Greetings! My name is Laura Shmania. I live in Chapel Hill, NC, which is a delightful college town and a seemingly endless source for photo images! I am honored to be asked onto the SmugMug Corner. I admire greatly the photography of many of those already interviewed.

My dad was a fabulous photographer: he came to it instinctively and captured many beautiful scenes from his travels with my mom. My sister, Linda Hendry, is also a great photographer (you can see her gallery at http://www.pbase.com/lhendry) and has encouraged me greatly in my pursuing the craft. She gave me my first digital SLR and I took weekly evening photography classes for a year at my local art school to “grow into” the camera. I learned the basics of how to use a camera (manual mode), composition, lighting, and portraiture.

I came into photography through my fabric art. I was setting up a website gallery of my artwork and needed photos of the pieces. My sister loaned me her digital SLR and I became totally hooked. This was about 4 years ago. I am totally nourished by the instantaneous effect of the digital realm.

I have all Canon equipment:

• 40D camera body
• 70-200 mm f2.8L IS
• 24-70 mm f2.8L
• 100 mm f2.8 macro
• 15 mm 2.8 fisheye
• Speedlite 580EX II
• I have several lenses on my wish list (!)
• 24-105 mm f4L IS
• 50 mm f1.2L
• extender 1.4x

I would also like to take classes on natural light portraits and photojournalism.

I am drawn to the beauty of so many things! I enjoy photographing people - street and campus scenes, festivals, artists of all kinds - painters, potters, musicians, and dancers. I like photographing nature - especially flowers and butterflies. And I like to photograph old barns and farms. I like to use natural available light and especially like to work with backlit subjects and on overcast days.

Mostly these days, I am inspired by the folks in my fellow Daily Photo Community at SmugMug. I like the variety of talent and subjects. I like that others are searching for the image of the day just as I am.

As a matter of fact on April 16, 2006, I will have been taking and posting a daily photo for 2 years. Mostly I like that SmugMug is easy to use- the galleries are easy to set up, images easy to load. I like that my images are protected on a server separate from me and that they are so easily available to those who are interested in them- both to view, download, and purchase a print or specialty item.

Purchasing a pro account on Smugmug has allowed me to flourish as a photographer. For me, part of the fun of taking a picture is knowing that it will be seen. This is the perfect venue for others to see my images, without having to have a password or be bombarded by advertisements.

Practice practice practice (I practice daily!) Experiment with your equipment- lighting, depth of field. Allow yourself to make mistakes! Move around your subject and play with it from non-standard angles – get on the ground, up in a chair. Fill the frame – if you think you are close enough, get closer. And most of all, have FUN!