Shh...

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Originally uploaded by SleddPhotography

I'm working. No time for blogging.

Let the summer fun begin

We went to a crawfish boil this weekend! It was to get a chance to take photos for myself. I've been shooting so much for other people lately. Of note Paul Steckler was at the party. We talked about vintage gliders and we both have them on our porches.

Amy's Bridal

Amy is going to get married in a few weeks and she wanted some simple bridal photos. She has selected one of her friends to photograph the wedding so I was happy to do the formals.

Details...

Voxtrot

Yipeee. Voxtrot made the cover. This was my favorite photo from the shoot and the art editor left it with my funky color treatment. yipeee!!!! I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

See lots more photos from the Voxtrot story HERE.

Wilshire Homes

Used the instant printer today to make 'cowboy' photos at the Wilshire homes event in Round Rock. I was very glad it didn't rain! I've never worked the photo booth alone, and it turned out to be far less work than I thought it would. Think I might stop hiring assistants to help me with this thing! Moving the lights is sort of a pain and keeping people entertained while there print is printing takes some effort, but overall I think it works more smoothly as a one man operation. In case you are reading this thinking you want an instant 4x6 photo booth at your event my rate is $450/2 hours. But that includes all of the supplies for 200 prints, props and my time. Yehaw!

Look mom - I'm in the paper!

(This article ran in the Statesman this morning. I'm pretty happy with it. Must admit getting interviewed was a little nerve racking, but Helen did a great job. As for the Gen Art shows... there were only 1200 people at two of them. The others only had a couple of hundred people.)

GlossyFuture

Sledd trained her eye on photography at young age

Mary Sledd

Age 26

Status: Single, but taken

Austin connection: Lifelong Austininte. Her parents, Melissa Sledd and the late James Sledd, founded Sledd Nursery on West Lynn Street, and her grandfather, James Sr., was a well-known Enlgihs professor at the University of Texas.

Schools: McCallum High School:University of Texas bachelor of art degree, honors humanities. Additional photo courses at Austin Community College.

Current Position: Self-employed photographer. She’s also a partner in the entertainment Website do512.com

When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was really little I wanted to be a vet, but later I wanted to be a lawyer so I could wear a three-piece power suit and carry a briefcase.

How’d you get into photography?

I started taking pictures at 14. My Aunt Laurie, who’s a photographer, gave me her old camera, and I fell in love. Then the (Austin) Chronicle found me when I was 16 and I started taking pictures for them. Then word got out I was 16 and I was demoted to intern. While I was still in college Gen Art (an organization that promotes emerging artists) repped me, and I had a few art shows with 1200 people in attendance. And I was still shooting for the Chronicle and shooting bands.

What did you study at ACC?

While I was still at UT, I took some photography courses at ACC. The portrait photography teacher hated me. The olan mills thing, I could never get. Or didn’t want to get. I made a C.

So your work took on a life of its won while you were still in college. What happened when you go out?

When I graduated (in 2003) I thought I wanted to go to law school. School is sort of addictive. So I applied to Whittier College and go ta full scholarship. I showed up for registration and never went back. Then my college boyfriend dumped me, and I saw a Craigslist posting for a reality show called ‘Faking It..’ I auditioned, and I got it. I went to L.A. for five weeks. I have to admit I invented a person I know they would cast. I won, on the show. But the show never aired. They decided it was too far from reality, I guess. All this time (sinche college) I’d been working at the nursery. After the reality show, I knew I only wanted to be there one day a week and I wanted to make the photography thing happen. So I just started making calls.

Were you worried about being able to make a living at photography?

I thought I couldn’t. Then I decided it just didn’t matter. If it didn’t work, I’d move home. But it did work.

You do all sorts of work, right? Even weddings?

I have a separate company that does weddings, so yes, every Saturday between now and December I do weddings.

How does the family nursery business play into your life?

I love the nursery. I don’t want to work there 40 hours a week, but it’s a beautiful place to be. And you meet so many people there. It doesn’t hurt when I’m (shooting) an event that I already know the key players because they shop there.

Who or what is your all-time favorite photographic subject?

There’s this one definite person who changed my life: Janean Garofalo. I’m 17 at SXSW. The Chronicle assigns me to shoot a star. And I ruined the film . I was so nervous about getting it right and I got it wrong. I called and (Garofalo) said OK; I could have 5 minutes at Firth and Congress. I ddi it again, and everything was OK. Had she said no, it’s very possible that the Chronicle would’ve fired me and I would’ve give up on photography and become a lawyer.

- Helen @nders