In Memoriam: Christopher Shane

Christopher Shane Brown: 1981-2017

Late last week, we were saddened to learn of the passing of member photographer Christopher Shane Brown. From Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, Christopher was the loving husband of Stephanie Grainger Brown and father of Emerson Brown. Chris passed away Saturday, May 13, 2017, as the result of a boating accident on Lake Champlain.

In addition to being a talented photographer, Chris was a devoted family man and an exceptionally kind person. A member of Wonderful Machine since 2009, we feel privileged to have been able to share Chris’s photography with the world and would like to take this opportunity to reflect on his life.

Born August 29, 1981, in Sacramento, California Chris went Southeast after high school.

I moved to the Southeast right out of high school and have loved it since. The South has so many interesting facets to its culture, it’s a great place to be in my mind.

He attended college with the intention of being a filmmaker, but after taking one still photography class, his view of images changed and so did his career path.  

Chris was an avid foodie and paired his enjoyment for cooking and fine dining with his photography. From a 2010 interview with us, Chris described some of his favorite things in life.

I love Polaroids, natural light, mexican food, my Yashica T4 camera, the band Mutemath and James Brown, Levi’s, dark rimed eyeglasses, classic 80’s movies, (who doesn’t) ice cream and chocolate.

Chris’s photographic talents were wide-ranging and his accomplishments in the field were fueled by his strong work ethic. In addition to his still life, portraiture and food & drink work, Chris specialized in home & garden photography making him versatile and desirable to clients. 

Patrick, one of Christopher’s fellow photographer friends recently shared one of his favorite moments with him: 

Chris was one of the most modest and hard working photographers I know. Gentle in nature, he was fiercely dedicated to his craft.  He was a father and a husband and a really nice friend to have. Chris was always the one inviting friends together. We went on a night hike once near my old home in the mountains of North Carolina when he was in town for a shoot. We were on a quest to see the rare and elusive Blue Ghost Firefly… Chris loved to talk, softly & a lot (you’d soon be agreeing to a puffy shirt if you weren’t careful), but we all went silent that night as we stood mesmerized on a carpet full of millions of unblinking blue fireflies dancing inches above the forest floor.  It was a subtle life changing spiritual moment, shared sans cameras, with a good photographer and good friend. Hike on, Christopher Shane.   

In lieu of flowers, Chris’s family has requested memorial donations be made to CHRISTOPHER BROWN CHILDREN’S FUND, c/o SC Federal Credit Union, 2175 Credit Union Lane, North Charleston, SC 29406, or any branch office.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/2r4eQJ9. If you knew Chris and have any experiences you’d like to share, please reach out.