Constance Doyle is a French & Irish marketing student in UCD. However, sovaldi sale unlike most UCD students, buy cialis she is balancing student life with life as an international professional photographer. Constance specializes in portraits and her striking work has been picked up by Vogue Italia, the hit US TV show American Horror Story and National Geographic’s website. Intrigued, we caught up with Constance to see what drives this rising star…
UCD student and professional photographer Constance Doyle talks to the College Tribune about her international career, working with Vogue Italia and living life through art….
How did you get into photography?
I grew up in the suburbs of Paris, where everyone lived very settled lives. In a way, it made me respect the need for a settled life, but most of all, out of that, I generated my own enthusiasms. I began tapping into different art forms as it was the only way I could achieve mental relaxation. I started taking portraits here and there and posting them on my blog (those were the days!). One day, a renowned modeling agency in Paris scouted me online and asked me if I was interested in doing test shoots for the models’ books. I didn’t have a portfolio at the time, and I had no idea what I was doing nor what I was getting myself into, but I went for it because I wanted to do something valuable with my time besides my studies. The next thing I know, I was working for agencies in Europe and the United States and collaborating with talented people in the fashion industry, along with a substantial follower base.
You have had pretty high profile shoots and publications, including Vogue Italia and the hit US TV show American Horror Story, how did this come about?
I think that being proactive is crucial as a photographer in the digital age. In a leap of faith, I emailed the editorial board of Vogue Italia a few pictures of a test I had done in Paris last summer with a model friend. I felt that I had achieved great aesthetics that I was quite proud of, so I knew I was playing my cards right. The next day, the pictures got published on the Vogue Italia’s website and I was over the moon. When it comes to American Horror Story, one of my pictures caught their eye on Facebook and they sent me a contract granting them the right to exhibit the picture on social media as a means to advertise and promote the latest season. Obviously, me being a huge AHS enthusiast, I signed it immediately!
What inspires you to be a professional photographer?
The freedom to create beauty. As a child, I was always fascinated by the classics made by masters in their genres such as Stanley Kubrick, Jean-Luc Godard and Hitchcock which displayed hauntingly beautiful aesthetics each in their own way. Later on, when I decided to make a bold move to Budapest, I discovered filmmakers and photographers that weren’t mainstream but still created beautiful works, and I developed a soft spot for Scandinavian, Central European and Eastern European independent films. It became clear that the most important thing to me in photography was to light the subject in a non-intrusive, naturalistic and sympathetic way. The camera being an observer rather than seeking the action can reveal the truth and the beauty in the subject. This pure and authentic way of seeing things is actually reminiscent of a British cultural movement led by filmmaker Ken Loach that bloomed in the 50’s and 60’s called “kitchen sink realism” – or “social realism”… And that is the starlight I’ve tried to follow ever since.
Tell us about your new project?
My new project is focused on stories that are worth being told. I like traveling, coming across people I don’t know and capturing the joy and suffering of their world. When you witness pure stories about real people, it’s fascinating how easy it is to identify with them and share their feelings. Throughout my new project, I wish to bring an answer to the question ‘What it is to be human and be part of this world?’. You can’t really walk away from that. I guess that explains why – whether it comes to models or strangers – I like to leave a huge part of the story to people’s imagination.
Who would you love to take pictures of?
Tough question. I have a huge admiration for faces of the 20th century that have now passed away. But I am going to try and sound less depressing and say model Gemma Ward who has the most incredible face.
Plans for the future?
I don’t really know. It’s very difficult to say how things will be in the future because we all tend to change our minds about things and places. Even if I feel cemented and attached to all the things I have known in the first twenty years of my life, I have so many enthusiasms that I want to fulfill. Traveling comes to mind, setting new goals, making new connections along the way, etc. Give me 5 years and I’ll answer that.
For more pictures check out Constance’s website: http://www.constancedoyle.co.uk/
