The beautiful photography of Maundy Mitchell

PLYMOUTH — They gaze at you with serious, thoughtful, or smiling expressions. Some sit and some stand, with a favorite object nearby, offering a hint of who this person might be, and their place in the world.

These are the people captured in the photographs of Maundy Mitchell, in her Plymouth studio. Mitchell believes so deeply that “People are beautiful,” she has trademarked the phrase. The philosophy is about more than photographing a pretty face or svelte body, but rather finding and seeing the true person in front of the camera.

Growing up in Newport, New Hampshire, Mitchell says the community is, “A wonderful little factory town with a thriving arts community. My favorite hangout as a kid was Newport’s Richards Free Library. It’s in an old mansion with a glorious staircase and beautiful rooms, filled with books and art. In the back of the property is an old carriage house converted to art studio spaces and an art gallery; I still go there when I’m in town.

“At nine years old, I was at the library and came across a book about how to make a pinhole camera. I took the book home and made a camera out of black poster board, tape, aluminum foil, and a rubber band. My mother found some old darkroom equipment at a yard sale and my grandmother, who was an artist, helped me set up a darkroom in her bathroom. It was thrilling to develop that first roll of film from a camera I made.”

Mitchell majored in Aviation at Hawthorne College and English and Special Education at Keene State, before getting a B.A. in Writing and Literature from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Later, she earned a certificate in photography from The Photography Institute and trained with international master photographers.

Mitchell photographs people in a unique manner, with the intention of giving her clients deeply personal photographs that define their true self.

Mitchell’s work is exhibited locally, nationally, and internationally. She explained, “When I have time, I seek out exhibitions that are relevant to my work. This used to mean sending physical work around the world, or sometimes they print and frame it on site. Because of the pandemic, some of the exhibitions are now online. I have work currently on display in several exhibitions, including ‘HerStory,’ an international, juried, online exhibition featuring over 50 women artists from around the world. I submitted a 5x7 tintype portrait called ‘Portrait of HwaKyung’, a result of a session for celebrated photographer HwaKyung Chang. She traveled to New Hampshire from South Korea, and I did a tintype session for her last summer. Almost all the work I submit for exhibition is work I’ve created for clients, as opposed to personal work. When I created the portrait of HwaKyung, we had been talking about the roles of women in society, worldwide, and how, when we reach a certain age, we start to become invisible. At the last second, I asked her to put her hand over half of her face and I exposed the plate. She and I both love the result.”

Mitchell is a portrait photographer, and said, “I offer The Portrait Experience, which can include pets, Headshot Sessions, and Tintype Sessions. Sometimes I travel and put together a team (hair and makeup artist, assistants) in places like Paris, London, or Prague but I haven’t done that since the pandemic. Aside from an occasional international session, I work in my studio.”

Currently, Mitchell’s photographs can be seen in an international, juried, group exhibition called “In Color” at Decode Gallery in Tucson, Arizona (https://maundymitchell.com/in-color-exhibit-in-arizona/); a group exhibition “From Isolation to Community” at PSU's Silver Center for the Arts; a national, juried exhibition called “The Best of Women” Stola Contemporary Art, Chicago, Illinois (https://maundymitchell.com/the-best-of-women-exhibit-in-chicago/) and in an international, juried, group exhibition called “HerStory,” Manhattan Arts International (https://manhattanarts.com/herstory-2022-exhibition-of-art-by-women-artists/).

Mitchell is excited about her new studio at 62 Main Street in Plymouth, a street-level storefront. “It’s in the historic Fox Block building, and easier for many people to access and find." The space has high ceilings, which lends an airy feel and can accommodate lighting structures. "It will be my working photography studio, and a pop-up exhibit space for me and other artists.”

Mitchell's process puts clients at ease, and reflects her philosophy. “My favorite quote is by Henry David Thoreau, who wrote, ‘Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?’ I think this is about connection and empathy, and it’s the foundation of what I do.

“A lot goes into the planning of a Portrait Experience. I meet people first, ask questions, such as how they want to see themselves and who they want to be photographed with. There is no such thing as someone who is not ‘photogenic.’ The key is to slow down and notice everything, such as how someone walks into a room, how their mouth moves. I talk with people and direct the entire time. I can do that because I have studied art, expression, and body language extensively." Meanwhile, she is also listening to the client's concerns about their own image. "For example, if someone is concerned with wrinkles, I will light them in a different way than someone who likes their wrinkles."

“Another element to the Portrait Experience is a mood board. I create a private, online mood board and I give my client assignments. The first assignment is ‘free pinning.’ They do a search on Pinterest. They enter any search term relating to portraits, such as ‘family portraits’. They must save, or ‘pin’ any portrait they are drawn to for any reason. It doesn’t have to be a photograph – it can be a painting, or sculpture. They are not allowed to question why they like it. I add to the mood board, after I’ve spoken with my client. I don’t question my choices or theirs, yet.”

She continued, “A week or two before their session, clients can come to the studio for a wardrobe styling session. They bring anything they’re thinking of wearing and are welcome to try on any of the 150 gowns and dresses in the studio wardrobe." She designs a session informed by everything she knows about them, including how they hope to display or store the resulting images. "I might design a session that includes black-and-white to color, it might have movement, joy, some photos with a family member, a best friend, or a pet.”

Asked what her most interesting subject was, Mitchell reflected, “I did a year-long, personal project in 2014 called ‘The Unseen.’ I photographed residents at the Belknap County Nursing Home. The ones who could speak to me often told me stories. Some were astonishing, and you’d never know unless you took time with them. I think that’s true of everyone. When I think of ‘the most interesting,’ I don’t think of one person, but of this place, with around 90 residents.”

For more information, visit www.maundymitchell.com.