My Human Of The Wild

Make It Minnesota Magazine is a local publication. It is created to share the stories of makers and innovators that span the great northern state. As stated in the magazine, “They are here to build a timeless collection of tales from each region across the state of MN. They aim to strengthen and promote sustainable, beautiful, altruistic, unique, and creative communities.” 

This local publication teamed up with Ely Folk School for an Instagram contest. This contest was all about discovering the wild around us through portrait photography! The theme was: Humans of the Wild – A Portrait Contest. They encouraged all Minnesota photographers to get creative and share interesting portraits of people in the wild, exploring the connection between humans and nature.

Ely Folk School is based out of Ely, MN. Their mission is: “To build community by providing learning experiences that celebrate the wilderness heritage, art, history, culture, and craft of the people of northern Minnesota.”

I entered this contest by tagging the hashtag #MakeItMN_ElyFolkSchool on a few of my images. Within a few weeks I found out that I made it in to the top 20! {*YAY!*}

From there, the Top 10 entries would be chosen and published in the next Wild Issue of Make It Minnesota magazine, which released this past June 2017.

Last week I found out through this Instagram post by Make It Minnesota that my image was actually picked to be in the Top 10 and published in the current issue of the magazine!!

You can order your own copy HERE!!  Order a single copy of the Wild 2017 (Vol 2. No 3) for $7.95 or a 1 year subscription of the publication for $30.00 –these options are under “Order Options” 🙂

I ordered two copies, one for us and one for my parents 🙂 Our copies arrived today in the mail, so naturally we went out into the Wild to look at it 😉  Enjoy!

— FYI — that amazing image on the cover is by my Instagram friend, Jennifer @sageeimagery

http://makeitmn.com/

All of the Top 20 entries can be seen HERE. 

View all of the entries at the tag #MakeItMN_ElyFolkSchool on Instagram 🙂

Shannon OMalley

Oh hey there, nice to meet you!
I’m Shannon O’Malley— a Minneapolis-based (soon-to-be Dallas, TX!) photographer who specializes in online dating profile photography, personal branding portraits, business headshots, and senior sessions. Whether you’re showing up on dating apps, LinkedIn, or your website, I create natural light photos that help you feel confident, magnetic, and true to yourself.
With over 15 years of experience — and a journey that’s taken me from single mom to entrepreneur (with a CBS feature along the way) — I’ve seen firsthand how the right photos can open doors. From attracting more aligned matches to landing dream clients, your image is often the first impression. Let’s make it count.
I also help service providers and creatives get discovered through AI search tools like ChatGPT. I’m the creator of the AI Discovery Checklist and the upcoming course Booked by ChatGPT, designed to help people like you show up where your dream clients are already asking, “Who should I hire?”
Oh, and I’m also the founder of the Empowered Evolution Mentorship Program — where I teach photographers how to build profitable, sustainable businesses with intentional marketing, smart SEO, and systems that don’t burn you out.
When I’m not behind the camera, you’ll find me with my husband, my son, and our beautifully blended family — soaking up everyday joy here in the Twin Cities (for now!). We’re relocating to Dallas, Texas in 2026, where I’ll continue offering my signature photography experience for daters, creatives, and business owners in the DFW area.
Ready for photos that actually feel like you? Whether you’re leveling up your dating profile, your personal brand, or your online visibility, I’ll guide you every step of the way.Let’s book your session — or start with the free AI Discovery Checklist.

www.shannonkathleenphotography.com