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Date: 1/3/2023
EASTHAMPTON – A lifestyle and event photographer based in Easthampton is currently making a name for himself between the arcadia wildlife sanctuary and the Eastworks building.
James Crawford, who operates under the “Manhan Photography” moniker, has spent the majority of his life honing his photography skills. His work and lifelong journey have culminated in his newly formed business, which officially earned certification in mid-December.
In an interview with Reminder Publishing, Crawford said his business mainly specializes in lifestyle and events photography with specific services in maternity, family portraits, couples/engagements and headshots. His photography, however, is not limited to portraiture work. “I would encourage people to contact me with any photography job,” he added.
For Crawford, an interest in photography began when he received his first digital camera in middle school, a 5-megapixel fuji Finepix.
“That was kind of the birth of my love for digital photography,” said Crawford. “It was so cool to have pictures you could upload to your computer.”
At the time, Crawford did not have formal training, so he spent most of his days taking snapshots of his natural surroundings within the area he lived in at the time.
“I was doing quick snapshots around my house,” said Crawford. “My skills were really growing once I got to college.”
Crawford attended Berry College, a private liberal arts school located in Georgia, where he studied visual journalism and took photography courses as an art form and medium for journalism and storytelling.
Since then, Crawford has traveled all over the country working in the commercial photography industry as a contributor, photo editor and content moderator. Specifically, he spent some time in Hawaii working for a stock photography company and had the opportunity to work with world-class photographers, develop editing skills and study thousands upon thousands of professional-level photographs for composition and lighting.
“I went from Hawaii to New Jersey, and now Massachusetts,” said Crawford. “I’ve spent some time over the last decade moving around.”
Crawford said he and his wife chose to move to Massachusetts in 2018 after falling in love with the area and officially became Easthampton residents in 2019. “We were like, ‘where do we want to start a family,’” said Crawford, reminiscing about that time. “We said, once we’re done with New Jersey, ‘let’s go to Massachusetts.’”
For the last 15 years, Crawford has taken the camera everywhere he goes. He said that he has considered taking the next step in professional photography for years but experienced a heavy bout of “imposter syndrome.” He said his family and friends encouraged him to start his own business.
“My friends and family have continued to encourage me to offer my services in a photography business – not until now have I had the confidence to take the plunge and move forward as a small business owner,” he said. “I am thankful for the support of my friends and family because I wouldn’t be here without them.”
The Manhan Photography name comes from the river that essentially runs through his backyard in Easthampton. “I live about 100 yards from the Manhan Rail Trail,” said Crawford. I spend a lot of time riding my bike into downtown Northampton or Easthampton, running errands, on hours-long solo rides or pulling my three-year-old in the bike trailer. Cycling is another passion in my life, and I am so thankful to live so close to an amazing infrastructure that supports a safe environment for cyclists.”
When asked what drew him to photographing important moments in people’s lives, Crawford touched on the preciousness and long-term value of capturing something close to someone’s heart.
“I just like to be able to capture those moments and make them an honest representation of the people and also offer something unique that they’re not going to get from their iPhone camera,” said Crawford. “I’m also a parent now, and I can see how quickly moments can fade. It’s important to save and cherish milestones in our lives.”
People interested in a session with Crawford can book online for 30 minutes to an hour usually at a location of the client’s choosing. Crawford offers delivery of the images via the website. To learn more, visit here: https://www.manhanphotography.com/home.