I’ve had the distinct pleasure of learning more about portrait photography in the past year and really diving into the contemporary or Vanity Fair-style genre through a network led by legendary photographer Sue Bryce.
Twice a year, you can submit images to seek accreditation by her Portrait Masters organization. That was quite the challenge with this latest round since the pandemic made photoshoots virtually impossible for a very long stretch. Ordinarily, submissions need to be shot within the past two years. Given the pandemic, the rules were relaxed to allow for older work.
I’m stoked to find out today that 16 of the 17 images I submitted achieved bronze status, a point system based on the average reviews by 5 photographers.
Four of those images were shot while I was still in Georgia and remain among my favorites, while the rest were shot here in Idaho. Although I normally do studio work, two of the images were shot outside and I’m starting to develop a fondness for environmental portraits so you may see me create more of that style of work in the future.
There are two things I love about portrait photography: making people see both their inner and outer beauty, and learning and growing, experimenting with light, composition and expression.
The awards are nice validation for what I aim to achieve with each and every portrait session. But the most important part is getting to know each of my clients, find out what motivates them and allow them the opportunity to see themselves as glamorous, alluring and empowered.
A big thank you to all of the people who have stood (or sat or danced) in front of my camera!
