Life and Work with Sydney Foster

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sydney Foster.

Sydney, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My story started back in 2012 when I was an upcoming junior in high school at Brewbaker Technology Magnet. I realized that I wanted to go full-fledged in the photography realm. Where I am originally from, Montgomery, Ala, it’s small and very limited in resources. I needed assistance with learning the basics. I reached out to a few prominent photographers in regards to allowing apprentice under them. They declined to assist for various reasons which prompted me to not give up and push the envelope a little harder.

At the young age of 17, I decided to travel to Atlanta for assistance. I met my first mentor Eleet Casey, we actually met through Instagram. He told me to come by whenever I was in the area. He taught me the basics of studio lighting, along with retouching. He specialized in high-end fashion photography, which was the realm I was going into because I wanted to do a fashion magazine while in high school.

From there, I took the knowledge attained from Eleet and began investing in myself. I purchased the basics, a camera, a few cheap studio lights, and began to experiment.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My journey has been an interesting one. It hasn’t been smooth at all. It seems as though the further I progress and succeed in my career, the more I experience turbulence.

I had a lot of “no’s” starting off, even in the beginning, from people I looked up to the most when I was in high school.   Beyond the beginning stages, once I got a steady clientele, I suffered from balance — balancing my career in college, along with being a service member in the Air Force, and thriving in the photography scene. I was also challenged by being confident and believing in myself in the beginning stages.

I would encourage every young woman to take pride in the journey of being a woman in this male-dominated industry. It is a challenge, but you can have the world. Do your research, educate yourself. Become well rounded in the business aspect as well as the creative field. The more you know, the fewer people can take advantage of you. Don’t ever self-sabotage. Know that you are the best to ever pick up your camera and that there is only one you and no one can do it like you.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am a fashion photographer, creative director, student, and servicewoman in the US. Air Force. I specialize in editorial, commercial, fine art photography. I am known for many things, but a few things I take pride in is being one of the youngest from my city of Montgomery, Alabama to have had published work in Times Square this past fashion week and apprenticing under Celebrity photographers Keith Major, Danielle Levitt, and Jason Rodgers. I also serve as Assistant Photographer to the Governor of Alabama when I am not being commissioned for Fashion projects. Lastly, before I forget, I had the opportunity to intimately photograph Dave Matthews as well as Tarana Burke on a separate occasions. I only had a short time to photograph each time.

Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well-positioned for?
Women created the world we live in, believe it or not. There is much more opportunity for us now given the climate we are living in today. Major brands have opened up several opportunities for women to thrive and grow. I am excited about how things will pan out in the next five years for women.

Pricing:

• Single Photo Session – $350
• Model Development – $1500
• Commercial Photography – $3000

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sydneyafoster.com
• Phone: 3347810029
• Email: sydney@sydneyafoster.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sydney.a.foster/
• Facebook: fb.me/sydneyafosterphoto
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/sydneyafoster

Image Credit:
Sydney A. Foster

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