6 minute read
Featured Photographer: Rosswood Photography
ROSSWOOD PHOTOGRAPHY By Michelle Elizabeth
Our Featured Photographer is the talented and unique Heather Furlow, the creative genius behind Rosswood Photography, located in Dallas, TX. She is hearing impaired, but that doesn’t stop her from reaching for her dreams. She admits that it can be very frustrating to be in a crowd of new people and struggle to keep up with conversations. So, occasionally there are missed opportunities.
Furlow has always had a passion for photos. She says, “I learned early on… Capturing memories and people in their element was important.” As a teen, Heather’s dad gave her a professional camera with all the bells and whistles to practice with. Well actually, he gave her the instruction book for the camera first. He didn’t give her the actual camera until she signed off on knowing how to use it. The business came about after having children. It was a great way to express herself and capture memories with the kids. People loved the images of her kids and started asking her to take pictures for them. Word spread and Rosswood Photography grew from there. Furlow’s youngest child started modeling for boutiques all over the US and Canada and some of those owners blossomed into fashion designers. This led Heather down the path of editorial fashion photography with children and teens. To this day, it is still her favorite genre of photography to shoot. She loves “Everything that goes into it- from set styling to hair/makeup and clothes for the scene.” She generally shoots with how she plans on processing the image later. She says, “There lies the magic, editing and making the moment memorable.”
When Furlow first started photography her style was “Super dreamy and artsy.” Gradually, she’s learned to shoot “More clearly and in depth straight out of the camera and just do minimal enhancements in editing.” Work/Life/Family balance was rough at first. Heather overextended herself in the beginning and struggled with time management. She advises, “Learn to say ‘NO.’ Some of your biggest struggles will come from doing things you know deep down you should have said ‘No’ to. I know my strengths now and my weaknesses so I have to stick to my guns and just refuse some things and that’s ok.” Furlow adds, “Never stop learning, and put people first. It’s not always just about business.”
For this talented Mom, the best part of Photographing kids is “Connecting with them, bringing out their own individual personalities and quirks. The challenging part is the reluctant kid… maybe they were tired by the time they are to shoot, or maybe just had an overall bad day....it happens. What I do is stop everything, we put all of that aside and talk. Once you put them first and tackle the current issue/mood then you can move forward. It is amazing to watch a kid shine once they relax and gain that confidence in themselves and trust you.”
As a child, Heather had lots of earaches and was repeatedly treated for swimmers ear. When she was 11, the left side of her face was swollen so she went to a specialist who found a tumor in her left ear. That same day, she spent 8 hours in surgery. It was definitely a character building experience for her because she just started a new school and her head was totally wrapped in bandages. Over the next few years, she had multiple follow up surgeries and was introduced to hearing aides. She says, “Last thing I wanted in Middle School was to be different but my outgoing personality and sense of humor helped ease that transition of wearing them to my peers who had never seen a kid with hearing aides.”
Her favorite subjects in school were English and History. History completely fascinated her. She says, “All the past struggles and obstacles people overcame...one common thread throughout history is people coming together working together for change. Love it!” As for English, she had amazing teachers every year.
When relaxing, Heather loves to sit in her swing in the backyard, feel the warmth on her face, watch nature, and just think. Some of her best ideas come from that. She grew up in the country and spent most of her childhood outside exploring. Furlow still gets inspired by exploring. She explains, “Life, everything around me inspires me. People, animals, places like a winding road in the country or sunset on the beach... all moments I want to freeze in time and remember always.”
Heather’s role model is her Mom, who lost her 18 month battle with cancer in 1999. She explains, “She taught me so much about how to interact with others, listen to others and be there in the moment… She never ever complained about the struggles and pain she endured. She taught me strength and dignity and compassion for others. I like to think I carry that with me daily into my business and my interaction with people. Life is short, cherish the moments, enjoy the little things.”
Rosswood Photography has big goals for the future. Furlow wants “To be featured in every magazine from People magazine to National Geographic! My dream is to one day bring back studio for everyone, not just fine art. I want to have my own venue one day with everything you need for that perfect picture on site.”
Heather wants people to know that “When you live with hearing loss, it requires serious effort. People with ordinary hearing may not realize this because for them, hearing is automatic. When you're out with friends, or at a restaurant, it requires a lot more energy for those with hearing loss to understand others. It’s hard to make sense of distorted sounds or words in a conversation, and figure out appropriate ways of responding. This is mentally and physically exhausting. Louder is not always better. Clarity is not always provided by volume. The louder someone might talk, the more the words can get distorted. Just speak clearly and get their attention physically before you talk. Hearing aides do not work like glasses. Glasses turn fuzzy pictures into something clear and crisp that corrects your vision. Hearing aids do not equal getting
your ordinary hearing back… [It] helps amplify sounds but doesn’t always make them clearer.” Currently some hearing aids can’t distinguish between the voice of the speaker and the background noise, making it difficult to focus and understand.Also, even though facemasks are a great preventative measure during the Covid-19 Pandemic, it is very frustrating for people like Heather who rely on lip-reading to help understand what people are saying to her.
Furlow recommends the following tips to ease communication with a person who has hearing impairment:
- Reduce background noise - Get their attention before you speak - Face them when talking - Don’t cover your mouth or eat when talking - Talk slowly and clearly, not loudly - Ask them if they have understood, and let them talk for themselves - Don't walk and talk
