Deirdre Ryan Photography

Deirdre Ryan is originally from the small, historic town of Bordentown, New Jersey. She graduated in 1996 with a BFA in photography from Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, MA. During college, she came to the conclusion that her purpose was photography when she found herself spending so much time in the darkroom.

But she has always loved photography. "Cameras were always a presence in my family. I love to shoot pictures, although it is hard work, and not always financially rewarding. Telling a story through my imagery and preserving images are passions of mine. I cannot remember a time when I said, 'I give up, I hate this, it's not for me.' Even in tough lean times I just couldn't give it up and work in an office."

She loves creating fine art, photo journalistic and funny images. Her current obsession is creating cards. She also has been going back to using film with her Holga camera as well as her Lomo -- a plastic Russian camera with a glass lens. She's excited to have a new archival printer that will allow her to create panoramic prints that are 13 inches wide and "however long she chooses."

Her inspirations come from her life and "odd" sense of humor. "I have a beautiful family that makes me want to get stuff done," she says with a big grin. Deirdre donates portions of her sales to benefit multiple schlerosis research and maintains a blog on positive thinking. She now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, Jayden, and the family dog. Deirdre is a proud member of the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers and the Stock Artist Alliance, both of which help photographers understand the business of photography and how to maintain their copyrights.

Seven Bridges

Elizabeth of Seven Bridges studio has considered herself a writer -- far removed from visual arts -- for most of her young life. "When I was about 17, I was first introduced to digital art, and I found a world of tools that could bring my inspiration to life," she said. But it would be another 10 years or so before she actually picked up a camera.

Elizabeth loves to create images that stir the soul. She finds it difficult to tell what that will be, and shoots 300 to 400 frames during a good week. Her favorite moment is when she looks at a shot and can tell that it will evoke emotion for someone. Inspiration is her constant companion -- "I have more inspiration than time," she says. Her latest fascination is fashion photography.

TEMNO

Teresa of TEMNO is an Italian architecture student who has a fondness for high-quality paper and functional yet aesthetically pleasing notebooks and sketchbooks. "That is what I often indulge myself with, and what I am offering in this little corner of Etsy," she says. Each of her journals, sketchbooks or albums is unique and handmade, so it might not be perfect as an industrial product, but that's what she likes most.

She's also a photographer, and often her papercrafts feature some her photographs. Sometimes, you'll also find a small selection of Italian beads and copper in her shop as well. You can see more of her work on Flickr and read more about her on her blog.

Raydel Photography

You'd never know it, but Raydel Photography is a Florida-based, self-taught photographer. "I really have always had a love of photography. I have only been shooting for about 6 months. I have always had a camera but I never though of using it as a professional." But it's a little more complex than it seems on the surface. "I have had the training and nurturing of two wonderful and professional photographers. My sister (a photographer and illustrator) and brother have taken me under wing to help me grow with my love of the photographic arts and fine tune her skills." She is in love with creating vintage style images and finding beauty in things often overlooked -- small trinkets often overlooked. "I like to find items in thrift stores that people often toss aside and make them my own little unique works of art.

She also finds inspiration in her children and in her surroundings. "Florida has so many images -- especially sunsets -- just waiting to be photographed," she says, "and I hope to someday capture them all."