Meet This Week's Guest Judge: Sherri Davis

This week, Sherri of Sherri Davis Photography is looking for "swirls of color"! Enjoy reading about her experience as a photographer, and viewing her beautful work! 

1. Tell us about yourself...

I live a pretty simple life in Ontario, Canada with my husband, children (9 and 6) a few chickens and our dog. Technically I am in business, but after several years of struggling with scheduling sessions around my husband’s shift work and farming seasons, I decided that now is just not the right time for me to be taking on clients. I do have one wedding booked for later this year, but that will most likely be the last one.

2. What ignited your passion for photography, and what fuels it now?

Like so many others, it was motherhood which completely turned upside down a hobby, which while I had always enjoyed, was never an obsession until I had children. My kids are getting older, and it is that passing of their childhood which has a hold of me now. My own childhood and youth passed so quickly (or at least it seems that way now looking back), that I find myself holding onto their childhood for dear life. I’ve come to the conclusion recently that my photographs of them are actually mirroring my own idyllic childhood, which I think is the driving force behind my obsession with capturing their daily lives.

3. What’s in your camera bag right now, what do use the most? the least? 

Canon 6D, Canon 35 1.4, Canon 70-200 2.8, Lensbaby Composer and assorted Lensbaby optics. I mostly freelense now with my 35. I can’t remember the last time I used my Lensbaby optics, but I’m not quite ready to part with them. I only use the 70-200 for family formals at weddings, which right now are pretty rare.

4. What’s your dream project or shoot? 

I have an ongoing project photographing my clothesline and laundry. I would love to be able to pile my family in an RV and drive around the US and Canada, photographing other people’s wet laundry hanging on clotheslines. 

5. What is the biggest challenge you face as a photographer?

Keeping the noise and distraction of social media to a minimum. Both are such an interference to my creativity. 

6. If you had $500 to spend on photography...

How should you spend it? 

On frames and prints for an upcoming gallery show.

How do you wish you could spend it? 

Put it towards a new 6D (Mine is 3 years old, is used daily for 200-300 images and has started getting an overexposed area across the very top of each image. I think it is almost ready for retirement)

How would you really spend it? 

On frames and prints for the show. 

7. Is there any one thing you wish someone had told you at the very beginning of your photography journey?

I would like to think that I would have listened to advice that was given to me, but I suspect that I wouldn’t have. But if someone was to have offered any, I guess it would have to be to embrace the twists, turns and uncertainty of the journey. That is where the rewards are.