Jackson Free Press

"I'm not a formal photographer at all,so when people hire me, I let them know that up –front. I'm flexible, and that makes the work fulfilling for me. I like myself like that," Christina Cannon says. Cannon is a Jackson photographer and is, at 31, co-owner of Quarter Gallery.

The office in her gallery is much neater than one might expect for an artist. There's a filing system in place, with thousands of photographs catalogued on top of the filing drawers. Her contemporary glass desk, which holds a large, flat computer screen, takes up most of the other space in the office, and there are two retro office chairs and a table holding photo albums filled with pictures.

Obviously comfortable in her surroundings, Cannon looks off into the distance before telling of a time when a client came back to tell her just how special the images were she'd taken a year and a half ago. This client, the mother of a toddler, hired the photographer to take pictures of her husband and son on the family vacation at Orange Beach. Less than a year later, her husband passed away. At the funeral, the widow displayed large photographs that Cannon had taken to celebrate the man's life and the love he had for his family.

"Looking at those photographs, going back through them, seeing the love that man had in his face for his family made me realize how precious and important photographs are."

With that realization, her search to find something "all her own" ended.

In contrast to her artistic endeavors, Cannon's first career was in real estate. In order to be successful in that business, you have to have an edge—you have to be willing to cut a few throats. Because of its "money-driven" nature, Cannon says, real estate didn't suit her, so she took a part-time job at Cups, the espresso café, to supplement her income. That part-time job grew into a prominent place in the Cups corporation as the district manger.

"I love people," Cannon says. "I met so many wonderful people working at Cups, and there was no one better I could have worked under than owner Janice (Cameron). As a woman and business owner, she's a huge inspiration."

Traveling Makesthe World Go 'Round

"I went to Ireland when I was 23 and did a marathon for the Arthritis Foundation. It was the first time I'd ever been overseas. I took picture after picture." After seeing some of the images she'd taken, "one of my fellow training buddies commented, 'You've got a good eye.' There was something about that week and a half I was there … travel and photography became one in the same for me." Traveling gave her a new passion for life, inspiring her to open her eyes wider and see things outside the box—especially in Jackson, where she's lived all her life.

After returning from that trip, Cannon became fascinated with taking pictures wherever she went, whether it was in Europe or just across town. Photography was her new hobby. While it took the photographer a while, she'd finally found a way to express her creative drive.

One year after her trip to Ireland, the budding artist went to France, and then went backpacking in Greece. Nervous that she might be denied the time off, Cannon went to her boss, Janice Cameron, and asked for six weeks off so she could go to Europe and document her travels. Cameron agreed. During that time in Europe, Cannon's passion was ignited. The following year, Cannon went to Cameron again, asking for more time off.

"I came to her, literally, with tears in my eyes," Cannon says, "and told her I've got to go and follow my heart." She explained to her supervisor that if she didn't do it now, she knew she would lose that part of herself. "Photography was the only thing that felt like home. It felt right, and I just knew that my heart needed to explore and do more."

Again, Cameron was understanding, and despite the fact that she would be losing her district manager, with "friendship and wisdom" she told the visual artist to "go, pursue and make the absolute best" of her dream.

I'll Be Your Server Tonight

With money she'd been saving, and some she borrowed, Cannon went to Greece to study photography for three months. That is the only formal training she's ever received, aside from the apprenticeship she did with photographer Howard Barren. With Barren, she worked in the darkroom, where she says he is a master. Not long after, however, Cannon left behind her artistic mentor, who's been a photographer for more than 55 years, and headed to Greece.

Upon returning from Greece, Cannon got a job waiting tables at Walker's in Fondren to support herself as she tried to figure out the next step toward turning her hobby into a bona fide career. While she was plotting, the photographer had her first art showing—at Cups, of course. Barren framed her pieces for her, and hung them for the show. In them, he told her, he saw not only that the shots were good, but that she had passion for the work. He encouraged her by confirming that she'd indeed done the right thing by looking to make photography her livelihood. But her transformation into a professional photographer didn't happen overnight.

"I only wanted to wait tables for a year while I was getting my name out there and building up a clientele. I ended up doing it for almost two years, though. Walker's for a year, Bon Ami for six months and Nick's for three months," she says.

Even though things didn't go exactly according to plan, little by little, Cannon says, her career started to come together, and she knew "without a doubt that (photography) was a fit." She says her faith in God helped her through the hard times—serving tables when it was no longer fun and trying to decide exactly what she wanted to do as a photographer—and gave her the courage to go out into the unknown. The unknown turned out to be a photo gallery all her own.

