Lacey Monroe

Lacey is one of the three co-founders of Sham of the Perfect.  She is a documentary family photographer from Portland, Oregon, where she lives with her husband and two children.  I could say so much about Lacey, but I think this answer to a question on the Sham of the Perfect bio page says it so much better than I ever could.

What is the most valuable tip you have learned in pursuit of shooting in a more documentary style?

The best tip I have learned is also something I constantly struggle with and that is to trust yourself.

Trust your vision. Be yourself. Find your voice and identify what you want to say with your photography. It’s really hard to not just chase the likes and only post things you think will be well and worse about yourself and the work you are producing. Stop being a pale imitation of others and produce work that makes your heart sing. It’s something I strive to achieve day after day. Some days I win and actually feel good about the work I’m producing, but other days I fail and hate every photograph I’ve taken and am pretty sure I should probably just quit. Know that those feelings are 100% normal and every artists feels them; the key is to just keep going and try not to give too much room in your head and heart for those negative thoughts to fester and grow. Of course, this advice applies no matter what style you shoot in, but that does not negate its importance to storytelling photographers, especially since the popular pinterest-y poses are far cry from documentary style photography.

Even though she is speaking specifically about documentary style photography, I think her words ring true for any creative pursuit and for any artist.  Thanks, Lacey, for these words of encouragement!  I look forward to sharing more from Lacey very soon!