Shan Applegate Photography, Portland

Shan Applegate’s mom gave him his first SLR camera when he was in eighth grade, and it swiftly became his signature accessory. It hung around his neck every day as he fulfilled his duties as his high school’s yearbook photographer, snapping shots of students as they received awards or fell asleep during math lectures. The photojournalistic style he began to develop as a teenager still informs his work today, as the head of his own photography studio. Shan’s portraits capture mothers cuddling newborns, newlyweds sharing a kiss, and tots in the midst of winter activities, such as piling two snowballs to form a snowtoddler. He also works with more business-oriented clients during commercial shoots.