insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 23 - January 2017 | Page 29

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT ARTIST PROFILE: SORCHA BRIDGE Sussex-based photographer, Sorcha Bridge, uses her unique vision to create bold, beautiful and thought-provoking work. insideSUSSEX spoke to her about what she does and what the future holds. Dungeness How would you describe your photography? Photography with a different perspective. Unique, vibrant, polished, and emotional. When did you first discover your love for photography? I discovered photography aged 16, when I chose it as my specialist field on my art foundation course. I loved the whole process and in those days it was very organic – shooting 35mm film, processing and developing, the absolute joy of the dark room...I remember shooting football crowds and printing the images on matte paper in black and white, very large and grainy. Do you have a favourite photograph or collection? I really enjoy shooting landscapes, people and silhouettes. I love the landscapes I have shot at Dungeness (above), it’s a very special place for me; a stark industrial landscape. I also love the collection of images I shot for a music management company on the South Downs at sunrise using a figure to obscure the rising sun – I love dramatic imagery. What or who are your greatest inspirations? There are many: Grace Jones, Roisin Murphy, Bjork, disco, my friends, nature, and photographers Don McCullin, Martin Marr, Mario Testino, David Lachapelle, and Annie Leibovitz. What is it about post-production that you find so fascinating? The post production side to photography is where I get to add my sense of style to the image and where I get to create drama, contrast, vibrancy and also play with Photoshop to clean and manipulate the images. I believe it’s my editing that sets my work apart; when shooting commercial work, I make the ordinary and everyday interesting. Is there anyone or anything specifically that you would love to photograph? I would love to photograph Grace Jones or any other inspiring, stylish, outrageous, extraordinary female figure. I would do something highly produced – I’d shoot her in a dilapidated urban landscape like the cement mining factory in Steyning (another favourite location of mine). It would be heavily lit with smoke machine, fans, exquisite styling and drama. Do you take your camera with you everywhere, just in case you spot a photo opportunity? My camera is massive and not something I can take everywhere unfortunately. I use my iPhone for capturing little one-off moments. I shoot a mixture of portrait-based and interior work and I also shoot events which demand candid ‘in-the-moment’ shots, but a lot of what I do is requires advanced planning, which I particularly enjoy. What has been your proudest artistic achievement to date? My own sheer determination and courage to get to this point. I had a successful career in styling in my 20s, had two children, became a single mother, struggled to make ends meet and lost all sense of creativity. With that I became very depressed, so coming back to photography three years ago and starting from scratch was daunting, but I am so happy now. www.sorchabridgephotography.com www.sorchabridgeweddingphotography.com sorchabridgephotography 29