One area woman didn’t pick up the lens until later in life, but now she’s focusing it on a bygone lifestyle not often seen.
Sue Clark is currently displaying her American Western photography show “True Grit,” at Samuel’s in Alplaus, and the display runs until May 31. Specializing in Western and equine photography has seen her capturing area scenes, but she has also traveled to the southwest regularly to places such as Ghost Ranch, an education and retreat center located close to the Village of Abiquiu in New Mexico.
In 2005, Clark decided to immerse herself in fine art photography after attending a Landmark Education program. Through the program, she met people who wanted to become artists and others who had made the jump and had become successful in artistic endeavors.
“I just heard all these people talking about what they wanted to do,” Clark said. “I knew in the back of my mind I had always had a good camera eye as far as subject goes. All I needed was to get that one ribbon and off I ran.”
Entering judged contests was her goal, so in 2005 she entered a juried show at the Altamont Fair and walked away with a second place ribbon. This confirmed to her she did “have an eye for photography” and led her to continue pursuit of her passion.
To start fine-tuning her craft, she turned to the Internet for resources on techniques and would scan photography and south-western magazines to pick up pointers. She also took weekend training sessions in Woodstock.
Committing to one photography workshop a year helped her sharpen her knowledge, too. Last fall, she attended the Taos Art School’s equine photography workshop in New Mexico.
As a member of the Saratoga Arts council, she said there are a lot of Capital District photographers shooting horses, but she choose to stretch beyond the local equine scene.
“While most artist are depicting thoroughbred horses and racing, I specialized in western photography,” she said. “I’ve been to numerous locations out west. It is like eye candy, everywhere you look out in the southwest … it is just so different from the northeast.”
She cited the 1940s film “How Green Was My Valley,” directed by John Ford, as a strong influence on her interest in becoming a photographer. She said the composition of film is perfect and allowed her to see the different layers that make a photo great.
“I just loved the fact that everywhere you looked in his filming everything was in focus and everything worked with everything else,” she said. “The background is not going to argue with the foreground, it is going to compliment it.”
What she enjoys most about capturing the southwest is how the scenery is already primed for pictures.
“When I look at the American western icons that I have taken a picture of, it is almost already painted for me. It is a very colorful subject and there are faces that are worn and lined and have worked hard on ranches,” she said. “I just respect that way of life and there are certainly people out west that it’s still how they make their living.”
For six years she has also had her work in juried shows at the Hubbard Museum of the American West, a Smithsonian affiliate, which is owned and operated by the City of Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico. This year she has three photographs featured in the show.
“It is tough competition, because they are out there all the time,” she said of the other artists. “It is a gorgeous museum that focuses on anything and all things west.”
She said she liked showcasing her work at Samuel’s because it allows people to sit and enjoy her art as they have a bite to eat or surf the Internet.
“They can actually stop and look at the art and photography and get the essence of it,” she said.
For information on Sue Clark and to see her artwork, visit her website at www.suephotography.com.
