Member Spotlight: Shaun Munroe
Tell us a little about the beginnings of your photo journey. When did you get started? Why did you feel compelled to start making images?
Photography has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My mother always had a camera in her hand, taking tons of photos of my brothers and me as we were growing up. My dad did a lot of artistic photography when I was younger and had bookshelves full of photo books. With three photographers on my dad’s side and my mom’s propensity for always capturing memories, creating images myself seemed more like an inevitability.
My journey of creating images began in the 5th grade, when I was part of a student ambassador program that sent me to the UK for 2 weeks. I was given a camera for the trip, and I was off to the races, capturing everything I saw on my little digicam. However, my love for photography as an art form began in middle school art class, when we were learning about Ansel Adams. I was completely enthralled by his work and wanted to make images that people could connect to and reflect on. After begging for a film camera for a few years, I was gifted a Minolta XG-M, and I’ve had a camera attached to me one way or another ever since.
As a street photographer, what's one shot you almost didn't take — and what stopped you, or didn't?
There are too many to count! The one that immediately comes to mind is a photo I took when commuting home from work. A woman walked onto the train and sat down right in front of me, visibly upset, and my first thought was to let the moment be; however, I realized there was such a delicate and beautiful melancholy that needed to be captured.
As someone who started my photography journey mainly in landscape and architecture photography, I find there is far less time to react and compose in street photography. For me, street photography feels like Jazz, dynamic and changing, whereas landscape photography feels more like classical music, planned and methodical.
What's the difference between a street photo that's interesting and one that actually matters to you?
I think a lot of times, what goes into capturing a photo can create more meaning for me. If I try something new and it turns out well, or I step outside my comfort zone, it can heighten its meaning for me personally, even if it doesn’t have widespread appeal. Those moments are still important on the journey to becoming a better photographer because they can be powerful reminders of the growth process.
How did you first come across CMC, and what drew you to join the collective?
I first came across CMC through Erica, who was my wedding photographer! I told her that I was a photographer, and she invited me to come check it out. I was immediately drawn to coming back month after month because of the community and how productive but low-stakes everything feels. I feel myself growing every time I go, whether I am giving or receiving feedback.
Could you share around 5-8 images from your most recent project or photo series? We’d love to hear the story behind these works and what inspired the project.
These images are all from my hometown of Baltimore, MD. I am in the early stages of documenting the neighborhood I grew up in as it begins to change. I grew up in a neighborhood that has always been slower-paced than the rest of the city, with a predominantly older population. I began documenting the neighborhood in Spring 2025 after needing to spend more time in Baltimore during my mom’s battle with breast cancer. In our conversations, she spoke a lot about how the neighborhood is beginning to change, which sparked a need to document.
