Elevating love through distinct moments in time is what Shawn Colin has been destined to do. No matter the milestone, Shawn has made it his life’s passion to impact lives through the legacy of his work. As the full-time creative director of Studio Colin and curator of Collove8, Shawn brings more than 25 years of experience in capturing weddings, portraits, commercial and lifestyle events.
As a New Orleans native, Shawn’s love of photography began at the tender age of five-years-old when he took a picture of his mother. Upon high school graduation, he received his first camera and candidly captured life in its purest form… unplanned and unpredicted. While enrolled at Southern University of New Orleans, his fascination with black and white photography and print production motivated him to pursue photography professionally. With a love for family, he discovered his niche for wedding photography and has enjoyed telling timeless stories for more than 150 couples.
Since then, Shawn’s clientele has expanded to McDonald’s, Krewe of Nefertiti, and Dance IHC. His editorial shoot of Jade Colin, the youngest female minority of a McDonald’s franchise, has been featured in Essence Magazine, Black Enterprise, and local and national billboard campaigns. His photo scene of the Krewe of Nefertiti's Coronation Ball is featured in the Louisiana Mardi Gras Museum as this was the first all-female, minority krewe to parade in New Orleans East. Shawn’s love of capturing historical moments continues today with the Krewe of Athena, Krewe of Harmonia, Majestic Krewe of Fin-Fatel, and Krewe of Symphony. For over 10 years, he has successfully executed branding shoots for DanceIHC, and most recently, Willie Mae’s Restaurant, The Split Second Foundation, Crescent City Childcare, and Vaucresson Sausage Company to name a few.
Within recent years, Shawn has embarked his craft into destination wedding photography through the beautiful landscapes of Cabo, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Cancun, and Hawaii. With the ability to be in the natural element, Shawn discovered destination wedding photography allows for the best creativity in the most relaxed environment. Allowing you to see the world through a different set of lenses. While every aspect of wedding photography tells a story from beginning to end, Shawn believes “a destination wedding” welcomes a more intimate insight and reflective energy to feeling like “family.”
As the curator of COLLOVE8, Shawn hopes to inspire like-minded photographers on how to provide customers with an invaluable gift that significantly impacts their joy and allows your legacy to live in the history of their lives. “Photographic impressions go beyond just a photo… it’s an emotional piece that reminds you of your life, purpose, and passion,” implies Shawn. Coincidentally, Shawn has been a professional firefighter for over 12 years, and he feels a number of similarities exist between his professions. While serving as a dedicated firefighter, Shawn has witnessed people in their lowest state reminding him that life is delicate and simply priceless. The same adrenaline rush he experienced as a firefighter is the same feeling you experience as a photographer. There’s no opportunity for any point of failure or simply put, second chances. As a photographer, you gain knowledge through experience and you trust your instincts to execute your craft as if it’s second nature.
Shawn is a loyal member of the Professional Photographers Association and the New Orleans Firefighters 632 Union. In his spare time, Shawn is an avid marathon runner and a world traveler experiencing culture, food, and art.
For more information about COLLOVE8, click HERE.