A Day in LA with Sue Bryce – Part 2

I’ve learned from Sue that no matter how busy your life may seem to be, it’s worth the effort to make the time to share and give back.

She has been shooting professionally for half of her life, so not only does she know what she’s doing, she knows how to teach what she’s doing. What we see on creativeLive is really how she is. She’s a true master at posing, lighting, and bringing out the beauty of the woman in front of the camera.

What we don’t see on creativeLIVE are the more subtle things that make her special. These are some of my takeaways from A Day in LA with Sue.

Organization

First of all, look at all these people. How she keeps track of everyone in the room is a feat in itself. During a shoot there are so many moving parts – the client, lighting, assistants, makeup, wardrobe, equipment, backdrops, props… and because she is making videos of her process, this adds more to think about – visual storyboard, sound, educational content… not to mention the bodily needs of everyone in the room – bathroom breaks, hunger, temperature, stamina, doggie potty breaks, doggie snuggles, and you have a lot going on.

You’d think that by adding me as a guest I could be easily overlooked, but she was a warm and gracious host and made me feel welcome and important. Perhaps it’s the British influence that rubbed off on this amazing Kiwi that helps her stay unruffled while managing all the activity around her.

Commitment

Much of Sue’s success as a photographer and educator is her ability to shoot and speak with authority. She has a commanding presence and is mesmerizing to watch and listen to, as we can see from this picture.

Even little Cookie (black pug standing on white couch upstairs) always keeps an eye on her girl.

During a break, we got on the topic of open-heart surgery, and if I hadn’t known she was a photographer, I would have guessed she worked in the medical field, as she spoke with expertise and passion. No use for small talk or trivial matters, get to the meaty stuff and she’ll dive right in. She has strong opinions and is not afraid to share her point of view, which I relate to and admire! It’s with a similar confidence that she approaches her portraiture. She fully commits herself to the woman in front of her camera, as she concentrates on capturing and expressing what is meaningful and beautiful.Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Creativity

While much of Sue’s consistency in style is achieved by following a certain method, (which she shared in 28 Days with Sue) what makes her work so unique is her ability to experiment, to be playful, and to follow her own truth. She has boundless creativity, when coupled with her Kiwi ingenuity, allows her to make the breathtakingly gorgeous images that we all swoon over. Towards the end of the shoot she brought out some vintage scarves from her enviably large collection of wardrobe props, (Cookie found them fun to play with).

First she placed them in her client Dani’s hair, and then had us (yes, I got to participate!) hold the scarves in front of the camera. As Dani started to sing along with her own music that was playing in the background (she’s a songwriter), Caitlin and I slowly danced the scarves in front of her, while Sue filmed and photographed. It was magical and fascinating to be a part of the creative process, and see how Sue naturally flows from one idea to the next. Her props, wardrobe, and poses are like her visual vocabulary, which she arranges and rearranges, and when she clicks her shutter, she has created masterful poems, exquisite portraits.

So, that was a glimpse into a fabulous day. There is much more I could write about, but until then, here’s Sue checking in with IBWS.Make it stand out

Always taking the time to help others!

Sue, du fond de mon coeur, whakawhetai ki a koe!