When I first started this business, I wanted to take photos of people in their environments. No studio, no artificial lights, no props... I just wanted a little bit of styling to trick the camera and the good eye I was born with (thanks mom and dad!), and I was off to great success. Now, after having been at it for 10 months, I have realized two things:
First, I want to focus on photographing women. I want to empower women to reconnect with and love who they are. I want to crystallize a moment in their lives so they can exist in photos for themselves and their loved ones. You see, this is the one demographic from all the ones I set out to photograph and that I am a part of, in which I can say I feel comfortable and happy. I am a woman. Yet, I struggle to be that, because being a mom, a home maker, a photographer, can so easily overshadow the one role I was born with and will die fulfilling. Having children who love the camera and whom the camera loves makes it oh so much more difficult to have photos taken of myself in which I can be that and just that. And I want every woman to have the experience of inhabiting photos of herself that she treasures, and where she can allow herself to be beautiful, strong, sexy, loving and whatever else she associates with HER womanhood.
Second, the "natural photos" (called lifestyle in the world of photography) idea works wonderfully when photographing children, who are squiggly and temperamental, and (to me) lose a lot of their charm when posed and placed in front of an unrolled background. I also particularly like it when photographing couples and engagement sessions: can you really "generate" the real, natural look of love when posing and placing people in front of a non-working fireplace with uncooked marshmallows on a limp stick? So, I will continue to offer lifestyle photos for children and engagements, and as an option for seniors and families. But when photographing women, I have a different idea. I will offer them an experience, which will include a "makeover" (if I use a less cliched word, would you understand what I mean?), so they can step out of their comfort zone, give themselves the gift of relaxation and pampering, and drop their jaw when they see the final result and say: "That's me? That IS me!". You see, when I photograph a mom playing with her kids, she sees the cuteness of her children in the photo, but of her she either ignores her presence or identifies her muffin top, her wrinkles and her unbrushed hair. Glamour is the name of the game that will show her the woman shinning through all her shortcomings and allow her to see herself, and love what she sees.
This is not 80's glamour. This is Sue Bryce's style glamour: a little bit of beauty, a dash of fashion, a pinch of boudoir... I am learning as I go and loving what I do, and I can't wait to have you and/or your loved one in my new studio: let me show you YOU in a light you have never seen yourself. You won't believe it.
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