Perhaps you’re here because a friend pointed you my way or one of my business cards perked your curiosity. Maybe you had a bad experience with another photographer and you’re looking for alternatives, or you’re comparing prices in the market. You’re possibly here because you need a commercial, a photoshoot, a logo design, something to give yourself or your business that extra flair. Heck, you could just be here for fun. Whatever the case may be, I’m determined to understand your expectations of me and deliver something that will not only go beyond them, but show you to a world of possibilities where art and passion meet.
My name is Angela. I’m enjoying life in my early twenties, living in Houston, Texas, and my big dream is to direct my own movies someday. You know, be the next Peter Jackson or James Cameron. One of my biggest inspirations is Hayao Miyazaki, in the sense that I want to make films that seize people’s heartstrings and give viewers a perspective they never knew existed with beautiful, breathtaking art and cinematography.
Finding My Passions
I think I owe a lot of my passion for film to my dad. Growing up, we bonded over late nights in our chairs or the couch, staying up watching movies – any category, ranging from action, to comedy, to surrealism, you name it. Our conversations comprise of a lot of movie quotes and references. I think it was my dad who inspired me to think about my own stories and movies.
Then, I started playing around with my dad’s Photoshop 7 program in middle school and used it for my drawings until I was old enough to work and buy Photoshop CC in 2012. That was when I started considering getting serious about my graphic work. I started finding an interest in Photography during my freshman year. I’d take my friends’ pictures casually with my parent’s camera. It wasn’t until the beginning of my senior year of high school that I discovered my love for film. I was directing a short film for a class, and at some point on scene, I thought to myself, “I can see myself doing this for the rest of my life.”
Experience
In high school, I created a film for my Gold Award project, Rewire Society. This is the highest rank a Girl Scout can achieve. I suppose you could say that the film went viral, gathering more than 3,000 views in the first month. The sudden popularity was what led to my nomination as a 2017 National Young Woman of Distinction. (The title is now called National Gold Award Girl Scout.) Ten Girl Scouts are selected out of all of the Gold Awards in the entire country. While the nomination was for the work I did, I wouldn’t have accomplished what I did without that film getting the name out there.
This popularity is what would give me a cascade into amazing and perhaps even bizarre positions. I’ve been able to take a two month internship in New York, where I made films for Girl Scouts of the USA. I’ve worked and directed cameras to be displayed on the big screens at NRG stadium for the 2018 and 2019 seasons for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. During my time there, I was able to work with some of the most esteemed videographers in the country, such as Pierre J. F. Meunier. I’ve been contracted by companies from the Department of Defense, such as Clarkson Aerospace Corp., and worked on films to be presented to the Pentagon.
Where am I now?
I’m currently going to college for a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a minor in film. (My advisor looked at me like, “You want to do what now??”) In my sophomore year of college, I was hired by the Texas Center for Superconductivity as a research assistant. When they found out I was a good videographer and photographer, they hired me as the only videographer/photographer in the building. This is my current part-time position when I’m not doing my personal work.
♫ Getting To Know Me ♪
Would you like to listen to some of my favorite music while you read? 🙂
Angela Shipman
Scientist. 🥽 Artist. 🎨 Musician. 🎶 Capricorn. ♑ Texan. 🤠 Gamer. 🎮
I’ve always been the kind of person who looks for the good in everything, but not with the sort of “false positivity” that gets associated with that phrase. If I had to describe my outlook on life, it would be that there isn’t anything to be accomplished by looking for the bad, or not looking at all. I think life and everything that comes with experiencing it is beautiful, however full of strife and terror it may be. I think that my personal philosophy is what makes me fall so in love with the arts. I love capturing these moments, be it through photography or videography; especially the ones we take for granted; the ones that catch us by surprise when we look at them at some other time, because we’re a completely different person from who we were.
“I never noticed that about you!”
“Yeah, I’m sorry you never got to know him.”
“I can’t believe I was like that then.”
All phrases I’ve heard over the years from friends and family as they look over their moments; frozen in time; trapped in ink on gloss paper or pixels on a screen. I’ll never underestimate the power of capturing these moments now-past and how they can resonate so much with the present.
Anyway, I suppose you could say I’m a deep-thinker; a day-dreamer. My imagination has a way of carrying me away to far off realms with fantastical creatures and characters. It takes me too far away sometimes, especially when I’m supposed to be paying attention in school.
I know I’m going to get weird looks for this one, but my favorite music is instrumental music – music for movie trailers or movie soundtracks. I do listen to music with words when I’m jamming out in the car, but most of the time, I’m listening to instrumentals like the playlist above. When I’m listening to that music, be it solemn harmonies on the cello or the crashes of battle-marches on the drum, I can see in my mind the movies I want to make and the stories I want to write. I can see vibrant colors splashing down on a scene like a fresh watercolor painting whenever I listen to almost any song. It’s one of my favorite past-times – closing my eyes and getting lost in my head.
Accompanying my ‘Deep Thinker’ personality is my ‘Warrior Spirit,’ as my family and friends put it.
They call that characteristic of myself the ‘warrior spirit’ because I’m a terribly passionate person. As corny as it may sound, I’m a fighter. I’ll weather whatever storm comes my way. I’m never one to bow out when things get hard. In fact, I probably push myself too hard. I either put 1000% of my efforts into something or not at all. There is no in between for me. I’m protective of those in need of my protection. Being a six-foot gentle giant in high school, I realized the secret responsibility I had to the quiet kids who wouldn’t speak up to their bullies.
So, my ‘warrior spirit’ got its name.
And then, there’s The Goof. The Prankster. The one that rejoices in making others smile. I feel like that one is pretty self-explanatory. 🙂
I suppose those are the three big components to who I am. Or, who I think of myself as, I should say. They all tie into my passion for my work – the deep thinker with a big imagination that expands into the spaciousness of her creativity; the warrior spirit who will go above and beyond to accomplish her client’s needs; the goof who will never fail to make the photoshoot/event/process more fun.
While conceivably small things, I feel like these are some other worthwhile things to know about me; I love chocolate a little too much. I adore horses; petting them, riding them, drawing them, everything horses. I love both cats and dogs, but if I had to choose between having one or the other, I’d have a cat. (However, if I see you have a dog with you, s/he is getting belly rubs and scritches on the ears. This is a disclaimer to not bring your dog to a photoshoot with me, because I will get nothing done and only play with your dog.) My favorite color is purple. I love singing. I can’t quite pin-point why, but there’s something so aesthetic about pixel art for me. I used to be a hardcore FPS gamer, but with allocating my time to school and work, I’m far more casual nowadays. My mom, dad, little sister and I all play World of Warcraft together. If I see a Buccee’s, I’m stopping there.
And finally… I know I may lose clients for this next one… but I would be lying to the world and to myself if I didn’t stand up for what I believe in… pineapple can go on pizza. 😛
