Creating magic one photograph at a time

ROCKINGHAM — Since 1993, Shawn Gagnon has served in regulation enforcement, however images has all the time been an essential side of his profession.

“As a cop, it was all the time my little strategy to let myself out of the each day grind and attempt to be inventive, simply seeing what I can push and make,” Gagnon, proprietor of Blue Line Portraits in Rockingham, mentioned.

In 2021, he moved to Rockingham from Maine together with his girlfriend, Denise, and her son. He labored as against the law scene investigator for the Hamlet Police Division and now works for the Scotland County Sheriff’s Workplace. Denise works in 911 communications. Their background in regulation enforcement grew to become the inspiration for the identify of their burgeoning enterprise.

Early on in his profession as against the law scene tech, Gagnon all the time loved taking photographs. In 2006, armed with a better high quality digital camera, he was actually in a position to play together with his digital camera and hone his abilities whereas nonetheless working as an officer of the regulation.

Gagnon thought of dabbling within the enterprise aspect of images for a number of years, and it grew to become a actuality in 2022. He put in a studio at his home, and Blue Line Portraits was born.

They haven’t had a weekend and not using a photograph shoot since their inception. From household portraits, first-responder photograph shoots, commencement celebrations and maternity shoots, Blue Line Portraits has experimented with a variety of topics.

Gathering quite a lot of buzz on social media was a inventive, flame-filled photograph shoot with the Cordova Fireplace Division posted earlier this yr.

“We had a blast with these,” Gagnon mentioned. “It’s simply butane, and a bowl of water with some dishwashing detergent. Get large enough bubbles with the best consistency and we add it to their jacket, helmet or baseball hat.”

The flames solely seem for a number of seconds earlier than they disappear. When the timing is excellent, with a fast 1, 2, 3 rely, magic happens earlier than the lens.

“It was trial and error,” Gagnon mentioned. “It took us some time, and fairly a number of bottles of butane. As soon as we received the cling of it, we have been off to the races. On a superb burst, you could get 2-3 pictures of it earlier than the flames are gone in a matter of seconds.”

His spouse helps with a few of the inventive concepts, together with the units and backgrounds. Gagnon has derived quite a lot of the inspiration for his shoots from Instagram and YouTube, making an attempt to recreate pictures whereas nonetheless retaining a few of his personal inventive aptitude. Blue Line Portraits hardly ever does the identical type of a shoot, aside from vacation shoots. They tear down and arrange backdrops on a weekly foundation.

“It’s a perishable talent,” Gagnon mentioned to aspiring photographers. “Be that one that has a digital camera with them on a regular basis. The most effective teacher us placing a superb digital camera on guide and rolling with it, and studying out of your errors.”

The images has been the straightforward half for Gagnon. The enterprise aspect — scheduling conferences, promoting, the funds — has been difficult, though Gagnon mentioned that he’s discovered so much in a brief time frame. The standard, not essentially the amount, of the photographs is what stays an important side.

“I discover myself after I’m modifying pictures, if I’m not smiling after I’m modifying, I do know I haven’t executed one thing proper,” Gagnon mentioned.

For extra info, go to bluelineportraits.com or [email protected].