In June 2005, Cannon, along with her mentor, Barren, opened Quarter Gallery. At the time, the gallery featured only her work and Barren's. Since then, however, Quarter Gallery has begun featuring artists of the month to help other photographers who have passion and no venue. It gives them a place to call home. If only for a little while. "We've attracted a lot of people since the gallery's been open," Cannon says beaming.

Everybody Ain't Able

If there was a totem pole for artistic expression, more than likely, photography would be at the bottom of that pole. As with some other art, particularly abstract art, people sometimes look on with a, "I could have done that" attitude. But photography, just like any art form is about the moment and forethought. Cannon poses the question: If you had never seen it, could you have done it?

"There's a misconception that (photography) is not a timely process. People think it's easy because it's a 'click,' but it's the thought before the button is pressed," Cannon says.

Certainly, if armed with a good digital camera, an individual has the potential to capture at least a decent image, but that doesn't make them a photographer. Because photographic images are everywhere you look—like billboards and magazines—people don't often think about the fact that someone had to take a good picture of the product or model they're seeing.

"There's a love affair with photography—it's just not appreciated for what it is. It's kind of like TV. We don't get that intrigued any longer. We go to a movie and see spectacular effects, but we don't think about how long it took for (the end result)," Cannon says.

"It really is about the light," she emphasizes. "I think people assume regardless of what you (capture), you can just go in Photoshop and make it great. A bad picture is just a bad picture."

Coffee to Couture

Even while she was working at Cups, Cannon knew she wanted to find a creative outlet that incorporated working with people.

"I tried writing. … My mother thought I was good at it. But I never really saw a career in writing," Cannon says. "Photography became my words. My paper."

Photography was the only thing that "fit" for Cannon. After doing some soul-searching and lots of picture-taking, she found herself making money doing something she's grown to love: taking pictures of brides on their special day.

"I'm a romantic. I like the mushiness of the day and the experience," she says. A photo album full of brides in white and ivory, sequined and silk couture gowns is open on the table behind her.

"One of the best compliments I've ever gotten was from a bride who said, 'You made me feel so beautiful,'" Cannon says. "I can't stand having my picture taken, and she was the same kind of person. For her to tell me that she enjoyed it, it was so edifying for me."

Cannon says that's one of the reasons she enjoys doing bridal portraits so much. It's not grunt work, but something she takes pleasure in at this point in her career. Brides and families entrust her with the responsibility of capturing the sometimes tense, hectic moments leading up to the wedding ceremony, the service itself and the sighs of relief when all the hard work has finally come to an end.

A Photographer's Muse

"I've always been hard-headed. I like to learn things the hard way," Cannon says. Howard Barren, she says, is probably the only person who could have mentored her. "Besides going to school in Greece, I'm self-taught. That has come with a lot of mistakes, but it's also come with a lot of growth."

When photography was just a hobby for her, Cannon says a lot of people discouraged her, telling her she was only dreaming pipe dreams. Or they gave her cautious encouragement, telling her to go for it, but not to put all her eggs in one basket. Thankfully, she didn't listen to that advice, but sought to find other artists who could inspire her and her work.

Who is on her list of inspirations? "Annie Leibovitz has wonderful creativity," she says. "Imogen Cunningham, Tina Barney. I just saw some of her work. It's phenomenal. Howard Barren is one of the most influential photographers in my life. Period. And then, lots of no-names. Wonderful talents that lots of people don't know about."

Above that, though, Cannon says she simply looks at her surroundings, and they influence her. "When I see things, I want to appreciate them—freeze frame them. I want those images for myself, but I also want to share them with other people. My own heart (influences me).

"I don't take a picture just to sell. I take a picture because it's a moment that meant something to me. I've been to New Orleans several times, and the Coast post-Katrina. Last month, when I was on the Coast, at the beach, there were people out picnicking with devastation all around them. Those images, as I saw them, show just how powerful a photograph can be."

Christina Cannon isn't sure where photography will take her next. "I see myself traveling in more of a photojournalistic capacity—something that will enable me to have a look at the world around me and relay it (to others) some way. That sure didn't happen with writing. Hopefully it will happen with photography."

Previous Comments

ID

80727

Comment

I remember Christina from when she was running things at the Cups in Fondren, many moons ago--I'm so happy this is working out for her! Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2006-11-30T00:42:46-06:00