WAIM #057 - Photographer Jena McShane

What Am I Making Podcast

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WAIM #057 - Photographer Jena McShane

Photographer Jena McShane swings by the sheddio to talk about compiling a lifetime of her own work and where to go from here.

Matty C

Mar 18, 2024

Jena McShane spent three years getting her website together. As a photographer of more than two decades, she sought to catalog her very best images for an online portfolio. Scrolling through her vast archives often brought her anxiety as she wondered how to best present her extensive body of work.

Going back to her days at Lansing Community College, Jena has eschewed the photographer’s maxim of picking a lane. Instead of opting to focus an entire career in portraiture or storm chasing or landscape photography or shooting live music, McShane shot all of it and more. Now with a vast and varied archive, Jena was an artist struggling to find a way to encapsulate her past and future artistic identities.

Jena and I chatted at length about how she found the clarity to put her site together and what that did for the confidence she had in her own work. We cover Jena’s early love of disposable cameras, her first mentors, and a journey she describes as “all over the place”.

We dive deep on Jena’s experiences photographing a summer camp for disabled youth that uses music therapy to enrich the lives of these young people and their families. Recently, Jena was the official photographer for a feature length documentary about the camp. She shares her time on the ground at the camp and what it’s been like to watch it grow.

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There’s talk of storm chasing, twisters, and the glory of old black and white. Jena also talks about her recent work shooting live music for the online rock and roll mag Loud Hailer. She also shares her long and deep love for Canadian rock heroes, Rush.

This is a really fun chat with a woman who is an engaging and diverse artist. Enjoy.

Cheers,
Matty C

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What Am I Making Podcast

Hey there. I’m Matty C. For the formally inclined folks in the crowd, the official designation is Matt Carlson.

I am a 50 year old musician, songwriter, and graphic designer that's spent the Covid era pondering deep and meaningful questions about music, film, literature and art in the 21st century.

It seems as though we’re living in age where musicians have to give their music away, content is around every corner and we don’t seem to really value much of any of it the way we used to.

What is it really like to make a living pursuing a life in the arts these days? Why are we seeing a lower percentage of artists in the workforce than at anytime in 100 years?

Now, I’ve reached a point of massive change in my life and I am preparing to spend more of my time, and hopefully, generating a portion of my income from my creative endeavors. That’s a terrifying endeavor, but it’s also incredibly exciting.

I’ll be discussing these ideas and a whole lot more of my own curiosity and creative endeavors on this platform using the written word, videos, podcasts, music and probably some other assets I learn along the way. I’ll be seeking out smart, and fascinating creatives as they build their own lives while fighting an ever-growing series of new challenges and opportunities.

All of these journeys and detours are an effort to share my exploration of culture in the modern world, and to help shine a brighter light on the work I have been doing for years as a musician, designer and podcaster.

This discussion is at the very center of our civilization, what it means to be human andhow to find a meaningful way to connect through that shared humanity in the form of artistic expression. Art is at the core of the relationship. Let’s explore it with that context, and that incalculable value, in mind.

If you enjoy what you hear on the show, please subscribe to my Substack where I also I post this podcast as well as a variety of essays, video and recordings regularly in my search to find out what art really matters to people right here and right now, and they are willing to do to invest in our culture.

Thank you so much for being here. It’s wonderful to have your support.

https://whatamimaking.substack.com

Hey there. I’m Matty C. For the formally inclined folks in the crowd, the official designation is Matt Carlson. I am a 50 year old musician, songwriter, and graphic designer that's spent the Covid era pondering deep and meaningful questions about music, film, literature and art in the 21st century. It seems as though we’re living in age where musicians have to give their music away, content is around every corner and we don’t seem to really value much of any of it the way we used to. What is it really like to make a living pursuing a life in the arts these days? Why are we seeing a lower percentage of artists in the workforce than at anytime in 100 years? Now, I’ve reached a point of massive change in my life and I am preparing to spend more of my time, and hopefully, generating a portion of my income from my creative endeavors. That’s a terrifying endeavor, but it’s also incredibly exciting. I’ll be discussing these ideas and a whole lot more of my own curiosity and creative endeavors on this platform using the written word, videos, podcasts, music and probably some other assets I learn along the way. I’ll be seeking out smart, and fascinating creatives as they build their own lives while fighting an ever-growing series of new challenges and opportunities. All of these journeys and detours are an effort to share my exploration of culture in the modern world, and to help shine a brighter light on the work I have been doing for years as a musician, designer and podcaster. This discussion is at the very center of our civilization, what it means to be human andhow to find a meaningful way to connect through that shared humanity in the form of artistic expression. Art is at the core of the relationship. Let’s explore it with that context, and that incalculable value, in mind. If you enjoy what you hear on the show, please subscribe to my Substack where I also I post this podcast as well as a variety of essays, video and recordings regularly in my search to find out what art really matters to people right here and right now, and they are willing to do to invest in our culture. Thank you so much for being here. It’s wonderful to have your support. https://whatamimaking.substack.com

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