Shannon Johnston, known online as @me.onlylouder, has become a recognized name in the concert and portrait photography industry here in Calgary.
Her portfolio includes her work with Reverie Magazine, South by Southwest and Dickens. It is through her years of work that she has carved out her spot as both a visionary icon and a local celebrity.
For Johnston, strong photography is rooted in authenticity and honing your craft. The photography scene can be intimidating for new photographers, but Johnston’s story shows that with passion comes opportunity – no matter how long it takes.
I spoke to Johnston to learn more about who she is behind the lens.
We covered where she started, how she fought through the daunting and competitive world of professional photography and how she got to where she is today.
Editor’s note: This transcript has been edited for length and clarity
Mia Smith: Let’s start from the beginning, what got you into photography, what made you pick up a camera?
I have always been naturally into photography. Even when I was young, I would spend my allowance by going over to London Drugs and getting disposable cameras and taking them with me everywhere., I used to take pictures of friends, and it almost got to the point where everyone was like, ‘Okay, Shannon, you need to quit.’ But, I guess I am a hoarder of memories, I am a hoarder of moments. I always used to sneak cameras into shows, and back then, they used to frisk us and pat us down, so I would have to take a disposable camera and stick it in my pants so no one would find it. I just took pictures of everyone, everywhere. I finally went to photojournalism at SAIT, and that was really cool, and it kind of opened my eyes to what I could do with photography to make it my own and really tell a story with my photographs.
Would you say that your time at SAIT was when you realized that photography is more than a hobby for you?
Yeah, it gave it a reason. I have always been drawn to humans. I have always thought people are so interesting and satisfying. I have always been the type of person to just watch people and get to know them strictly by the way they act in the world. Going to SAIT really just put a reason to why I am taking these photos and made me think a little broader about how to tell a story. It gave me a foundation of training to find and catch those interesting moments. People have always said that I have an eye for catching those moments, somebody jumping, spitting or screaming.
Straight out of school, what was the beginning of trying to make it as a photographer in Calgary like for you?
It was awful. It was terrible. I entered photography at a time where all print media was going away. So they would send reporters to do photography work or a photographer to write articles. It was a bad scene out there. No one was really at the point where they could bring on new staff. Photography itself was in an era where people were starting to pick up their phones. The landscape really had nothing going on, and the things that were going on were very male dominated. You would go out on the scene with your camera, and it was to the point where you would get hissed at a lot for being a female with a camera at shows. I actually ended up quitting photography in that sense for a while because I found that it was quite toxic. I did end up still doing photography and just switching genres. For a while, I was a food photographer.
Oh wow, that is quite a large switch.
Yeah it was, I was creating blogs, websites, menus, social media. I would create their voices. And that was… okay.
Not your thing?
Nope. I am a people photographer. I am a moment photographer. It was fine, it got me through a period where I needed to pay a mortgage. Then I went back to school for a Communications certificate at Mount Royal. Most of it was built around online communication, branding and communication to a certain audience. And now, thinking about what I do, I am still speaking to the audience. I am trying to direct my photography to an audience. And then after COVID, we all lost everything. The art scene sort of crumbled. I had to give a re-introduction to “me.onlylouder”.
Why did you choose that username? What does it mean to you?
If you met me in person, you would know that I am quite loud to begin with. I am quite in your face punk rock, I say what I want, do what I want. I am not one of those people to shy away from what I believe in. When I wanted to present my art to the world, I felt like it was me, but it’s louder. It is gonna stand out more, it is gonna punch you in the face more than I would. So that’s where that name comes from, it just fits.
So rewinding a little bit, initially, you said that you left concert coverage because of the toxicity from mainly the men in the scene. What eventually brought you back to the concert photography world?
I don’t want to blame all of the toxicity on the men but, at the time it was a thing for the people who were in the scene that you were not going to come along and knock them out. You could not even volley for that because, ‘hey b*itch I am here first.’ It definitely was very male dominated and rough around the edges. I didn’t want to fight anyone to put out my work. The switch was really more within myself, the confidence in myself and the confidence in my work. When you are told so many times that your work sucks, you start to believe it. But, after a while you start to realize… actually my work is good.
What does a shoot day look like for you?
It is very very meticulously planned, but obviously there is some spontaneity to it. With live music, I deep dive into the bands that I am shooting. For example, with Sled Island, I will go through their Instagram, I will go through all of their Youtube performances, I will go through their Wikipedia,. I have a certain look to my photography but I also want to show the band how they want to be shown to the world. When you deep dive them, you kind of know where their big moments are. I do these things because I need to know when these shots are and I need to get them. Not only do I want my photos to stand out and be the best but I want the band to look at these shots and go ‘sh*t Shannon you caught us at our epic moment.’
How would you describe the photography culture here in Calgary?
It’s really quite cool. I see a lot of younger people getting into the scene again. Ya know, getting into the Palomino and taking shots at shows. I think it’s kind of this renaissance back to where everyone understands. You are taking these behind the moment shots or shots that are not necessarily going to be posted in a magazine but are really cool culturally. I see a lot of people trying things out for the first time again. I see people just really getting back to creating art for the sake of creating art. Not trying to be anybody particular and not trying to be perfect. It’s really awesome. I love all the younger kids coming into it. I just love it, I love the scene, and I love seeing people creating art.
In one or two sentences, how would you describe your work to someone who has never heard of you?
My work is very vibrant and dynamic and very punk, it’s very in your face. But, it’s deliberate.
Do you have a specific shoot that you would describe as authentically your style?
Definitely one of my favourite ones was Idles. The music was me, the shots I took were very me. My second favourite is a little shout-out to the new Reverie Magazine that we are dropping right away, the cover is one of my favourite shots. It is very “me.onlylouder”.
What is next for you? Anything big coming?
That is the question isn’t it. We want to take Reverie to the next level. But, I have always had this ethos that I want “me.onlylouder” on everybody’s tongue. Everybody who thinks of live music photography I want them to think of “me.onlylouder”, Shannon Johnston.
Speaking locally, what advice would you give to young photographers in Calgary?
Just keep shooting. Don’t get deterred by not being famous, just keep going and hone your craft. Get to know your camera like it is a third appendage. That camera is your tool and you should know every little thing about it. Know all of its parameters, know how far you can push it and know its sweet spots. Don’t strive for perfection just shoot for the sake of shooting. Show anyone who will listen. Don’t keep your art to yourself. Join art shows, join groups. Find your voice in the world and one day you will start to have a look. Everybody’s goal should be to have a look, and when people see it, they instantly know that it’s you.