Photography* by Shary Connella.

Welcome to my photo gallery. I hope you enjoy what you see. These are a few among many photographs that I have taken through the years. I would love to meet you and have the opportunity to photograph you. I consider photography to be a great medium for me because it allows me to record the light that is shining on you. I’ve had the privilege to go exotic places to meet interesting people and to experience wonderful transformations through the lens of my camera. Emmitt Smith, Paul Newman, General Swratzkoff, Phil Donahue, Kenny Rogers, Ronnie Milsap and River Phoenix are among some of the celebrities that I have photographed.

I began taking photographs at a very young age. My Aunt Elaine gave me my first camera for a Christmas present when I was four. I graduated from the University Of Florida Photojournalism School in 1986 with a Bachelor’s degree. I worked as a freelance photographer for the Ft Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, The Gainesville Sun, The Associated Press, The St Petersburg Times and finally as a full-time photographer for the biomedical photography department at the Health Science Center’s Learning Resources and Communications Unit (LRC). LRC sent me to work with Mary Ellen Mark for a week in South Florida. That week had a profound impact on my work. LRC also sent me to meet Denis Reggie and to participate in one of his workshops. I identified with him on taking a journalist approach to photograph weddings. Each wedding couple tells their story before my camera's lens. I have the pleasure of witnessing this experience with my camera documenting the event on film.

I later won national recognition for my photography in 1991 with the woman under the shower photo and the pictures with the dog playfully tugging on a water-skier’s tow rope. These two photos were displayed in the Book of Days Calendar book. My work has also been exhibited in galleries and museums in San Francisco, New York City and Miami. I also received the Kodak Eastman Impact of Photography award with the Mother and Daughter photograph. I am also listed in Who’s Who among Women photojournalists.

I love to photograph outdoor weddings, pets, environmental portraits, and beautiful places.

I have also worked with illustrator Daniel Baxter-- www.danielbaxter.com--on pet and equine book projects.

* All photography is taken from the original negatives, and is not modified or edited in any way.