Sue Barr is Trapped in Suburbia
A fleet of luxury minivans driven by soccer moms navigate down a picket fence lined street. A familiar postman (Was his name John? Jim maybe? Not that familiar I guess) waves as he navigates a meticulously cared for lawn strewn with kids’ toys. Everyone knows everyone, and there are no secrets. For single mom (by choice) and professional photographer Sue Barr this is her day to day life. Still, it’s clear talking to her that Sue is not cut from the same cloth as these suburban soccer moms – she’s a city gal, living there by default for her work and for her child. “Trying to balance living in the suburbs with trying to be creative can freakin’ kill you,” Sue comments.
Still, it has its benefits. Great access to untouched talent, amazing locations that no location scout knows about and a daily inspiration for her imagery. In fact, without the suburbs Sue may never have won a PDN Lifestyle Photo Contest for the above image. The image actually was conceived by happenstance while Sue was meeting with a client. Upon exiting the house, the scene in front of her just seemed so idyllic and photogenic that she took out her phone to snap an Instagram shot. Then, her professional instincts kicked in and she grabbed her Nikon 800 SLR and began creating some real shots.
Although one of the shots which she took ended up winning the PDN contest, Sue wanted to share more of the imagery with the public. She posted a story “ suburban happy Hour” about her life in the burbs on Suburban Bliss, just one of the two blogs she somehow finds time to manage.
One of the clear standout images from this shoot is one of a little girl with her face painted on a tricycle, playing by herself apart from the group of kids in the background. Sue really connected with this image. “That’s how I feel, you know. I’m out there in the world creating art and no one is paying attention! Everyone is so busy with their cookie cutter lives and schlepping their kids around that they forget about the world around them.”
Sue’s undeniably unique style has led to the success she has seen to date as a photog shooting campaigns for Proctor and Gamble, Colgate Palmolive and numerous other commercial and editorial clients. She has a real knack for controlling her subjects and making her shots seem spontaneous yet posed at the same time. With a little humor and a lot of idealism, Sue shoots the worlds as she perceives it. She believes everyone should look natural but also look good. The style she developed shooting personal and private work absolutely bleeds into her commissioned work – and advertisers are beginning to take note. “Moms look at my photos and go ‘I want to be that Mom.’ Advertisers want moms to feel that way,” Sue notes.
For more of Sue’s work check out her FoundFolios portfolio.