better way to spend it than doing something you absolutely love?”
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