Meet Anna Thornton | Mother and teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anna Thornton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anna, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Since I was a little kid, I loved to sit and look at pictures for hours at a time. I loved seeing the beautiful scenery and smiling faces knowing that there was a story behind each photo. I would often try to imagine what it was like to be in the photo and what was felt when the photo was taken. There was something about it that always left me in awe and wonder looking at those photos.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
With little experience and no training in photography, I felt like my work was inadequate and unprofessional. I loved to look at objects from different angles and try to get people to see life in a way that they might have never seen before, or capture expressions on people’s faces that would make you want to be there in the picture.

After about a year of practicing, I started a photography page on Instagram and began posting pictures that I took on social media. I didn’t think anyone would be interested, but one day I woke up to an email from a sweet lady wanting to know more about my work. I thought it was probably a scam so I ignored it for a few weeks, but as I thought more about it, I was like maybe this is what will get me started in the world of photography. With a baby on the way things have been hard, but I thought I would give photography one more shot, hoping that my baby will be able to grow up and see my work and say; “Momma did that!”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take them to some of my favorite spots. Where I had memories growing up. From the Paul Boardman trail that I would walk whenever I was stressed or mad, to the restaurants that we would go to growing up like Papacitas, New Hupi’s or the Butcher Shop every Thursday night for burgers and fries.
I remember we would go kayaking at Lake of the Pines and once I was out on the water in that boat, I wouldn’t want to get out.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I knew photography was a dream of mine ever since I was a little kid, but I was told that I couldn’t make money with it and that I needed to go to college and find a real job. I had no idea where or how I would even begin, but my sisters, Alyssa and Kaylee, constantly encouraged me to try anyway. Then finally after years of asking for a camera, my aunt and uncle gave me their old family camera, and I never wanted to put it down once I had it in my hands.

Instagram: @Amt photography

Facebook: @Anna Thornton

Other: My email is: mannakorth@gmail.com