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Posted by yardi on Thursday, January 1, 2009 in , ,

Zlata by Souleye
Souleye of Sharp Focus Photography in DC, is a very creative, terrific DC fashion photographer who was born in Senegal, West Africa in 1951. He has been interested in photography since he was young. Souleye purchased his first camera when he was a student in Senegal. "Soon I was reading a lot about photography. I had subscriptions to all of the magazines you could think of including 'American Photography.' I would go to the American Cultural Center, and I read all of their photography books, and with all of that theory and looking at famous photographers, I really schooled myself in photography," he explains.

Souleye wanted to study photography formally in college, but his uncle told him that it was too risky, so he earned a B.A. in English with a minor in German from the University of Dakar. He came to DC in 1998, and started Sharp Focus Photography in 2000. He says: "Sharp Focus is a connotation that is trying to focus on the inner psychology of the person that you want to take pictures of, to try to bring that out. I used to do a lot of portraits, and a portrait only has artistic value when it can communicate something to the third party."

Souleye has selected five of his favorite DC models that he worked with in 2008, and you can view their photos in the link at the end of this article. Stephanie Grant is a junior at Georgetown University, majoring in English and minoring in Studio Art. She has been modeling for almost two years. Miriam Gardin directed and produced a world premiere production in the Capital Fringe Festival in DC, and is now living in New York and studying for a MFA in Performance Arts Management from Brooklyn College.

Zlata is originally from Russia, and lives in the DC area. She danced for ten years, and her work included jazz and modern dance. Souleye comments about her: "She is very comfortable in front of the camera." Dannielle Lind is an experienced model who lives and works in Northern Virginia. The types of images she enjoys modeling for include: fashion, editorial, and beauty. Lucie Starz is a petite model of Vietnamese origin who grew up in the U.S., and now lives and works in Vienna, Virginia. "She is well known in the DC circuit, since she's modeled for most photographers," says Souleye.

December 31, 11:35 AM
by Jennie Ganz,
DC Arts Examiner
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